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......»»
Researchers identify the pathogen causing sea urchin mass mortalities in the Red Sea
A continuing study from Tel Aviv University has found that the deadly epidemic discovered last year, which has essentially wiped out Eilat's most abundant and ecologically significant sea urchins, has spread across the Red Sea and into the Indian Oce.....»»
Fast track to food safety: New test spots seafood pathogen in 30 minutes
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative, halophilic bacterium prevalent in marine environments and is the primary cause of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis, also known as early death syndrome, in aquaculture......»»
In medieval England, leprosy spread between red squirrels and people, genome evidence shows
Evidence from archaeological sites in the medieval English city of Winchester shows that English red squirrels once served as an important host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people, researchers report in the journal Current.....»»
Researchers reveal a hidden trait in Mycobacterium genomes governing stress adaptation
A new study, led by Qingyun Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, has uncovered a genetic feature known as "transcriptional plasticity," which plays a pivotal role in governing the transcriptional response of Mycobacteria to.....»»
New study reveals novel approach for combating "resting" bacteria
Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick. But just as dangerous as this rapid growth can be a bacterium's resting state, which helps the pathogen evade an.....»»
Tuberculosis vaccine may enable elimination of the disease in cattle by reducing its spread
Vaccination not only reduces the severity of TB in infected cattle, but reduces its spread in dairy herds by 89%, research finds. The research, led by the University of Cambridge and Penn State University, improves prospects for the elimination and c.....»»
New tuberculosis study offers a novel paradigm for understanding bacterial transcription
The bacterium behind tuberculosis is a wily foe, adept at bobbing and weaving around the immune system and antibiotics alike. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has been notoriously difficult to eradicate, often dormant in the body for years only to re.....»»
New starting point discovered in the fight against P. aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen responsible for life-threatening infections that are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Researchers from TWINCORE, the Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Re.....»»
What makes a pathogen antibiotic-resistant?
Antimicrobial resistance is a story of constantly moving parts and players. With every new or tweaked antibiotic or antimicrobial drug, the targeted pathogens begin the evolutionary dance of acquiring resistance, prompting researchers to constantly d.....»»
U.S. safety protocols stopped TB in imported lab monkeys from spreading to humans
Rigorous safety protocols prevented an outbreak of tuberculosis last year in lab monkeys imported to the United States from spreading to humans, a new report shows......»»
Toxoplasmosis: Researchers identify protein that evolved alongside infection machinery
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease found worldwide, caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In humans, infection poses a particular risk to pregnant women, as it can lead to birth defects. Like the closely related malaria pathogen.....»»
Using text analytics, scientists map the spread of potato blight prior to the Irish potato famine
North Carolina State University researchers used text analytics on both historic and modern writing to reveal more information about the effects and spread of the plant pathogen—now known as Phytophthora infestans—that caused the 1840s Irish pota.....»»
Study finds climate change has contributed to the spatial expansion of West Nile virus in Europe
West Nile virus is an emerging pathogen in Europe and represents a public health threat in previously non-affected European countries. Occurring in a cycle involving transmission between bird and mosquito species, this virus can be transmitted to hum.....»»
A new approach for fast and cost-effective pathogen detection
The ability to detect diseases at an early stage or even predict their onset would be of tremendous benefit to doctors and patients alike. A research team led by Dr. Larysa Baraban at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) develops intellige.....»»
Uncovering genetic metabolite markers associated with anthracnose resistance to blueberry fruit rot
Anthracnose fruit rot (AFR), caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum fioriniae, is the most destructive and widespread fruit disease of blueberry, impacting fruit quality and yield. The reliance on fungicides prompts the need for sustainable sol.....»»
Grape white rot resistance and the role of VvWRKY5 in enhancing pathogen defense through the jasmonic acid pathway
Grape white rot, caused by Coniella diplodiella (Speg.) Sacc. (Cd), significantly impacts grape production and quality, highlighting the need for effective disease management strategies beyond fungicide use due to concerns over food safety and enviro.....»»
Researchers engineer viruses to kill deadly pathogens
Northwestern University researchers have successfully coaxed a deadly pathogen to destroy itself from the inside out......»»
Jujube witches" broom phytoplasmas inhibit ZjBRC1-mediated abscisic acid metabolism to induce shoot proliferation
Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), an important species in the Rhamnaceae family, has been cultivated in China for over 7,000 years and is vulnerable to Jujube witches' broom (JWB) disease. This disease, caused by the JWB plant pathogen, leads t.....»»
Food-borne pathogen Listeria may hide from sanitizers in biofilms
An estimated 1,600 people in the U.S. contract a serious infection from Listeria bacteria in food each year, and of those individuals, about 260 people die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Penn State researchers may now b.....»»
Syphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before the arrival of Columbus, new study finds
Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Zurich have discovered the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum in the bones of people who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago. This is the oldest verified discovery of this pathogen thus far, an.....»»