Antibiotic News and Research

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Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms.

Antibiotic resistance poses a growing risk during pandemics

Researchers investigating the drug prescription response to a "superbug" enzyme that renders bacteria resistant to antibiotics are available to discuss why such resistance is posing a growing risk during pandemics such as the current coronavirus.

14 Feb 2020

Study finds no advantage in using two antibiotics to treat MRSA infections

A world-first clinical trial has called into question the effectiveness of using more than one antibiotic to treat the deadly 'super-bug', Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia, commonly known as Golden Staph.

14 Feb 2020

Newly discovered antibiotics kill bacteria differently

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem across the globe, with many diseases becoming harder to treat. Now, a newly discovered antibiotic group shows promise in the fight against superbugs as it has a unique way of killing bacteria.

13 Feb 2020

Unusually large, bacteria-killing viruses discovered

Scientists have discovered hundreds of unusually large, bacteria-killing viruses with capabilities normally associated with living organisms.

13 Feb 2020

Newly discovered large phages blur the life/non-life boundary

A new study published in the journal Nature shows that there are literally hundreds of viruses large enough to consume bacteria, and with properties that are typical of a living organism rather than the non-living self-replicating packages of DNA/RNA that viruses are often assumed to be.

12 Feb 2020

Gut bacteria composition and diversity linked to human personality traits

Dr. Katerina Johnson, who conducted her Ph.D. in the University's Department of Experimental Psychology, was researching the science of that 'gut feeling' - the relationship between the bacteria living in the gut (the gut microbiome) and behavioral traits.

12 Feb 2020

Bacterial viruses in intestinal tracts of children may play a role in stunting

New research spearheaded by McGill University has discovered that bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) found in the intestinal tracts of children may play a role in childhood stunting, a significant impediment to growth that affects 22% of children under the age of five around the world.

12 Feb 2020

Diets high in fat and protein exacerbate C. diff infections in mice

Popular diets low in carbs and high in fat and protein might be good for the waistline, but a new UNLV study shows that just the opposite may help to alleviate the hospital-acquired infection Clostridioides difficile.

12 Feb 2020

Researchers discover antibiotics with unique approach to attacking bacteria

A new group of antibiotics with a unique approach to attacking bacteria has been discovered, making it a promising clinical candidate in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

12 Feb 2020

Recent progress in TB diagnostics and prevention approaches offers hope for future

In September 2018, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH, issued its Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Research, which outlined research priorities to reduce and ultimately end the burden of tuberculosis.

11 Feb 2020

Combination of two antibiotics found to be no better than one for treating MRSA blood infections

Researchers attempting to improve the treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood infections have discovered the combination of two antibiotics was no better than one, and led to more adverse effects.

11 Feb 2020

Developing new approaches to fight against multi-resistant pathogens

Developing fundamentally new approaches against multi-resistant germs: This is the goal of the new Bavarian research network bayresq.net which started in January 2020.

9 Feb 2020

Princeton's Bonnie Bassler awarded the 2020 Gruber Genetics Prize

The 2020 Gruber Genetics Prize is being awarded to geneticist Bonnie Bassler, Ph.D. of Princeton University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, for her groundbreaking work on how bacteria "talk" to each other using molecular "languages."

9 Feb 2020

Serving sustainable food to patients at Seattle Children’s

What do you think of when someone says, “hospital food” — green Jell-O anyone?

6 Feb 2020

"State of the Nation" report on STIs in England released

Two sexually transmitted infection (STI) charity organizations - British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and Terrance Higgins Trust have released a “State of The Nation” Report on STIs in England. This new report reveals the actual status of STIs in the nation and the steps that administration could take to bring down the numbers.

6 Feb 2020

Princeton researchers find link between microbes and cancers in threatened California foxes

Can staph microbes lead to cancer? Microbes are known to affect digestion, mood and overall health, and now Princeton researchers have shown that a shift in the microbiome is linked to cancer -- at least in a threatened subspecies of foxes found only on one island off the California coast.

4 Feb 2020

Advanced X-ray combination technique aids tuberculosis and osteoporosis research

With an advanced X-ray combination technique, scientists have traced nanocarriers for tuberculosis drugs within cells with very high precision.

4 Feb 2020

Research group examines differences in antibiotic resistance between the gut and mouth microbiome

The threat of antimicrobial resistance to medication is a global health issue. Recent years have seen a surge in our awareness of resistance genes; and as a result of the prevalence of these genes, antibiotics are becoming less effective at treating microbial infections, such as TB and gonorrhea.

4 Feb 2020

UH professor examines life cycle of drug-resistant persister cells in recurrent infections

A University of Houston engineering professor is examining the life cycle of stubborn, drug-resistant persister cells in recurrent infections to find a way to destroy them.

4 Feb 2020

New vaccine designs could reduce rates of dangerous bacterial disease

New research has found that rates of disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae could be substantially reduced by changing our approach to vaccination.

3 Feb 2020