Microbiology News and Research

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New PCR test offers hope for better treatment of bacterial vaginosis

Roughly one out of three women ages 14-49 in the United States develop a vaginal bacterial imbalance known as bacterial vaginosis (BV) during their lifetime.

28 Mar 2025

New insights into how the immune system handles latent parasite infections

Most humans have long-lived infections in various tissues-including in the nervous system-that typically do not result in disease.

28 Mar 2025

Growth factor cocktail could reverse deadly effects of anthrax toxin

Anthrax, an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is often treatable in its early stages. But once the disease has progressed beyond the "point of no return" after just a few days, patients are almost certainly doomed.

28 Mar 2025

Study points to single respiratory virus as cause of Kawasaki disease

Research from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago strongly suggests that Kawasaki disease is caused by a single respiratory virus that is yet to be identified.

27 Mar 2025

How your diet and probiotics can improve vaccine effectiveness

Researchers uncover how probiotics and diet shape the gut microbiome to boost vaccine efficacy, offering new avenues for precision immunization.

23 Mar 2025

Asgard archaea provide clues to the origin of complex life forms

Ten years ago, nobody knew that Asgard archaea even existed. In 2015, however, researchers examining deep-sea sediments discovered gene fragments that indicated a new and previously undiscovered form of microbes.

22 Mar 2025

Drug-resistant bacteria evolve to weaponize an antimicrobial genetic tool

A drug-resistant type of bacteria that has adapted to health care settings evolved in the past several years to weaponize an antimicrobial genetic tool, eliminating its cousins and replacing them as the dominate strain.

21 Mar 2025

New enzyme target could lead to breakthrough therapies for Lyme disease

Researchers have discovered that an enzyme can serve as an ideal target for developing new therapeutics against Lyme disease, and most likely other tick-borne diseases as well.

20 Mar 2025

Antibiotics found to be more effective in flowing fluid

Some notoriously difficult to treat infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics as has been thought, according to new research using a microfluidic device that more closely duplicates the fluid flow found in the body than standard cultures.

18 Mar 2025

Coalition of experts reaffirms vaccines as essential for public health

In response to growing concerns over vaccine misinformation, declining public trust in science, and recent outbreaks of preventable diseases, a coalition of 34 scientific and medical organizations, led by the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and the American College of Physicians (ACP), has issued a unified statement emphasizing the critical role of vaccinations in public health.

18 Mar 2025

New discovery unravels mystery behind overactive immune responses

Autoimmune diseases, which are estimated to affect more than 15 million people in the U.S., occur when the body responds to immune-system false alarms, and infection-fighting first responders are sent out to attack threats that aren't there.

18 Mar 2025

Adding curcumin boosts the efficacy of bedaquiline in combating M. abscessus infections

Mycobacterium abscessus is a fast-growing, pathogenic mycobacteria that can cause lung infections, and people who have respiratory conditions or are immunocompromised face a higher risk. It can also cause skin infections.

18 Mar 2025

UZH researchers develop technology to test 25 antibodies in a single mouse

New active ingredients such as antibodies are usually tested individually in laboratory animals. Researchers at UZH have now developed a technology that can be used to test around 25 antibodies simultaneously in a single mouse.

18 Mar 2025

Current antivirals not successful in treating severe H5N1 bird flu infections

As the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues, scientists are working to better understand the virus's threat to human health.

17 Mar 2025

Breakthrough peptide inhibitor effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, infects cells by binding its spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors.

14 Mar 2025

NIH researchers define topical steroid withdrawal diagnostic criteria

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have determined that dermatitis resulting from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) is distinct from eczema and is caused by an excess of an essential chemical compound in the body.

14 Mar 2025

New laboratory tool identifies viruses to combat Staphylococcus aureus

A newly developed laboratory tool can, within hours, help to identify specific viruses which can be used to destroy variants of the dangerous pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

14 Mar 2025

Older adults may have stronger immunity to bird flu, Penn study finds

Prior exposures to specific types of seasonal influenza viruses promote cross-reactive immunity against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

13 Mar 2025

Nanogels can improve antibiotic delivery for urinary tract infections

Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus studied a new method to deliver antibiotics, specifically gentamicin, directly into the bladder tissue to better treat UTIs.

12 Mar 2025

New malaria control strategy targets protein system in mosquitoes

A molecular quality-control system in Anopheles mosquitoes-the species responsible for most of the world's malaria cases-is a promising target for future malaria-control strategies, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

11 Mar 2025