How does an intestinal microbe become a pathogen?
The bacterium Escherichia coli is found in the human intestine, and elsewhere. There it is harmless, but in certain conditions it can become a pathogen. It can cause bladder infections or even sepsis. A team of researchers led by RESIST professor Mar.....»»
Genetic discovery to improve breeding for disease resistance in wheat
Australian and European researchers have discovered a genetic element in a common wheat pathogen with potential to help streamline breeding for disease-resistant wheat varieties that are better suited to Australian conditions......»»
Scientist aims to ensure "microbe-free" Mars samples
The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is collecting samples in search of signs of ancient microbial life, which would advance NASA's quest to explore the past habitability of Mars. The samples are set to return to Earth no earlier than 2031, as part of th.....»»
The toilet of a First Temple period luxury villa reveals the Jerusalem elite suffered from infectious disease
A new study by Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority has exposed the remains of 2,700-year-old intestinal worm eggs below the stone toilet of a magnificent private estate. The egg remnants belong to four different types of intestin.....»»
From the oilfield to the lab: How a special microbe turns oil into gases
Microorganisms can convert oil into natural gas, i.e. methane. Until recently, it was thought that this conversion was only possible through the cooperation of different organisms. In 2019, Rafael Laso-Pérez and Gunter Wegener from the Max Planck In.....»»
Can a dangerous microbe offer a new way to silence pain?
A new study shows that a toxin from the microbe that causes anthrax can silence multiple types of pain in mice. Researchers found the toxin targets pain-sensing cells to alter signaling and block pain. Building on that finding, researchers engineered.....»»
Affordable genome sequencing for pathogen analysis to help tackle global epidemics
A worldwide consortium of scientists, led by the Earlham Institute and the University of Liverpool in the UK, mark a significant milestone in equipping researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with cheap and accessible methods for sequ.....»»
Microbe sneaks past tomato defense system, advances evolutionary battle
When we think of evolution, many of us conjure the lineage from ape to man, a series of incremental changes spanning millions of years. But in some species, evolution happens so quickly we can watch it in real time......»»
Research finds potential mechanism linking autism, intestinal inflammation
Moms infected during pregnancy who produce elevated levels of the cytokine IL-17a may have microbiome alterations that prime offspring for aberrant immune responses later in life, a mouse study suggests......»»
Yeast cells cause embedded objects to rise via the microbial Brazil nut effect
A phenomenon where microbe-generated gas bubbles create granular fluctuations at the wet sandy floors of rivers, oceans, and lakes has revealed more about the distribution of materials at the bottom of waterbodies......»»
In toxic microbial warfare, study finds strength in numbers
When it comes to toxic microbial warfare, the stronger microbe does not always win......»»
CRISPRing the microbiome is just around the corner
To date, CRISPR enzymes have been used to edit the genomes of one type of cell at a time: They cut, delete or add genes to a specific kind of cell within a tissue or organ, for example, or to one kind of microbe growing in a test tube......»»
Study reveals how bacterial pathogen adapts to nutritional stress
In order to cause disease, the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus must adapt to the changing host environment. Many of these adaptations are mediated through two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) that coordinate gene expression in respon.....»»
Plant pathogen evades immune system by targeting the microbiome
A team of biologists has identified that the pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae, responsible for wilt disease in many crops, secretes an 'effector' molecule to target the microbiome of plants to promote infection. The research was performed by th.....»»
Within an Antarctic sea squirt, scientists discover a bacterial species with promising anti-melanoma properties
Biologists have successfully traced a naturally-produced melanoma-fighting compound called 'palmerolide A' to its source: a microbe that resides within Synoicum adareanum, a species of ascidian common to the waters of Antarctica's Anvers Island archi.....»»
First study of its kind to investigate a high priority but little known pathogen found in Irish hospitals
By understanding the epidemiology and population biology of a significant and high-priority pathogen, Enteroccocus faecium (E. faecium) in Irish hospitals, researchers are providing the evidence base for more effective surveillance, and infection and.....»»
Ubiquitous food additive alters human microbiota and intestinal environment
New clinical research indicates that a widely used food additive, carboxymethylcellulose, alters the intestinal environment of healthy persons, perturbing levels of beneficial bacteria and nutrients. These findings demonstrate the need for further st.....»»
Is the relationship between diet, intestinal bacteria and cells key to preventing systemic inflammation?
Mice fed a diet high in fat, cholesterol and calories, akin to the Western diet, had higher measures of blood lipids associated with elevated levels of inflammation, a new study finds......»»
New details behind how the Shigella pathogen delivers bacterial proteins into our cells
Scientists have advanced knowledge about how two proteins fit together to form a pore that Shigella uses to invade intestinal cells. Targeting these proteins could hamper infection by this bacterial pathogen......»»
New link between diet, intestinal stem cells and disease discovered
Obesity, diabetes and gastrointestinal cancer are frequently linked to an unhealthy diet. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. Researchers have gained some new insights that help to better understand this c.....»»
How the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis secretes and traffics its only known exotoxin
Six years ago, Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., described the first known toxin of the deadly pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an exotoxin that had gone undetected for 132 years......»»