E. coli News and Research

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E. coli or Escherichia coli is the name of a type of bacteria that lives in your intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless. However, some types can make you sick and cause diarrhea. One type causes travelers' diarrhea. The worst type of E. coli causes bloody diarrhea, and can sometimes cause kidney failure and even death. These problems are most likely to occur in children and in adults with weak immune systems. You can get E. coli infections by eating foods containing the bacteria. To help avoid food poisoning and prevent infection, handle food safely. Cook meat well, wash fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking them, and avoid unpasteurized milk and juices. You can also get the infection by swallowing water in a swimming pool contaminated with human waste. Most cases of E. coli infection get better without treatment in 5 to 10 days.

Duke study finds that gut worms can protect babies' brains from chronic inflammation

A Duke University study in rats finds that gut worms can protect babies' brains from long-term learning and memory problems caused by newborn infections.

21 Jul 2015

NDSU assistant professor receives NIH grant to study regulation of transporters in Gram-negative bacteria

Christopher Colbert, assistant professor of biochemistry at North Dakota State University, Fargo, has received a $348,000 grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on structure-function relationships of iron transport and transcriptional regulation in Gram-negative bacteria.

20 Jul 2015

Virginia Tech scientist uses mathematical model to show how bacteria can control behavior of robots

Forget the Vulcan mind-meld of the Star Trek generation -- as far as mind control techniques go, bacteria is the next frontier. In a paper published July 16 in Scientific Reports, which is part of the Nature Publishing Group, a Virginia Tech scientist used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behavior of an inanimate device like a robot.

17 Jul 2015

New hand-held paper machine could be used for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, cancer

In the U.S. and other industrialized nations, testing for infectious diseases and cancer often requires expensive equipment and highly trained specialists. In countries where resources are limited, performing the same diagnostics is far more challenging. To address this disparity, scientists are developing a portable, low-cost "paper machine" for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, genetic conditions and cancer.

16 Jul 2015

Severe burns dramatically change bacteria populations, study finds

A study published in PLOS ONE has found that burn patients experience dramatic changes in the 100 trillion bacteria inside the gastrointestinal tract.

9 Jul 2015

Bacterial biofilms play role in development of systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus, multiple sclerosis, and type-1 diabetes are among more than a score of diseases in which the immune system attacks the body it was designed to defend. But just why the immune system begins its misdirected assault has remained a mystery.

7 Jul 2015

Bacterial ‘fight club’ approach effective for finding new drugs from natural sources

Creating bacterial "fight clubs" is an effective way to find new drugs from natural sources. That is the conclusion of a team of Vanderbilt chemists who have been exploring ways to get bacteria to produce biologically active chemicals that they normally hold in reserve. These compounds are called secondary metabolites.

30 Jun 2015

Diet, acidity of urine may influence susceptibility to urinary tract infections

The acidity of urine -- as well as the presence of small molecules related to diet -- may influence how well bacteria can grow in the urinary tract, a new study shows. The research, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, may have implications for treating urinary tract infections, which are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide.

26 Jun 2015

Researchers assemble full genome of living organism using Oxford Nanopore's MinIONTM device

Researchers in Canada and the U.K. have for the first time sequenced and assembled de novo the full genome of a living organism, the bacteria Escherichia Coli, using Oxford Nanopore's MinIONTM device, a genome sequencer that can fit in the palm of your hand.

17 Jun 2015

PNP Therapeutics granted FDA orphan drug designation for Gedeptin

PNP Therapeutics Inc. announced today the Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug status to Gedeptin, the Company's lead product candidate (adenoviral vector expressing E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase gene) for the intratumoral treatment of anatomically accessible oral and pharyngeal cancers, including cancers of the lip, tongue, gum, floor of mouth, salivary gland and other oral cavities.

16 Jun 2015

Genetically-programmed probiotics could help detect liver cancer metastases early-on

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have described a new method for detecting liver cancer metastases in mice. The approach uses over-the-counter probiotics genetically programmed to produce signals easily detectable in urine when liver cancer metastases are present.

2 Jun 2015

UB researchers successfully harness E. coli to generate new forms of antibiotics

Like a dairy farmer tending to a herd of cows to produce milk, researchers are tending to colonies of the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) to produce new forms of antibiotics -- including three that show promise in fighting drug-resistant bacteria.

30 May 2015

MIT, UCSD researchers use probiotics to detect cancer in the liver

Engineers at MIT and the University of California at San Diego have devised a new way to detect cancer that has spread to the liver, by enlisting help from probiotics — beneficial bacteria similar to those found in yogurt.

29 May 2015

Duke researchers reveal how bladder cells can eject UTI-causing bacteria

Duke Medicine researchers have found that bladder cells have a highly effective way to combat E. coli bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs).

29 May 2015

Actavis creates collaborative program to improve care for patients with multidrug-resistant infections

Actavis plc, a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company committed to infectious disease treatment innovation, today announced the creation of SHARE ID (Sharing Hospital data to Advance Research and Enhance patient care in Infectious Diseases), a collaborative program to leverage real-world data to advance the delivery and effectiveness of care for patients with serious infections due to antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

27 May 2015

New tool could help identify pathogens in food and beverages

Researchers at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) in Mexico, developed a technology capable of identifying pathogens in food and beverages. This technique could work in the restaurant industry as a biosensor to detect in what conditions food is before being eaten in order to avoid possible gastrointestinal diseases.

27 May 2015

Phages in chicken meat can transfer antimicrobial resistance to bacteria

Bacteria resistant to antibiotics are on the rise. There are different explanations for how resistances are transferred. Researchers from the Vetmeduni Vienna found phages in chicken meat that are able to transfer antimicrobial resistance to bacteria. Phages are viruses that exclusively infect bacteria. They can contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

22 May 2015

Clinicians play key role in making consumers aware of the threats of foodborne diseases

Food safety awareness is key to understanding the food safety issues on the horizon, and clinicians at hospitals and doctors' offices play a key role in ensuring consumers are aware of the threats of foodborne illness, said the University of Georgia's Michael Doyle.

21 May 2015

New study suggests ways to accelerate recovery from dangerous diarrheal disease

A new study delineates a sequential pattern of changes in the intestinal microbial population of patients recovering from cholera in Bangladesh, findings that may point to ways of speeding recovery from the dangerous diarrheal disease.

20 May 2015

Great Basin Scientific revenue up 31% in first quarter 2015

Great Basin Scientific, Inc., a molecular diagnostic testing company, today reported earnings results for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Revenue for the quarter was $458,730, which represented a 31 percent increase in year-over-year revenues, and Loss from Operations was $3.9 million.

14 May 2015