Microbiology News and Research

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Swedish blood donor study reveals high prevalence of undiagnosed TBE infections

The number of infections by the tick-borne TBE virus that are not detected by health services is far higher than previously assumed.

12 Jan 2024

Researchers uncover role of persister cells in antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance, but classic antibiotic resistance might not completely explain why antibiotics sometimes fail.

12 Jan 2024

Gum bacteria fuel COPD through immune cell activation

Severe gum disease has been linked to the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, but an understanding of how the connection plays out in the immune system remains unclear.

12 Jan 2024

Drug-resistant Candida: Study uncovers evolutionary tricks of a fungal pathogen

Global fungal infections, which affect one billion people and cause 1.5 million deaths each year, are on the rise due to the increasing number of medical treatments that heighten vulnerability.

12 Jan 2024

New molecule targets key protein in autoimmune diseases

Scientists from Scripps Research have developed a small molecule that blocks the activity of a protein linked to autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Crohn's disease.

11 Jan 2024

Blocking sugar molecules stops flu virus spread in mice

Scientists have long known that some viruses and bacteria begin infections by latching first onto sugar molecules on the surfaces of cells lining the sinuses and throat of mammals, including humans.

11 Jan 2024

New algorithm proves to be a powerful tool for detection and identification of novel bacterial organisms

Researchers developed the NOVA algorithm to systematically analyze bacterial isolates unidentified using traditional methods such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing using whole genome sequencing.

10 Jan 2024

SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 shows increased lung targeting despite vaccine effectiveness

New research shows that the recently emerged BA.2.86 omicron subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19 can be neutralized by bivalent mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies in the blood, which explains why this variant did not cause a widespread surge as previously feared.

8 Jan 2024

Scientists unveil the hidden respiratory mechanisms of gut bacteria

Study explores the use of respiratory electron acceptors by diverse gut bacteria, revealing a novel type of anaerobic respiration linked to the gut metabolome and microbial energy metabolism.

8 Jan 2024

Genomic analysis of uncultured bacteria from patients identifies more than thirty new species

Unknown germs are a common occurrence in hospitals. Researchers at the University of Basel have spent many years collecting and analyzing them.

8 Jan 2024

Gut enzyme discovery sheds light on bilirubin balance in humans

Researchers study identified BilR, a gut microbiota-derived enzyme, crucial for converting bilirubin to urobilinogen, impacting bilirubin homeostasis in humans.

7 Jan 2024

University of Louisville scientists aim to disarm Yersinia pestis, the bubonic plague bacteria

When the body encounters bacteria, viruses or harmful substances, its innate immune cells, neutrophils, assemble at the site to combat the invader.

5 Jan 2024

Stapled lipopeptides show promise as broad-spectrum antiviral agents

Compounds that obstruct the "landing gear" of a range of harmful viruses can successfully protect against infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, a study published today and led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists shows.

5 Jan 2024

Simple technique boosts antibody delivery for treating brain diseases

The blood-brain barrier blocks the entry of antibodies into the brain. This limits the potential use of antibody therapeutics to treat brain diseases, such as brain tumors.

3 Jan 2024

Eastern equine encephalitis virus study uncovers decoy molecule that protects against deadly brain infection

An atomic-level investigation of how Eastern equine encephalitis virus binds to a key receptor and gets inside of cells also has enabled the discovery of a decoy molecule that protects against the potentially deadly brain infection, in mice.

3 Jan 2024

Researchers identify microbial enzyme responsible for making urine yellow

Researchers at the University of Maryland and National Institutes of Health have identified the microbial enzyme responsible for giving urine its yellow hue, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on January 3, 2024.

3 Jan 2024

Scientists take a major step towards realizing synthetic CO2 fixing pathways in living cells

Synthetic biology offers the opportunity to build biochemical pathways for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2).

2 Jan 2024

Your unique microbiome may be used to improve and personalize your future medical experience

Study explores the potential of microbiomes in personalized medicine, focusing on diagnostics, precision therapy, and the challenges in implementing microbiome-based interventions.

27 Dec 2023

Researchers receive two grants to study tuberculosis drug development

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers and the TB Drug Accelerator have received two grants totaling $6.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study tuberculosis (TB) drug development.

26 Dec 2023

Brain injury markers found in the blood months after COVID-19 infection

A new study published today (22 December 2023) in Nature Communications details that markers of brain injury are present in the blood many months after COVID-19 infection, despite inflammation blood tests being normal.

22 Dec 2023