Biofilms News and Research

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'Disinfectants' may reduce risk of E. coli outbreaks

Some E. coli bacteria are harmless and some are dangerous from the outset. Then some become dangerous when they are subjected to viral infection. Researchers are working to find tools that will reduce the risk of this happening.

9 Dec 2011

Harvard SEAS, BASF to co-host symposium on pharmaceutical nanoformulations

From targeted cancer chemotherapy to the guarantee of successful organ transplants, the 21st century may prove to be the age of big ideas in medicine. The drugs themselves, though, will be miniscule. Experts in chemistry, applied physics, materials science, and pharmaceutical science are gathering this week for the BASF Advanced Research Initiative at Harvard University's symposium on pharmaceutical nanoformulations.

1 Dec 2011

Resistance of starved bacteria can be blocked

Many infections, even those caused by antibiotic-sensitive bacteria, resist treatment. This paradox has vexed physicians for decades, and makes some infections impossible to cure.

18 Nov 2011

Study confirms link between CMV and mucoepidermoid carcinoma

An important new study from the Laboratory for Developmental Genetics at USC has confirmed cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a cause of the most common salivary gland cancers. CMV joins a group of fewer than 10 identified oncoviruses - cancer-causing viruses - including HPV.

16 Nov 2011

Vampire-like bacteria has potential to serve as living antibiotic

A vampire-like bacteria that leeches onto specific other bacteria - including certain human pathogens - has the potential to serve as a living antibiotic for a range of infectious diseases, a new study indicates.

1 Nov 2011

Cranberry juice far better than extracts at fighting urinary tract infections

With scientific evidence now supporting the age-old wisdom that cranberries, whether in sauce or as juice, prevent urinary tract infections, people have wondered if there was an element of the berry that, if extracted and condensed, perhaps in pill form, would be as effective as drinking the juice or eating cranberry sauce. A new study from researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute helps to answer that question.

29 Oct 2011

Mass. Eye and Ear receives NIAID grant to coordinate Harvard-wide Project on Antibiotic Resistance

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary has received an $11 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the largest National Institutes of Health grant in this hospital's187-year history, to coordinate the Harvard-wide Project on Antibiotic Resistance.

8 Sep 2011

Tiny controlled-release antibiotic pellet can treat glue ear infection in children

A revolutionary biodegradable pellet which slowly releases antibiotics into the middle ear could transform the lives of thousands of children who suffer from glue ear.

3 Aug 2011

Stevens Institute of Technology to host conference on bacteria-material interactions

On June 9-10, Stevens Institute of Technology will host the Stevens Conference on Bacteria-Material Interactions, an event that covers the latest multi-disciplinary research in the area of infection-resistant biomaterials.

3 Jun 2011

Researchers find insufficient cleaning can lead to microbe spread on orthodontic retainers

Insufficient cleaning could allow build-up of microbes on orthodontic retainers, researchers at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute have found. Dr Jonathan Pratten and colleagues looked at the types of microbes which live on retainers.

15 Mar 2011

NuGEN expands NGS utility for microbial transcriptome analysis with Ovation Prokaryotic RNA-Seq System

NuGEN Technologies, a leader in genomics sample preparation, expands the utility of next-generation sequencing for the analysis of microbial species and microbiome samples with its Ovation Prokaryotic RNA-Seq System.

27 Jan 2011

Plasma technology safe, effective alternative to antibiotics to treat multi-drug resistant infections

Cold plasma jets could be a safe, effective alternative to antibiotics to treat multi-drug resistant infections, says a study published this week in the January issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

15 Dec 2010

Fluxion Biosciences announces launch of new BioFlux 1000Z system for live cell imaging

Fluxion Biosciences, Inc. announced that the new BioFlux 1000Z system for live cell imaging will be launched at the 50th American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting to be held December 11-15, 2010 in Philadelphia, PA. The BioFlux 1000Z is the latest addition to the BioFlux product family of instruments for cellular analysis under controlled shear flow.

From Fluxion Biosciences 7 Dec 2010

Interference with biofilm detachment mechanisms may prevent biofilm-associated infections

Patients in hospitals and healthcare facilities can develop infections as a result of contamination of indwelling medical devices such as catheters with bacteria that are normal inhabitants of the skin of the patient or health care personnel. The bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major cause of such infections.

7 Dec 2010

Scientists identify protein that disseminates biofilm-associated infection

What:Scientists from the National Institutes of Health have discovered how catheter-related bacterial infection develops and disseminates to become a potentially life-threatening condition. The study, which included research on Staphylococcus epidermidis in mice implanted with catheters, could have important implications for understanding many types of bacterial biofilm infections, including those caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

7 Dec 2010

Selenium secures NIH grant to apply patented antimicrobial technology for ear infections

Selenium, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company focused on unique solutions to meet antimicrobial coating and therapeutic needs, has been awarded a research grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. With the $155,387 NIH grant the company will apply its proprietary antimicrobial technology to researching the inhibition of biofilms on tympanostomy tubes.

18 Nov 2010

UMass, PolyMedix receive Phase 2 STTR contract to conduct test on antimicrobial compounds

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), have received a Phase 2 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract in the amount of $750,000.

17 Nov 2010

Stratatech receives SBIR grant to develop anti-infective living human skin substitute

Stratatech Corp., a privately-held regenerative medicine company, today announced that it has been awarded a $3.5 million Fast-Track SBIR grant to expand the development of its anti-infective living human skin substitute.

17 Nov 2010

MqsA and MqsR protein complex can disrupt drug-resistant biofilm formation

When a foreign object such as a catheter enters the body, bacteria may not only invade it but also organize into a slick coating - a biofilm - that is highly resistant to antibiotics. Like sophisticated organized crime rings, biofilms cannot be defeated by a basic approach of conventional means. Instead doctors and drug developers need sophisticated new intelligence that reveals the key players in the network and how they operate. New research led by biologists at Brown University provides exactly that dossier on some key proteins in the iconic bacterium E. coli.

11 Nov 2010

PolyMedix announces publication of defensin-mimetic compounds in Molecular Oral Microbiology

PolyMedix, Inc. an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, announced that data from two separate pre-clinical research studies were published in the December issue of Molecular Oral Microbiology.

10 Nov 2010