Lunaemycin, a new antibiotic extracted from moonmilk deposits
A study conducted by scientists from the University of Liège and the HEDERA-22 spin-off on moon milk—a mineral deposit found in caves and used for its curative properties—has led to the discovery of a cryptic compound active against bacteria tha.....»»
How Staphylococcus slips around between biological environments
It's an unpleasant fact that most of us are happy to ignore: Our mouths and noses are the natural homes to infectious and antibiotic resistant bacteria......»»
Blue light could kill at least 99% of bacteria linked to dog ear infections, new research shows
New research from the University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham has highlighted that blue light has the ability to kill antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria isolated from ear infections in dogs......»»
Dual action antibiotic could make bacterial resistance nearly impossible
A new antibiotic that works by disrupting two different cellular targets would make it 100 million times more difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance, according to new research from the University of Illinois Chicago......»»
New date for Earth"s largest iron deposits offers clues for future exploration
Research led by Curtin University reveals that Earth's largest iron ore deposits—in the Hamersley Province of Western Australia—are about one billion years younger than previously believed, a discovery which could greatly boost the search for mor.....»»
Elevated levels of antibiotic resistance genes should be considered a new factor of global change, researchers say
Human-caused global change is a complex phenomenon comprising many factors such as climate change, environmental contamination with chemicals, microplastics, light pollution, and invasive plants. One of the main tasks of global change biology is to i.....»»
Study shows small animals use "stolen" genes from bacteria to protect against infection
Certain small, freshwater animals protect themselves from infections using antibiotic recipes "stolen" from bacteria, according to new research by a team from the University of Oxford, the University of Stirling and the Marine Biological Laboratory (.....»»
New research sheds light on river dynamics and cutoff regimes
How are rivers characterized? Traditional methods rely on plant forms and sedimentological techniques, focusing on deposits. Riccardo Maitan, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Padova, is developing a novel approach based on river hydrological be.....»»
E. coli variant may cause antimicrobial resistance in dogs, humans
Researchers studying antimicrobial-resistant E. coli—the leading cause of human death due to antimicrobial resistance worldwide—have identified a mechanism in dogs that may render multiple antibiotic classes ineffective......»»
3D genome extracted from "freeze-dried" woolly mammoth
About 52,000 years ago, the skinned hide of a Siberian woolly mammoth was exposed to conditions so frigid that it spontaneously freeze-dried, locking its DNA fragments into place......»»
How to make an old antibiotic 100 times more potent
Nathaniel Martin, Professor of biological chemistry, wondered what would happen if you took an antibiotic that has been known for 70 years and tried to improve it with the latest tools of modern chemistry. Turns out it can become up to a hundred time.....»»
Team discovers a new defense mechanism in bacteria
When confronted with an antibiotic, toxic substance, or other source of considerable stress, bacteria are able to activate a defense mechanism using cell-to-cell communication to "warn" unaffected bacteria, which can then anticipate, shield themselve.....»»
Diversity in typhoid bacteria linked to higher mortality rates
Worldwide, 20% of the bacterial strains that cause typhoid fever have genetic variations in their external layer, called Vi capsule, that provide higher virulence, higher infectivity and high antibiotic resistance, Cornell researchers have discovered.....»»
Phage viruses, used to treat antibiotic resistance, gain advantage by cutting off competitors" reproduction ability
Curious bits of DNA tucked inside genomes across all kingdoms of life historically have been disregarded since they don't seem to have a role to play in the competition for survival, or so researchers thought......»»
High-altitude cave used by Tibetan Buddhists yields a Denisovan fossil
Cave deposits yield bones of sheep, yaks, carnivores, and birds that were butchered. Enlarge / The Baishiya Karst Cave, where the recently analyzed samples were obtained. (credit: Dongju Zhang’s group (Lanzhou University)).....»»
Tsunami sands help scientists assess Cascadia earthquake models
To better understand the scale of past earthquakes and tsunamis, scientists often use earthquake modeling or turn to evidence the tsunamis leave behind, such as sand deposits......»»
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.....»»
Personalized phage therapy heals resistant wounds in Siamese cat
A new study has shown an advance in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections in animals. The research, focusing on a 5-year-old Siamese cat Squeaks with a multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection post-arthrodesis surgery, marks th.....»»
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......»»
Uncovering new details on antibiotic resistance from 1940s milk samples
Sometime in the 1940s or so, someone in what is now the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science got a lyophilizer, a piece of equipment that freeze-dries samples, says Director of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CV.....»»