Disrupted movement makes macrophages more lethal to tuberculosis bacteria
Macrophages—the front line of our immune system—protect us from infections. But in the case of the tuberculosis bacteria, this often goes wrong. The group of Annemarie Meijer from the Leiden Institute of Biology has now discovered that macrophage.....»»
Researchers show it"s possible to teach old magnetic cilia new tricks
Magnetic cilia—artificial hairs whose movement is powered by embedded magnetic particles—have been around for a while, and are of interest for applications in soft robotics, transporting objects and mixing liquids. However, existing magnetic cili.....»»
New method makes finding bat roosts easier for conservationists
A new algorithm is making it easier for ecologists and conservationists to find bat roost locations—reducing search areas by nearly 375 times their previous size. The technology combines microphone detector data with a bat movement model to identif.....»»
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.....»»
Bacteria for climate-neutral chemicals of the future
Researchers at ETH Zurich have engineered bacteria in the laboratory to efficiently use methanol. The metabolism of these bacteria can now be tapped into to produce valuable products currently made by the chemical industry from fossil fuels......»»
Voyager 1 spacecraft is still alive and sending signals to Earth
NASA has announced that it is back in contact with Voyager 1, around five months after communications with the spacecraft were disrupted......»»
Researchers map protein network dynamics during cell division
An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has mapped the movement of proteins encoded by the yeast genome throughout its cell cycle. This is the first time that all the proteins of an organism have been tracked across the.....»»
Researchers uncover details of how bacteria build protective barriers, may inform new antibiotics
Yale researchers have uncovered new details on how bacteria like E. coli build their protective barriers, which will inform new antibiotic development......»»
Daniel Dennett, philosophical giant who championed “naturalism,” dead at 82
Part of the "New Atheist" movement, best known for work on consciousness, free will. Enlarge / Daniel Dennett, a leading philosopher with provocative takes on consciousness, free will, and AI, has died at 82. (credit: Alonso Nich.....»»
The GMO tooth microbe that is supposed to prevent cavities
Some experts have concerns over the safety of the genetically modified bacteria. Enlarge (credit: zhangshuang via Getty) About seven years ago, Aaron Silverbook and his then-girlfriend, a biologist, were perusing old sci.....»»
Philosopher Daniel Dennett dead at 82
Part of the "New Atheist" movement, best known for work on consciousness, free will. Enlarge / Daniel Dennett, a leading philosopher with provocative takes on consciousness, free will, and AI, has died at 82. (credit: Alonso Nich.....»»
Bike Bus gains supporters as a way to promote sustainable and safe mobility
The Bike Bus movement has emerged as a powerful tool to promote road safety, sustainability and community. According to a global survey carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (IC.....»»
Mobile genetic elements can inadvertently suppress bacterial immune systems, research reveals
Bacterial restriction-modification systems are responsible for protecting cells from foreign genetic material, for example, bacteriophages and plasmids. Immune systems require strict regulation, as bacteria, like humans, can have autoimmune reactions.....»»
Authorities take down LabHost, phishing-as-a-service platform
Law enforcement from 19 countries severely disrupted one of the world’s largest phishing-as-a-service platform, known as LabHost. This year-long operation, coordinated at the international level by Europol, resulted in the compromise of LabHost’s.....»»
Soil bacteria link their life strategies to soil conditions: Study
Soil bacteria help regulate the cycling of carbon and nutrients on Earth. Over time, these bacteria have evolved strategies that determine where they live, what they do, and how they deal with a changing environment. However, microbiologists do not f.....»»
New class of antimicrobials discovered in soil bacteria
Researchers have discovered toxic protein particles, shaped like umbrellas, that soil bacteria known as Streptomyces secrete to squelch competitors, especially others of their own species......»»
Climate change is wiping out rare bacteria in a "greening" Antarctica
Plenty is known about the existential threat of climate change to plants and animals. But by comparison, we know very little about how microorganisms will be affected by climate change......»»
Improved mid-infrared nanoscopy enables 30 times clearer view of the insides of bacteria
A team at the University of Tokyo have constructed an improved mid-infrared microscope, enabling them to see the structures inside living bacteria at the nanometer scale. Mid-infrared microscopy is typically limited by its low resolution, especially.....»»
Multi-drug resistant bacteria found on International Space Station mutate to become functionally distinct
Principal Investigator Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory led a team that studied 13 strains of the bacterial species Enterobacter bugandensis that were isolated from the International Space Station (ISS). E. bugandensis i.....»»
Scientists discover how soil microbes survive in harsh desert environments
Prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall—how do desert soil bacteria manage to survive such harsh conditions? This long-debated question has now been answered by an ERC project led by microbiologist Dagmar Woebken from the Centre fo.....»»
Silver-based micromotors that eliminate bacteria can move freely in aqueous media
Researchers at ICIQ in Tarragona have developed a simple technique to produce microscopic crystals that activate in the presence of light, releasing silver ions with antimicrobial activity......»»