Microbiology News and Research

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Study reveals differences in SARS-CoV-2 entry mechanisms between humans and mink

Some viruses move between species. For example, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spill over from humans to mink, an agricultural species, and then spill back from mink to humans.

29 Nov 2023

Portable AI-driven COVID-19 test detects variants with high accuracy

A new AI-assisted molecular diagnostic platform capable of identifying variants of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases has been developed by scientists in the UK. The low cost, portable device could play a crucial role in preventing future pandemics due to its accuracy and versatility.

29 Nov 2023

Chlorine-releasing agents in clinical settings fail to combat Clostridioides difficile spores

The current study highlights the resistance of C. difficile spores to chlorine-releasing agents.

29 Nov 2023

Novel method can detect contaminants in T-cell cultures within 24 hours

Researchers from Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, in collaboration with Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed a novel method capable of identifying contaminants in T-cell cultures within 24 hours.

27 Nov 2023

Synthetic biologists develop versatile platform for targeted drug delivery

In recent years, cell and gene therapies have shown significant promise for treating cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and other difficult-to-treat diseases.

27 Nov 2023

Heat shock protein protects bacteria from plasma treatment

A heat shock protein protects the cells against protein clumping. It degrades, however, over longer treatment periods.

24 Nov 2023

Novel AI-powered method detects antimicrobial resistance within 30 minutes

To mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, researchers supported by the Oxford Martin Programme on Antimicrobial Resistance Testing (University of Oxford) have reported advances towards a novel and rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test that can return results within as little as 30 minutes.

22 Nov 2023

Scientists unravel iron-based memory mechanism in bacteria

Scientists have discovered that bacteria can create something like memories about when to form strategies that can cause dangerous infections in people, such as resistance to antibiotics and bacterial swarms when millions of bacteria come together on a single surface.

21 Nov 2023

Study highlights glycolysis as a potential therapeutic target to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis

It has been uncertain how Mycobacterium tuberculosis deflects the immune response in humans, though evidence has pointed to host immunometabolism -; the intrinsic link between metabolism in immune cells and their immune function.

20 Nov 2023

Breakthroughs in TB prevention offer hope for children

Taking a common antibiotic could more than half the risk of children becoming sick with multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), according to findings presented this week at a conference on lung health.

20 Nov 2023

Micronutrient deficiencies linked to gut microbiome shifts and antibiotic resistance

University of B.C. researchers have uncovered startling connections between micronutrient deficiencies and the composition of gut microbiomes in early life that could help explain why resistance to antibiotics has been rising across the globe.

17 Nov 2023

Mediterranean diet linked to lower risk of cognitive decline in older adults

Old people who follow a Mediterranean diet are at a lower risk of cognitive decline, according to a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

17 Nov 2023

Immune response that protects against infections also drives HIV latency

An immune response that likely evolved to help fight infections appears to be the mechanism that drives human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into a latent state, lurking in cells only to erupt anew, researchers at Duke Health report.

15 Nov 2023

Microglia found to play crucial role in early human brain development

An international team of scientists has uncovered the vital role of microglia, the immune cells in the brain that acts as its dedicated defense team, in early human brain development.

14 Nov 2023

Call for global action to utilize genomic surveillance to address antimicrobial resistance

During the COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance proved vital in helping understand the evolution and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

14 Nov 2023

New research reveals broccoli sprouts may alleviate Crohn's disease symptoms in youth

The impact of broccoli sprouts and its role in resolving Crohn’s disease symptoms.

14 Nov 2023

Willow bark may be the source of a new antiviral drug

Scientists have found that specially processed samples of willow bark extract have an antiviral effect which isn’t seen in already known medical compounds from willow bark, such as salicylic acid, the precursor to modern aspirin.

13 Nov 2023

UCI researchers discover gene critical for muscle repair

University of California, Irvine researchers have identified a gene expressed during regeneration that is critical for muscle repair.

12 Nov 2023

Broccoli sprouts diet protects mice from Crohn's disease, study shows

High fiber diets, like those that include broccoli sprouts or other cruciferous vegetables, may reduce disease symptoms and improve quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study conducted in mice.

9 Nov 2023

Gamma delta T cells engineered to be more potent and long-lasting against cancer

UCLA scientists have developed a new method to engineer more powerful immune cells that can potentially be used for "off-the-shelf" cell therapy to treat challenging cancers.

8 Nov 2023