Bacterial News and Research

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Superbugs spread in the absence of antibiotics

Scientists have discovered a new mechanism by which antibiotic resistance spreads between superbug species, and say that stopping antibiotics is not enough.

12 Sep 2019

New technique for autonomous coordination of cell subpopulations

For years, scientists have explored ways to alter the cells of microorganisms in efforts to improve how a wide range of products are made - including medicines, fuels, and even beer.

12 Sep 2019

Deadly infections on the rise: New classes of antibiotics are desperately needed

Globally, the number of deaths from infections is on the rise as more bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

12 Sep 2019

New tool to decipher the gut microbiome

The millions of bacteria residing in the gut play a very important role in health and in disease. However, a constant issue has been the lack of understanding of the actual composition of the healthy human gut microbiome.

12 Sep 2019

New model for vaginal microbiome transplantation

Bacterial vaginosis is a condition affecting thousands of women worldwide, and is associated not only with vaginal symptoms but with pregnancy-related complications including preterm labor and stillbirth. Now researchers have come up with an effective way to replace the unhealthy vaginal microflora with a ready-to-use microbiome – called a vaginal microbiome transplantation (VMT).

11 Sep 2019

Identifying signs and symptoms of sepsis can reduce the number of fatal cases

Despite killing hundreds of thousands of Americans every year, sepsis is a condition few people know about.

11 Sep 2019

Scientists discover new strain of group A streptococcus bacteria in England and Wales

A team of scientists led by Imperial College London have discovered a new strain of group A streptococcus bacteria.

11 Sep 2019

Long-term antibiotic use in preemies promotes drug-resistant gut bacteria

Very preterm infants are often sick and require antibiotic treatment to save their lives. However, when this form of therapy lasts for 20 months or more, it may affect the gut microbiome over the long-term in addition to its acute effects.

10 Sep 2019

Gut microbiome and IBD – the connection maybe in diet says study

A new study has shown conclusive evidence that inflammatory bowel disease or IBD is intimately associated with the gut microbial environment which can be altered with prescription diet. The microbiome within the human gut is a collection of healthy and helpful bacteria that help in several functions of the body including development and maintenance of immunity.

10 Sep 2019

Gut microbiome could be used to predict individual's risk of bowel cancer

The makeup of the bacterial community that lives in the gut has been identified as a risk factor for bowel cancer.

10 Sep 2019

Early antibiotic exposure causes long-lasting collateral damage in premature babies

Nearly all premature babies receive antibiotics in their first weeks of life to ward off or treat potentially deadly bacterial infections.

9 Sep 2019

It’s safe to feed raw food to pets, finds new study

A large multinational study shows that pet owners don’t think feeding raw food increases the risk of infection to household members. Raw food includes all uncooked meat and other parts of a dead animal. In fact, an infection in humans could be traced to raw pet food in just 0.24% of all surveyed households.

9 Sep 2019

Fat-filled immune cells found in victims of vaping illness

The frightening outbreak of mysterious respiratory illness linked to the use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, have shaken the medical community.

9 Sep 2019

Vaping-related respiratory illness characterized by lipid-laden macrophages in the lungs

Doctors have identified a previously unrecognized characteristic of the vaping-related respiratory illness that has been emerging in clusters across the U.S. in recent months.

8 Sep 2019

Serotonin and anti-depressants can have a major effect on the gut's microbiota

A new study in mice led by UCLA biologists strongly suggests that serotonin and drugs that target serotonin, such as anti-depressants, can have a major effect on the gut's microbiota -- the 100 trillion or so bacteria and other microbes that live in the human body's intestines.

6 Sep 2019

Scientists reveal how typhoid toxin works to accelerate aging of cells

Scientists have revealed how the typhoid toxin works to hijack DNA repair machines and accelerate the aging of cells, a breakthrough that could pave the way for new strategies to combat the killer disease.

6 Sep 2019

Newly discovered resistance-spreading mechanism is independent of the use of antibiotics

Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to common antibiotics. Often, resistance is mediated by resistance genes, which can simply jump from one bacterial population to the next.

5 Sep 2019

Thames typical of superbug-breeding rivers, says new study

The River Thames is rapidly becoming a breeding pool for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a new study, which underlines the urgent need to cut down the amount of antibiotics currently being discharge into the river by at least 80% to arrest this trend.

5 Sep 2019

Large-scale study maps the genetic underpinnings of early TB progression

While the vast majority of the 1.8 billion people infected with the TB bacterium never experience active disease, an estimated 5 to 15 percent do develop full-blown infections--roughly half of them within 18 months of exposure.

4 Sep 2019

$15 million grant funds new effort to develop universal vaccine for strep throat infections

CARB-X, an international non-profit partnership of private, academic and government institutions, has awarded SutroVax, Inc., a Northern California-based biopharmaceutical company, with an award of up to $15 million to develop a universal vaccine for Group A Streptococcus, the bacteria that causes pharyngitis or strep throat.

4 Sep 2019