Do bacteria age?
Any organism that lives, grows and reproduces must also age. People often think of aging in the physical sense—gray hair, slowed movements and wrinkles—but aging fundamentally occurs on a molecular level, inside of cells......»»
Getting bacteria into line: Physicists use magnetic fields to manipulate bacterial behavior
Researchers at Finland's Aalto University have found a way to use magnets to line up bacteria as they swim. The approach offers more than just a way to nudge bacteria into order—it also provides a useful tool for a wide range of research, such as w.....»»
Study reveals rapid evolution and global spread of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa—an environmental bacteria that can cause devastating multidrug-resistant infections, particularly in people with underlying lung conditions—evolved rapidly and then spread globally over the last 200 years, probably driven b.....»»
Five Jersey Shore beaches under fecal bacteria advisories on Tuesday, July 2
Five Jersey Shore beaches under fecal bacteria advisories on Tuesday, July 2.....»»
Experts warn of sewage, E. coli in Missouri River: Flooding could make quality worse
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment advised residents last week to stay out of the Missouri River due to contamination from raw sewage and E. coli bacteria. Five days later, the river is still dangerous to enter—both due to high water l.....»»
Nitrogen-using bacteria can cut farms’ greenhouse gas emissions
Nitrogen fertilizers get converted to nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. Enlarge (credit: Timothy Hearsum) Fritz Haber: good guy or bad guy? He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his part in developing the.....»»
Q&A: How to make sustainable products faster with artificial intelligence and automation
By modifying the genomes of plants and microorganisms, synthetic biologists can design biological systems that meet a specification, such as producing valuable chemical compounds, making bacteria sensitive to light, or programming bacterial cells to.....»»
New method could significantly reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions
New research by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) proposes using soil bacteria to cut greenhouse gas emissions from food production. The research is published in the jour.....»»
Antibiotic pollution disrupts the gut microbiome and blocks memory in aquatic snails, study finds
Antibiotics prevent snails from forming new memories by disrupting their gut microbiome—the community of beneficial bacteria found in their guts......»»
New molecule found to suppress bacterial antibiotic resistance evolution
Researchers from the University of Oxford have developed a new small molecule that can suppress the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and make resistant bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. The paper, "Development of an inhibitor of.....»»
Salty soil sensitizes plants to an unconventional mode of bacterial toxicity
A collaborative study between researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology has shown how a single metabolite can render bacteria toxic to plants under hig.....»»
This Start-Up Wants You to Put Custom Bacteria on Your Teeth
Lumina Probiotic has said a genetically modified microbe could prevent cavities. Experts, though, have safety concerns.....»»
Study reveals key role of plant-bacteria communication for assembly of a healthy plant microbiome
In an interdisciplinary study, researchers have discovered that symbiotic bacteria communicate with legume plants through specific molecules and that this communication influences which bacteria grow near the plant roots. The findings provide insight.....»»
Study sheds light on how antibiotic "Velcro" kills bacteria
A small antibiotic called plectasin uses an innovative mechanism to kill bacteria. By assembling into large structures, plectasin latches onto its target on the bacterial cell surface, similar to how both sides of Velcro form a bond......»»
A merger of microbes: Study shows low-nutrient conditions alter viral infection
This much we know: When viruses infect bacteria—a common occurrence in oceans, soils, even human guts—the interaction results in the creation of entirely new organisms called "virocells." But scientists are still learning about how this merger of.....»»
Farm wastewater modeling shows footbaths are source of antimicrobial resistance
New research has mapped wastewater flows on farms and revealed where spikes in antibiotic resistant bacteria in slurry occur, showing that water from copper and zinc footbaths used by dairy animals can cause fluctuations......»»
This modified stainless steel could kill bacteria without antibiotics or chemicals
An electrochemical process developed at Georgia Tech could offer new protection against bacterial infections without contributing to growing antibiotic resistance......»»
Researchers identify new drivers of antibiotic resistance in bacteria
Two newly discovered mechanisms in bacteria have been identified that can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. Changing the number of copies of resistance genes in bacteria increases antibiotic resistance, and can do so very quickl.....»»
Bacterial proteins shed light on antiviral immunity
A unique collaboration between two UT Southwestern Medical Center labs—one that studies bacteria and another that studies viruses—has identified two immune proteins that appear key to fighting infections. The findings, published in PLOS Pathogens.....»»
Mystery CRISPR unlocked: A new ally against antibiotic resistance?
CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionized biotechnology by offering ways to edit genes like a pair of programmable scissors. In nature, bacteria use these systems to fight off deadly viruses. A recent international collaboration led by the University of.....»»
Researchers discover new family of bacteria with high pharmaceutical potential
Most antibiotics used in human medicine originate from natural products derived from bacteria and other microbes. Novel microorganisms are therefore a promising source of new active compounds, also for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or vira.....»»