Despite the multitudes of microbes that reside on earth, our knowledge of them is quite limited. Of the estimated nonillion (10³⁰) that exist, scientists have or are in the process of decoding 2,000 microbial genomes,  which means there is a vast unknown realm awaiting those researchers intent on exploring microorganisms that inhabit this planet.

In hopes of exploring that realm and expanding our understanding of microbes, a team from the the Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) have released the first volume of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA), an analysis of the first 56 genomes representing two of the three domains of the tree of life. The encyclopedia is detailed in the December 24 issue of Nature.

New research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that the Arctic could face seasonally ice-free conditions and much warmer temperatures in the future. The conclusion is based on climate reconstructions of the mid-Piacenzian Age of the Pliocene Epoch,  3.3 to 3 million years ago. The findings will help refine climate models, which currently underestimate the rate of sea ice loss in the Arctic, the researchers say.

Scientists documented evidence that the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas were too warm to support summer sea ice during the mid-Pliocene warm period . This period is characterized by warm temperatures similar to those projected for the end of this century, and is used as an analog to understand future conditions.

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health claim that children regularly exposed to tobacco smoke at home are more likely to develop early emphysema in adulthood. The findings, published in the December 2009 American Journal of Epidemiology, suggest that the lungs may not recover completely from the effects of early-life exposures to tobacco smoke (ETS), the research team says.

According to a new study published in Political Research Quarterly, genetics play a pivotal role in shaping how we identify with political parties. 

 the researchers examined the sources of party identification and the intensity of that identification using quantitative genetic models. Together with recent social science research analyzing political attitudes and vote choice, they say their findings help provide a more complete picture of the source of partisanship and the complex nature of the political phenotype.

Cancer is commonly thought to progress by the growth of a primary tumor followed by metastasis, in which cancer cells leave the primary tumor and spread to distant organs. New research conducted by scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center shows, however, that circulating tumor cells can also return to and grow in their tumor of origin, a newly discovered process called 'self-seeding.'

The findings of the study, published in the December 25 issue of the journal Cell, suggest that self-seeding can enhance tumor growth through the release of signals that promote angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis.

Engineers from Oregon State University are attempting to develop a robot capable of running effortlessly over rough terrain and they're doing it with assistance from the unlikeliest of creatures--cockroaches. While they maybe unsightly, the insects are also biological and engineering marvels, and are providing the researchers  with what they call "bioinspiration" in their efforts to build a running robot.

Their latest findings – just published in the professional journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics – outline how animals use their legs to manage energy storage and expenditure, and why this is so important for running stability.