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.

U of I microbial engineer synthesizes 2-fucosyllactose to protect babies from pathogens

A University of Illinois microbial engineer has synthesized a sugar in human milk that is thought to protect babies from pathogens. That's important because 2FL, the shorthand scientists use to describe this human milk oligosaccharide (HMO), has not been added to infant formula because HMOs are incredibly expensive.

11 Sep 2012

Simple low-cost biosensor to detect contaminated drinking water

Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old - killing as many as 1.5 million children worldwide every year. These startling statistics from the World Health Organization (2009) point to the reason why a group of undergraduate students from Arizona State University is working to develop a low-cost biosensor - a simple device that would detect contaminated drinking water.

7 Sep 2012

Kalidex announces presentation of data on KPI-10 against MDR strains at ICAAC

Kalidex Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held anti-infective company, today announced the presentation of data on its lead development candidate KPI-10, a broad spectrum, next-generation fluoroquinolone, at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Francisco, September 9 through 12.

7 Sep 2012

Seven antibiotic-resistance genes swapped between human and soil bacteria

Soil bacteria and bacteria that cause human diseases have recently swapped at least seven antibiotic-resistance genes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report Aug. 31 in Science.

1 Sep 2012

Antibiotic residues in meat can allow pathogenic bacteria to proliferate

Antibiotic residues in uncured pepperoni or salami meat are potent enough to weaken helpful bacteria that processors add to acidify the sausage to make it safe for consumption, according to a study to be published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on August 28.

29 Aug 2012

New method simplifies pharmaceutical production of proteins

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a method to simplify the pharmaceutical production of proteins used in drugs that treat a variety of diseases and health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, arthritis and macular degeneration.

29 Aug 2012

Cholera toxin binds differently to intestinal cells than previously thought

The likelihood of becoming seriously ill from cholera depends on your blood group. It is possible to find a new remedy for the feared illness by studying the molecular structure in the toxin in the cholera bacteria.

28 Aug 2012

Study explains how breast milk fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract

The benefits of breast milk have long been appreciated, but now scientists at Duke University Medical Center have described a unique property that makes mother's milk better than infant formula in protecting infants from infections and illnesses.

28 Aug 2012

Lunch boxes and school eating areas are hotspots for bacteria

Canadian moms earn top marks when it comes to good hygiene practices, but a new study by Lysol and the Global Hygiene Council reveals they could do more to safeguard against bacteria hotspots in schools, especially at lunch time.

27 Aug 2012

Children more likely to pick up stomach infections from private water supplies

Children drinking from around half the UK's private water supplies are almost five times more likely to pick up stomach infections - according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

26 Aug 2012

Researcher describes structure and function of tuberculosis efflux pump regulator

Edward Yu took note of the facts - nearly 2 million deaths each year, 9 million infected each year, developments of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and now totally drug-resistant strains - and decided to shift his research focus to tuberculosis.

23 Aug 2012

PKS-positive E. coli may encourage development of colon cancer

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have identified a type of E. coli bacteria that may encourage the development of colon cancer.

17 Aug 2012

Rice University researcher to see how delays in gene transcription affect cellular processes

A Rice University researcher and his colleagues have received a National Institutes of Health grant to see how delays in gene transcription - life's most basic messaging system - affect cellular processes.

16 Aug 2012

New class of polymers resistant to bacterial attachment

Using state-of-the-art technology scientists at The University of Nottingham have discovered a new class of polymers that are resistant to bacterial attachment. These new materials could lead to a significant reduction in hospital infections and medical device failures.

13 Aug 2012

Scientists discover new class of polymers that are resistant to bacterial attachment

13 Aug 2012

‘Green’ disinfectant shows promise against hospital-acquired infections

Research shows that the polyhexamethylene-guanidine hydrochloride-based disinfectant Akwaton effectively destroys Bacillus subtilis spores even at low concentrations.

8 Aug 2012

Commercial cattle vaccine can effectively reduce levels of E. coli by more than 50%

A commercial vaccine for cattle can effectively reduce levels of E. coli by more than 50 percent, a Kansas State University study has found. The vaccine is also effective using two doses instead of the recommended three doses, which can help cut costs for the beef industry.

7 Aug 2012

Public Health Wales uses Luminex's xTAG GPP for outbreak investigations during Olympic events

Luminex Corporation announced today that Public Health Wales is using Luminex's CE marked xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) for outbreak investigation activities during Olympic and Paralympic training and events taking place in Wales. Results of a substantial diagnostic validation of the GPP test conducted by The Public Health Wales Microbiology laboratory team at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, are anticipated to be published in a peer reviewed journal

From Luminex 6 Aug 2012

Scientists decode stability blueprint of rhomboid enzyme

Johns Hopkins scientists have decoded for the first time the "stability blueprint" of an enzyme that resides in a cell's membrane, mapping which parts of the enzyme are important for its shape and function.

1 Aug 2012