Novel bacteria identification methods might help speed up disease diagnosis
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterial strain that can be responsible for several human diseases. The most serious include malignant external otitis, endophthalmitis, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia, and septicemia......»»
Risk of cardiovascular disease linked to long-term exposure to arsenic in community water supplies
Long term exposure to arsenic in water may increase cardiovascular disease and especially heart disease risk even at exposure levels below the federal regulatory limit (10µg/L) according to a study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Hea.....»»
Mobile phone networks and Bluetooth technology could help researchers improve animal tracking
Animal tracking studies for ecology and conservation all face technological limitations, such as high costs or the need for tags to remain in close proximity to detectors. In research published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution, investigators descr.....»»
Researcher finds special proteins are key when antibiotic resistance spreads
Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem globally. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that some bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics have the ability to spread that resistance to other bacteria via secretion systems......»»
Structural biology analysis of a Pseudomonas bacterial virus reveals a genome ejection motor
The viruses that infect bacteria are the most abundant biological entities on the planet. For example, a recent simple study of 92 showerheads and 36 toothbrushes from American bathrooms found more than 600 types of bacterial viruses, commonly called.....»»
Right whales are migrating in new areas, prompting need for better protections, report finds
Endangered Atlantic right whales are venturing to new areas, researchers have found in a recently released report, and many of those areas do not have speed limits on vessels......»»
Engineers unlock lithium from extreme environments
The demand for lithium—critical to powering sustainable technologies—is rapidly growing, but up to 75% of the world's lithium-rich saltwater sources remain untappable using current methods......»»
Discovery of new bacterial toxins could be key to fighting infections
Researchers have discovered a new group of bacterial toxins that can kill harmful bacteria and fungi, opening the door to potential new treatments for infections. These toxins, found in over 100,000 microbial genomes, can destroy the cells of bacteri.....»»
Accurately weighing costs and benefits of different methods for controlling invasive species
Invasive insect species bring a host of health, social, ecological and economic consequences, including crop damage, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, human disease transmission and rising allergy rates......»»
Combining satellite methods provides drought detection from space
Observing sites like the Amazon basin from space has underscored the capability of satellites to better detect signs of drought, according to a new study......»»
Unexpected beauty and major antimicrobial power boost as phages form into surprising flower shapes
A group of McMaster researchers who routinely work with bacteriophages—viruses that eat bacteria—had a pleasant and potentially very important surprise while preparing slides to view under a powerful microscope......»»
Tracking vampire worms with machine learning
Blood samples of patients infected with a parasitic worm that causes schistosomiasis contain hidden information that marks different stages of the disease. In our recently published research, our team used machine learning to uncover that hidden info.....»»
"Nano-weapon" discovery boosts fight against antibiotic-resistant hospital superbugs
Researchers have discovered how a bacteria found in hospitals uses "nano-weapons" to enable their spread, unlocking new clues in the fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs......»»
Chemical trick activates antibiotic directly at the pathogen
Colistin is a last-resort antibiotic that is usually only used for severe infections with resistant bacteria. This is due to its severe kidney-damaging side effects, which occur in about 30% of treated patients. A research team at the Helmholtz Cente.....»»
All-optical switch device paves way for faster fiber-optic communication
Modern high-speed internet uses light to quickly and reliably transmit large amounts of data through fiber-optic cables, but currently, light signals hit a bottleneck when data processing is necessary. For that, they must convert into electrical sign.....»»
Materials of the future can be extracted from wastewater
A group of researchers is on the way to revolutionizing what biomass from wastewater treatment plants can be used for. Biopolymers from bacteria can be a sustainable alternative to oil-based products, and phosphorus and other minerals can also be har.....»»
CyCognito expands automated testing capabilities
CyCognito announced several enhancements to its CyCognito Automated Security Testing (AST) product, a module in the CyCognito platform built for automated exposure validation and security testing. These additions speed the configuration of automated.....»»
Resolving biology"s dark matter: DNA barcoding reveals hidden insect diversity
There are millions of species on Earth that we still know nothing about. Researchers call these species "biological dark matter," but new methods can provide us with a better overview more quickly......»»
A method to switch between optical pulling and pushing forces by altering the shape of Fermi arcs in Weyl systems
Optical forces, which act like an invisible "hand," are capable of precisely controlling tiny particles. Optical tweezers, a well-known tool, use this force to capture and manipulate small objects such as cells, bacteria, and viruses. This effect is.....»»
Study of wild type mosquitoes in Burkina Faso discovers new signs of insecticide resistance
One of the main discoveries of a new study is the identification of new variants in genes associated with insecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes, the primary vectors of malaria in West Africa, and potential novel resistance mechanisms, emphas.....»»
Biofilms study reveals how multiple bacteria species manage to coexist
Biofilms—slimy communities of bacteria—grow on all sorts of surfaces: from glaciers and hot springs to plant roots, your bathtub and fridge, wounds, and medical devices such as catheters. Most biofilms are composed of multiple bacterial species,.....»»