Kamikaze bacteria explode into bursts of lethal toxins
If you make a big enough toxin, it's difficult to get it out of the cells. Enlarge / The plague bacteria, Yersina pestis, is a close relative of the toxin-producing species studied here. (credit: Callista Images) Life-fo.....»»
Researchers make a plastic that includes bacteria that can digest it
Bacterial spores strengthen the plastic, then revive to digest it in landfills. Enlarge (credit: Han Sol Kim) One reason plastic waste persists in the environment is because there's not much that can eat it. The chemical.....»»
How polyps of the moon jellyfish repel viral attacks on their microbiome
Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are viruses that infect bacteria and kill them through a lysis process. Phages can kill bacteria on or in a multicellular host organism, such as the polyp of the moon jellyfish. Phages specialize in specific bacte.....»»
Too many vehicles, slow reactions and reckless merging: New math model explains how traffic and bacteria move
What do the flow of cars on a highway and the movement of bacteria towards a food source have in common? In both cases, annoying traffic jams can form. Especially for cars, we might want to understand how to avoid them, but perhaps we've never though.....»»
Bacteria "nanowires" could help develop green electronics
Engineered protein filaments originally produced by bacteria have been modified by scientists to conduct electricity. In a study published recently in the journal Small, researchers revealed that protein nanowires—which were modified by adding a si.....»»
CRISPR is promising to tackle antimicrobial resistance, but bacteria can fight back
In his presentation "How to use CRISPR-Cas to combat AMR" at the ESCMID Global Congress, Assistant Prof. Ibrahim Bitar, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Plzen, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Repub.....»»
Study details a common bacterial defense against viral infection
One of the many secrets to bacteria's success is their ability to defend themselves from viruses, called phages, that infect bacteria and use their cellular machinery to make copies of themselves......»»
New structures offer insight into how a bacterial motor powers bacterial chemotaxis, a key infectious process
Bacteria existed for millennia before humans and have been infecting us from the beginning. Although we can treat infections through pharmaceuticals, bacteria continue to become resistant to treatment thanks to their rapid evolution. Bacterial infect.....»»
We may have spotted the first magnetar flare outside our galaxy
Not all gamma-ray bursts come from supernovae. Enlarge / M82, the site of what's likely to be a giant flare from a magnetar. (credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team) Gamma rays are a broad category of high-energy.....»»
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......»»
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......»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
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......»»