Bacteriophage News and Research

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Bacteriophages are small, virus-like organisms that infect bacteria. They are comprised of a protein capsule around an RNA or DNA genome.

Bacteriophages unveil auxiliary genes critical for infection

Viruses that infect bacteria—known as bacteriophages - could be used in a targeted manner to combat bacterial diseases.

16 Oct 2024

New strategy uses bacteriophages to combat drug-resistant infections

Researchers have a new battle tactic to fight drug-resistant bacterial infections. Their strategy involves using collections of bacteriophages, viruses that naturally attack bacteria.

4 Oct 2024

HKUST researchers unveil eco-friendly disinfectant alternative to chloroxylenol

A widely used disinfectant worldwide, chloroxylenol, has been associated with eco-toxicological threats in water environments due to its relatively high chemical stability and massive consumption.

6 Sep 2024

Researchers develop a simple new way to store, identify, and share phages

The great promise of bacteriophages is that they naturally destroy bacteria, often in situations where antibiotics fail.

12 Jul 2024

Protein nanocages: A promising frontier in mRNA therapeutics

In recent years, messenger RNA (mRNA) has emerged as a promising avenue for accurate and potent therapeutic interventions. Unlike DNA drugs, mRNA can express genetic information without the risk of integrating into the host genome.

3 Jul 2024

Scripps Research professor emeritus John Johnson selected as member of the National Academy of Sciences

Scripps Research professor emeritus John Johnson, PhD, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences—one of the highest honors given to scientists.

11 May 2024

MSU team creates a promising vaccine candidate for antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Driven by the overuse of antimicrobials, pathogens are quickly building up resistances to once-successful treatments.

24 Apr 2024

Bacteriophage-derived lysin could be used 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.

23 Apr 2024

Texas A&M scientists elucidate how phages disarm antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Bacterial infections pose significant challenges to agriculture and medicine, especially as cases of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to rise.

15 Apr 2024

T1-spanin breakthrough offers new hope against antibiotic resistance

Given the worldwide prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria, the research fraternity is on the lookout for alternative bactericidal treatment approaches.

12 Mar 2024

Scientists coax a deadly bacterium to destroy itself from the inside out

Northwestern University researchers have successfully coaxed a deadly pathogen to destroy itself from the inside out.

31 Jan 2024

Does closing the toilet lid before flushing prevent viral contamination?

A study in the American Journal of Infection Control reveals that closing the toilet lid before flushing does not significantly reduce the risk of bathroom surface contamination, highlighting the importance of regular disinfection for preventing the spread of pathogens.

25 Jan 2024

Unveiling hidden TB risk with cutting-edge techniques

A novel approach to studying the progression of tuberculosis (TB) from infection to disease has identified and treated people at increased risk of developing the disease that current methods of testing would not.

22 Jan 2024

Bacteria fight phages with RNA-based immune defense

There's no organism on earth that lives free of threat-;including bacteria. Predatory viruses known as phages are among their most dire foes, infiltrating their cells to replicate and take over.

15 Nov 2023

Study shows phages can promote mammalian cellular growth and survival

Bacteriophages, also called phages, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, their natural hosts. But from a macromolecular viewpoint, phages can be viewed as nutritionally enriched packets of nucleotides wrapped in an amino acid shell.

26 Oct 2023

£800,000 grant to boost the development of bacteriophages to combat disease

Pioneering work to develop effective and safe bacteriophages to combat disease has received an £800,000 boost.

13 Oct 2023

Exploring the link between drugs and microbiota: a growing imperative in precision medicine

The intricate interactions between gut microbiota and drugs.

11 Oct 2023

Novel vaccine lowers LDL cholesterol independent of statins

The effectiveness of virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines targeting epitopes in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor.

2 Oct 2023

The power of nanobodies: How they impact COVID-19 immune response

The structures of 340 antibodies (Abs) and 83 nanobodies.

25 Sep 2023

Scientists identify new virus in deepest part of the ocean

The Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth, plunges nearly 11,000 meters at its lowest point on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Life persists in the deep and cold darkness, and "wherever there's life, you can bet there are regulators at work," said marine virologist Min Wang, Ph.D, at the Ocean University of China, in Qingdao. "Viruses, in this case."

20 Sep 2023