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.....»»
Investigators identify new pattern recognition system that monitors disease-causing bacteria in C. elegans
A study published in Immunity by physician-scientist Read Pukkila-Worley, MD, and MD/Ph.D. students Nicholas D. Peterson and Samantha Y. Tse describes a new manner of detecting microbial infection that intercepts pathogen-derived signals of growth to.....»»
Soil bacteria as biocatalysts for producing pharmaceutical ingredients
Researchers from Bochum and Leipzig have successfully used a soil bacterium to specifically produce prodrugs. The key to this step was a detailed understanding of the metabolization of indole. The natural compound is first activated in microorganisms.....»»
Scientists reveal molecular structure of bacterial gas vesicles
Similar in function to ballast tanks in submarines or fish bladders, many water-based bacteria use gas vesicles to regulate their floatability. In a new publication in Cell, scientists from the Departments of Bionanoscience and Imaging Physics now de.....»»
Battling drug resistant bacteria with bacteriophages
The overuse of antibiotics over extended periods of time has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in recent years. This poses a significant threat to public health, with more than 1.2 million deaths caused due to MDR bacteria. M.....»»
Metal contamination causes metabolic stress in environmental bacteria, shows study
Pollution of the soil and water with multiple heavy metals is a common problem. However, most studies on the effects of heavy metals on bacteria living in these environments have only focused on one metal at a time. In a recent study, researchers fou.....»»
Assessing the risk of excess folic acid intake
It is well established that folic acid supplementation can significantly reduce the risk of birth defects, including neural tube defects like spina bifida, the most common birth defect of the central nervous system and the second most common of all s.....»»
Lab shows phage attacks in new light
As antibacterial resistance continues to render obsolete the use of some antibiotics, some have turned to bacteria-killing viruses to treat acute infections as well as some chronic illnesses......»»
Trapping and killing superbugs with novel peptide "nanonets"
National University of Singapore (NUS) pharmaceutical scientists have developed synthetic peptide nanonets for treating infections by bacteria strains resistant to last-resort antibiotics......»»
Exotic bacteria species show promise as rare-earth element recyclers
Researchers think they’ve found the ideal bacteria to recover wasted elements. Enlarge / One of the species identified in this work. (credit: Thomas Brück) Demand for rare-earth elements is growing and may reach 315,0.....»»
Car debt is piling up as more Americans owe thousands more than vehicles are worth
Chris Martin knew he needed a bigger car as the birth of his fourth child approached, but he and his wife were already $14,000 underwater on their two vehicles. So the couple proposed an unusual two-for-one deal with an Atlanta-area auto dealer in.....»»
Researchers develop a new way to identify bacteria in fluids
Shine a laser on a drop of blood, mucus, or wastewater, and the light reflecting back can be used to positively identify bacteria in the sample......»»
P. aeruginosa bacteria produce a molecule that paralyzes immune system cells
Researchers from Freiburg and Strasbourg have discovered a strong immunological effect of the molecule LecB—and a way to prevent it......»»
Bacteria rely on cooperation and evolution to defend against predatory protists, finds study
Eating and being eaten is a normal process in nature. These predator–prey dynamics help to stabilize ecosystems. It ensures that individual species do not become too abundant, controls their populations, and prevents damage caused by overpopulation.....»»
A dozen exotic bacteria are found to passively collect rare earth elements from wastewater
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals, which got their name because they typically occur at low concentrations (between 0.5 and 67 parts per million) within Earth's crust. Because they are indispensable in modern tech.....»»
Measurement of bacteria levels shows high amounts of dog feces on New York City sidewalks
A pair of natural science researchers from Marymount Manhattan College has found that high levels of dog feces landing on sidewalks in New York city has resulted in high levels of bacteria in homes and businesses. In their paper published in the jour.....»»
Remembering Steve Jobs on his 68th birthday
How the circumstances of Steve Jobs's birth, and his decisions over education, would shape both his entire life — and then the entire world through the creation of Apple and the Macintosh.Steve JobsThe Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was born on Februa.....»»
Nutrient uptake in citrus rootstock affected by huanglongbing
Huanglongbing (HLB) is presumably caused by the phloem-limited bacteria, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), and is one of the most devastating diseases of citrus. A distinctive chlorotic mottle on fully expanded leaves is one of the identifyin.....»»
Kombucha electronics? Sure, why not?
Sustainable dried SCOBY mats are lighter, cheaper, and more flexible than plastics. Enlarge / Brewing kombucha tea. Note the trademark gel-like layer of SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). (credit: Olga Pankova/Getty.....»»
Method for quantifying the spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics developed
The discovery of antibiotics is one of the greatest advances in medicine, as it has enabled the effective treatment of infections caused by pathogenic bacteria. However, these compounds have been losing effectiveness due to the spread of genes that c.....»»
Identifying intestinal microbiota bacteria that protect against antibiotic-resistant pathogens
A study by the "Microbiota, Infection and Inflammation" research group at the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (Fisabio), an agency of the Conselleria de Sanitat Universal i Salut Pública, has identif.....»»