Toxin News and Research

RSS

New analytical method to detect the patulin toxin in foods by using antibodies

The University of Valencia and Spanish National Research Council have patented a method to detect the patulin toxin in foods by using antibodies.

25 Nov 2020

Research sheds new light on how the CRISPR immune system evolved

With new insights into how the genetic tool CRISPR - which allows direct editing of our genes - evolved and adapted, we are now one step closer to understanding the basis of the constant struggle for survival that takes place in nature. The results can be used in future biotechnologies.

25 Nov 2020

Getting adequate sleep may help teens with migraines

Research indicates that starting school later in the morning yields health and academic benefits for high schoolers, whose natural body clock tends toward late-to-bed, late-to-rise habits.

25 Nov 2020

Molecular action of tarantula toxin may hold clues to better control of chronic pain

Oversized, hairy tarantulas may be unsightly and venomous, but surprisingly their hunter toxin may hold answers to better control of chronic pain.

23 Nov 2020

Chemists discover effective inhibitors to block SARS-CoV-2

Some viruses can get inside cells via a mechanism that involves sulfur organic molecules. Chemists at UNIGE have discovered effective inhibitors and blocked the uptake of SARS-CoV-2.

20 Nov 2020

Study uncovers an unexpected social life of giant poisonous rats

The African crested rat (Lophiomys imhausi) is hardly the continent's most fearsome-looking creature--the rabbit-sized rodent resembles a gray puffball crossed with a skunk--yet its fur is packed with a poison so lethal it can fell an elephant and just a few milligrams can kill a human.

19 Nov 2020

Research uncovers key to piercing dangerous bacteria's armor

Bacteria are single-celled organisms that are essential to human health, both in our environment and inside our own bodies. However, certain bacterial species can make us sick.

9 Nov 2020

Plastic surgeons develop Microbotulinum technique for safe and effective facial rejuvenation

Botulinum toxin - best known by the brand name Botox - is a popular treatment to reduce facial lines and wrinkles. Over the years, plastic surgeons have explored alternative approaches to maximize effectiveness while minimizing side effects of botulinum toxin injection, including smaller doses and more-diluted concentrations.

9 Nov 2020

Study finds new clues for disarming antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A virus can stop bacteria from sharing genes for antibiotic resistance among themselves, Texas A&M AgriLife researchers have discovered. The results hint at new ways to treat infections and describe a new feature of a highly diverse, largely unexplored part of the biosphere.

3 Nov 2020

Study: Toxins produced by tube-dwelling anemones have pharmacological potential

Researchers based in Brazil and the United States have completed the first-ever mapping exercise to profile the toxins produced by tube-dwelling anemones, or cerianthids, a family of marine animals belonging to the same phylum (Cnidaria) as sea anemones, jellyfish and corals.

30 Oct 2020

Toxin-carrying virus implicated in the emergence of new Salmonella strain in pigs

Researchers at the Quadram Institute have implicated a toxin-carrying virus in the emergence of a new strain of Salmonella in pigs.

29 Oct 2020

Scientists engineer powerful novel anti-microbial molecules from wasp venom

Now, a team of scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has engineered potent novel anti-microbial molecules from toxic proteins found in wasp venom. The researchers believe that the discovery holds promise in fighting the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, that cause serious illness.

15 Oct 2020

GIV protein involved in the immune system could form basis for novel therapeutics

The immune response to infections is a delicate balance. We need just enough action to clear away the offending bacteria or viruses, but not so much that our own bodies suffer collateral damage.

15 Oct 2020

Bacterial toxin stimulates tissue regeneration

Normally they are among the many harmless organisms found in and on the human body: one in four people have millions of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on their skin and on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, without being aware of it.

13 Oct 2020

Endocannabinoids in the body can help fight intestinal infections

Endocannabinoids, signaling molecules produced in the body that share features with chemicals found in marijuana, can shut down genes needed for some pathogenic intestinal bacteria to colonize, multiply, and cause disease, new research led by UT Southwestern scientists shows.

7 Oct 2020