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Flies on dairy farms act as hidden carriers of superbugs and zoonotic threats

Researchers used deep metagenomic sequencing to trace zoonotic pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes from cow manure into the guts of muscid flies on a French dairy farm. Findings reveal that flies not only carry but may amplify dangerous microbes, underscoring public health risks.

22 Jun 2025

Pandorabactins help pathogenic bacteria compete for iron in the lungs

An interdisciplinary research team led by the Leibniz-HKI in Jena has discovered a new group of bioactive natural compounds in pathogenic bacteria of the genus Pandoraea: pandorabactins.

19 Jun 2025

The WHO Hub leverages innovative tools and partnerships to boost defenses against future pandemics

WHO is developing new tools and innovative partnerships to boost countries' defenses against future pandemics, including real-time threat detection and genomic analysis of viruses.

18 Jun 2025

Lab-grown mini intestines reveal how Shigella infects human gut

Thanks to lab-grown miniature intestines, researchers at Uppsala University have successfully mapped how aggressive Shigella bacteria infect the human gut.

12 Jun 2025

New large-scale study maps early triggers of Alzheimer’s protein aggregation

A new large-scale study has mapped the first molecular events that drive the formation of harmful amyloid protein aggregates found in Alzheimer's disease, pointing towards a new potential therapeutic target.

12 Jun 2025

Energy drain from antibiotics spurs bacteria to resist treatment faster

Antibiotics are supposed to wipe out bacteria, yet the drugs can sometimes hand microbes an unexpected advantage.

9 Jun 2025

Early gut bacteria may help protect babies from respiratory infections

A baby's makeup of gut bacteria - their microbiome - which starts to form as soon as they are born, could help protect against viral infections later in childhood, a new study suggests.

5 Jun 2025

Heatwaves dramatically alter infection patterns, study reveals

New research from scientists at Trinity College Dublin strongly implies that heatwaves have a major influence on the spread of many diseases – and that many existing predictive models have overlooked this complexity.

4 Jun 2025

Study: New mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses

A new type of mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H5N1, according to a study by researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Pennsylvania State University.

3 Jun 2025

Scientists uncover how a single gene shaped the course of plague pandemic

Scientists have documented the way a single gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, allowed it to survive hundreds of years by adjusting its virulence and the length of time it took to kill its victims, but these forms of plague ultimately died out.

1 Jun 2025

LUCAS technology revolutionizes rapid viral diagnostics

Mass General Brigham researchers are shining a powerful new light into the viral darkness with the development of Luminescence CAscade-based Sensor (LUCAS), a rapid, portable, highly-sensitive diagnostic tool for processing complex biological samples.

30 May 2025

Genetic analysis shows leprosy was endemic in pre-colonial America

Long considered a disease brought to the Americas by European colonizers, leprosy may actually have a much older history on the American continent.

29 May 2025

Genetic evolution of plague bacterium may have prolonged historic pandemics

Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and McMaster University have discovered that the evolution of a gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, may have prolonged the duration of two major pandemics.

29 May 2025

Wilms tumor found to contain millions of genetic changes

Researchers have uncovered that some childhood cancers have a substantially higher number of DNA changes than previously thought, changing the way we view children's tumours and possibly opening up new or repurposed treatment options.

29 May 2025

Genomic analysis reveals how bird flu jumped from wild birds to poultry and people

Researchers identified a novel genotype (D1.1) of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 spreading among wild birds, poultry, and a human in British Columbia, Canada, during fall 2024. Genomic analysis reveals the virus arose from reassortment between Eurasian and North American strains, with implications for surveillance and control.

27 May 2025

Federal cuts ripple through a bioscience hub in rural Montana

Scientists are often careful to take off their work badges when they leave the campus of one of the nation's top research facilities, here in southwestern Montana's Bitterroot Valley.

27 May 2025

Novel immune cells identified as potential target for tuberculosis vaccines

There is no highly effective vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), which remains an infection of global concern.

26 May 2025

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing improves pulmonary infection diagnosis

A recent study on the application of Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) found that mNGS can achieve early detection of pathogens and accelerate the development of targeted anti-infection treatment plans, thereby improving treatment outcomes and patient prognosis.

23 May 2025

Fungal antiviral responses controlled by RNA editing and transcription factor dynamics

The expression of symptoms of viral infections is a byproduct of complex virus-host molecular pathways.

23 May 2025

Ancient DNA sheds light on evolution of relapsing fever bacteria

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process.

22 May 2025