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......»»
Drug-resistant ringworm reported in US for first time; community spread likely
The newly emerging fungal pathogen is often misidentified in common lab tests. Enlarge / A Trichophyton indotineae infection on the back of an Indian man. (credit: Uhrlaß, S. et al. Journal of Fungi) A dermatologist in.....»»
Leprosy-causing bacteria found in armadillo specimens highlight value of museum collections for tracking pathogens
Years-old tissue samples from armadillos in museum collections may harbor Mycobacterium leprae, the bacteria that causes Hansen's disease, also called leprosy, according to recent research my colleagues and I conducted......»»
Automated counting and measuring method for efficient maize trichome identification
Plant trichomes are highly specialized structures that develop from the epidermal pavement cells of different plant tissues. They are known to defend plants from biotic and abiotic stresses such as water loss, insect-inflicted damage, pathogen attack.....»»
Scientists track evolution of microbes on the skin"s surface
Human skin is home to millions of microbes. One of these microbes, Staphylococcus aureus, is an opportunistic pathogen that can invade patches of skin affected by eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis......»»
Researchers make significant step in fight against drug resistance in TB
University of Otago researchers have discovered new ways to treat antibiotic-resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB), opening the door to new approaches for tackling the disease that kills about 4,000 people a day......»»
Researchers assemble pathogen "tree of life"
A new online tool—the first of its kind for plant pathogens—will help researchers across the globe identify, detect and monitor species of Phytophthora, which have been responsible for plant diseases ranging from the devastating 1840s Irish potat.....»»
Bees can help prove avocado crops are free of a pathogen that could be a barrier to Australia"s exports
Researchers at The University of Queensland and CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, have shown bees can help prove Australia's valuable avocado crop is free of a pathogen that could be a barrier to exports. The findings are published in the j.....»»
Biologists develop new record bright red fluorescent protein
To understand why a cell divides, secretes hormones or transmits a signal to another cell, biologists often use a trick. They attach colored lights to the proteins of interest, so that they can follow the movements and interactions of those proteins.....»»
African trypanosomes mapped for the first time to understand evolution and potential treatments
A parasite which has devastating impacts on agriculture and human health is the first pathogen to have its proteins located and mapped within its cells—providing clues to their function and helping to identify potential drug targets......»»
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.....»»
After 17th court hearing, woman with TB ordered to jail for refusing treatment
Washington judge issued an arrest warrant and ordered her to involuntary detention. Enlarge / Mycobacterium tuberculosis. (credit: Getty | NIH/NIAID) A judge in Washington issued an arrest warrant Thursday for a Tacoma w.....»»
Glycerol may jeopardize functional assays, lowering chances of success in drug design campaigns
New antitubercular drugs are vital due to the spread of resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A research team from Skoltech, MIPT, and the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (IBOCH NAS) has obt.....»»
Signaling proteins shown to play key role in tuberculosis biology
A set of 10 signaling proteins found in the microbe that causes tuberculosis (TB) play a far larger role in regulating the bacterium's growth, development and behavior than previously thought, according to recent research. The study was led by UW Sch.....»»
Drugs affect individual cells differently, new research suggests
A new state-of-the-art method that measures the amounts of drugs and lipids (fats) in individual cells could help health professionals target more effective treatments for diseases such as tuberculosis (TB)......»»
Study: Presence of E. coli is a poor indicator of fecal pollution
Escherichia coli is best known as a gastrointestinal pathogen in warm-blooded animals. For the last hundred years, its presence on beaches has been assumed to indicate fecal pollution, leading to beach closures. New research examines the genetic basi.....»»
Scientists reveal flaws in tuberculosis bacterium by studying ferredoxins
Small proteins called ferredoxins play a pivotal role in the main metabolic pathways, the series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell......»»
US woman has walked around with untreated TB for over a year, now faces jail
Recent X-rays of her lungs were so bad, doctors thought she had cancer. Enlarge / Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB. (credit: Getty | NIH/NIAID) A woman in Washington sta.....»»
Identification of novel mutations associated with bedaquiline resistance in Mycobacterium marinum
As infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are rapidly increasing globally, a need exists for developing novel antibiotics and discovering the mechanism of resistance. New research reported in Zoonoses is aimed at understanding the mec.....»»
Evolutionary trade-offs: Balancing genetic disease risks and pathogen protection
Certain genes can exist in different, functionally divergent variants in the individuals of a species. If they lead to clear differences, for example in a phenotype or susceptibility to disease, this is known in biology as a polymorphism. Typical exa.....»»
New study into tuberculosis membrane molecules could aid drug delivery
A new method to aid in the development of antibiotics for tuberculosis (TB) infections has been devised......»»