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Cholera pathogen can acquire large stretches of genetic material from neighboring bacteria

In 2015, EPFL researchers led by Melanie Blokesch published a seminal paper in Science showing that the bacterium responsible for cholera, Vibrio cholerae, uses a spring-loaded spear to literally stab neighboring bacteria and steal their DNA.

8 Oct 2019

Scientists make genetic data available for bacteria linked to Crohn's disease

Scientists have made genetic data publicly available for bacteria that might be lurking inside the gut walls of patients chronically affected with severe Crohn's disease.

8 Oct 2019

New antibiotic discovered in Mexican tropical forest

Scientists from Rutgers University and around the world have discovered an antibiotic produced by a soil bacterium from a Mexican tropical forest that may help lead to a "plant probiotic," more robust plants and other antibiotics.

8 Oct 2019

Health care market fails to support new antibiotics against superbugs, study finds

The health care market is failing to support new antibiotics used to treat some of the world's most dangerous, drug-resistant "superbugs," according to a new analysis by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine infectious disease scientists.

8 Oct 2019

DNA metabarcoding could improve analysis of human diet

A study has shown that DNA metabarcoding serves as a powerful new tool for monitoring humans’ intake of plants.

8 Oct 2019

Scientists study how immune cells sense and respond to their environment to fight diseases

Scientists at the University of Dundee have carried out one of the most comprehensive studies into how immune cells sense and respond to their environment to fight infection and destroy tumors.

8 Oct 2019

Cholera-causing bacteria steal large stretches of intact DNA to become more efficient

A new paper shows that the cholera germ is an inveterate and rapacious gene stealer, robbing other competing bacteria of up to 150 genes (over 150,000 base pairs) in a single attack. To put this in perspective, the cholera pathogen carries only about 4,000 genes altogether.

8 Oct 2019

Vaginal fluid transplant could help treat recurring bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis is a common and irksome problem for many women. Now researchers have found the transplanting vaginal fluids of a healthy woman to women with troublesome bacterial vaginosis could restore the bacterial microbiome in the latter’s vaginas and thus help treat them.

8 Oct 2019

Probiotics can help curb malnutrition over next two decades, says Bill Gates

Probiotics or good bacteria have shown promise in the potential to maintain a healthy gut. Many studies have provided evidence on the health benefits of probiotics. Now, the popular philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates said he believes probiotics could help stem malnutrition over the next two decades.

8 Oct 2019

Researchers determine how the colon prioritizes gas detox over energy use

Onions, cabbage, garlic. While nutritious, eating these foods can lead to an embarrassing side effect: smelly flatulence. More than just smelly, hydrogen sulfide, the chemical compound responsible for the rotten-egg aroma, is deadly if inhaled at doses of more than 700 parts per million.

7 Oct 2019

Eco-friendly washing machines may harbor harmful bacteria

A new study has revealed that eco-friendly home washing machines may be facilitating the spread of harmful bacteria.

7 Oct 2019

Researchers identify an immune cell that helps keep time in the gut

As people go through their daily and nightly routines, their digestive tracts follow a routine, too: digesting food and absorbing nutrients during waking hours, and replenishing worn-out cells during sleep. Shift work and jet lag can knock sleep schedules and digestive rhythms out of whack.

4 Oct 2019

Video images offer real-time view into the kinetics of viral assembly

For the first time, researchers have captured images of the formation of individual viruses, offering a real-time view into the kinetics of viral assembly. The research provides new insights into how to fight viruses and engineer self-assembling particles.

4 Oct 2019

New link between two important products of nitric oxide discovered

Ever since three US-based researchers working independently unveiled the role of nitric oxide in mediating blood vessel dilation, endothelial cell contraction and smooth muscle relaxation, their discoveries have served as a basis for novel treatments for high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction, among other conditions.

4 Oct 2019

GW researchers show connection between bacteria in the microbiome and colon cancer

A mutant protein found in humans with colon cancer blocks a pathway that regulates proliferation and expansion of cells, increasing amounts of bacterial species associated with the development of colon cancer.

4 Oct 2019

"Goldilocks" balance holds key to awakening the body's immune response to combat brain cancer

In the story of Goldilocks, a little girl tastes three different bowls of porridge to find which is not too hot, not too cold, but just the right temperature. In a study published in Advanced Therapeutics, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers report on a "Goldilocks" balance which holds the key to awakening the body's immune response to fight off brain cancer.

4 Oct 2019

New defensive mechanism against bacterial wound infections discovered

Wound inflammation which results in impaired wound healing can have serious consequences for patients. Researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered a new defensive mechanism which enables our skin to actively kill bacteria.

4 Oct 2019

Study finds prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes in groundwater

With climate change comes increasing water shortages, and potentially longer periods of drought. As policymakers look urgently to wastewater recycling to stem the gap in water resources, the question is-- how best to reuse water and ensure public safety.

4 Oct 2019

Exploiting the weak spot in pathogenic bacteria to develop new antibiotics

Antibiotics are still the most important weapon for combatting bacterial infections. But medical science is running out of "ammunition" because of more and more frequently occurring resistances.

4 Oct 2019