Bacteria do not colonize the gut before birth
Researchers examined prenatal stool (meconium) samples collected from 20 babies during breech Cesarean delivery. By including only breech caesarean deliveries in healthy pregnant women they were able to avoid the transmission of bacteria that occurs.....»»
Persistent strain of cholera defends itself against forces of change, scientists find
A deadly strain of cholera bacteria that emerged in Indonesia back in 1961 continues to spread widely to this day, claiming thousands of lives around the world every year, sickening millions, and with its persistence, baffling scientists......»»
Monster galactic outflow powered by exploding stars
Star death and birth both contribute to driving material out of a galaxy. Enlarge / All galaxies have large amounts of gas that influence their star-formation rates. (credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and J. Lee (NOIRLab)) Galaxie.....»»
Researchers shed new light on carboxysomes in key discovery that could boost photosynthesis
A research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has discovered how carboxysomes—carbon-fixing structures found in some bacteria and algae—work. The breakthrough could help scientists redesign and repurpose the st.....»»
How aging clocks tick: New study points to stochastic changes in cells
Aging clocks can measure the biological age of humans with high precision. Biological age can be influenced by environmental factors such as smoking or diet, thus deviating from chronological age that is calculated using the date of birth. The precis.....»»
Marine bacteria team up to produce a vital vitamin
A German-American research team led by microbiologist Dr. Gerrit Wienhausen from the University of Oldenburg (Germany) has come an important step closer to a better understanding of highly complex interactions between marine microorganisms. The resea.....»»
Limited adaptability is making freshwater bacteria vulnerable to climate change
Freshwater bacteria with small genomes frequently undergo prolonged periods of adaptive stagnation. Based on genomic analyses of samples from Lake Zurich and other European lakes, researchers at the University of Zurich have uncovered specific evolut.....»»
Study underscores new strategies to fight drug-resistant bacteria
Several billion years ago, a genetic arms race began between bacteria and their viral killers. This seemingly eternal struggle continues today, with implications for diseases killing tens of thousands of people around the world each year......»»
Study finds microbiome changes dynamically and favors important host-relevant functions
All multicellular organisms—from the simplest animal and plant organisms to humans—live in close association with a multitude of microorganisms, the so-called microbiome, which colonize their tissues and live in symbiotic relationships with the h.....»»
Novel triple drug combination effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Scientists at the Ineos Oxford Institute (IOI) have found a new potential combination therapy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by targeting two key bacterial enzymes involved in resistance. The study, "The Triple Combination of Meropenem, Avi.....»»
Nano-drugs hitching a ride on bacteria could help treat pancreatic cancer
Many pancreatic tumors are like malignant fortresses, surrounded by a dense matrix of collagen and other tissue that shields them from immune cells and immunotherapies that have been effective in treating other cancers. Employing bacteria to infiltra.....»»
Antimicrobial peptide from cows shows potential for treating hypervirulent bacteria
University of Central Florida College of Medicine researcher Renee Fleeman is on a mission to kill drug-resistant bacteria, and her latest study has identified a therapy that can penetrate the slime that such infections use to protect themselves from.....»»
Researchers make a plastic that includes bacteria that can digest it
Bacterial spores strengthen the plastic, then revive to digest it in landfills. Enlarge (credit: Han Sol Kim) One reason plastic waste persists in the environment is because there's not much that can eat it. The chemical.....»»
How polyps of the moon jellyfish repel viral attacks on their microbiome
Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are viruses that infect bacteria and kill them through a lysis process. Phages can kill bacteria on or in a multicellular host organism, such as the polyp of the moon jellyfish. Phages specialize in specific bacte.....»»
Too many vehicles, slow reactions and reckless merging: New math model explains how traffic and bacteria move
What do the flow of cars on a highway and the movement of bacteria towards a food source have in common? In both cases, annoying traffic jams can form. Especially for cars, we might want to understand how to avoid them, but perhaps we've never though.....»»
Researchers discover new lantibiotic produced by staphylococci
Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn, and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have discovered a new lantibiotic, namely epilancin A37. It is produced by staphylococci that colonize the skin and act spe.....»»
Bacteria "nanowires" could help develop green electronics
Engineered protein filaments originally produced by bacteria have been modified by scientists to conduct electricity. In a study published recently in the journal Small, researchers revealed that protein nanowires—which were modified by adding a si.....»»
CRISPR is promising to tackle antimicrobial resistance, but bacteria can fight back
In his presentation "How to use CRISPR-Cas to combat AMR" at the ESCMID Global Congress, Assistant Prof. Ibrahim Bitar, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Plzen, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Repub.....»»
Study details a common bacterial defense against viral infection
One of the many secrets to bacteria's success is their ability to defend themselves from viruses, called phages, that infect bacteria and use their cellular machinery to make copies of themselves......»»
New structures offer insight into how a bacterial motor powers bacterial chemotaxis, a key infectious process
Bacteria existed for millennia before humans and have been infecting us from the beginning. Although we can treat infections through pharmaceuticals, bacteria continue to become resistant to treatment thanks to their rapid evolution. Bacterial infect.....»»
Using bacteriophage-derived lysin to target odor-causing bacteria in armpits
Body odor from the armpits comes from bacteria metabolizing sweat produced by the apocrine glands. These bacteria are native to our skin, but the odors produced differ among people. Generally, people use deodorants on their armpits, but perhaps there.....»»