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Early ancestors' taste for fat reveals new clues to human evolution

Long before human ancestors began hunting large mammals for meat, a fatty diet provided them with the nutrition to develop bigger brains, posits a new paper in Current Anthropology.

6 Feb 2019

New microchip antibiotic testing platform determines right medication in just 6-7 hours

We rely on antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, but the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria forces doctors and patients to contend with shifting treatment plans.

6 Feb 2019

Study: BldC protein in Streptomyces acts as ‘brake’ to control timing of sporulation

Streptomyces are soil-dwelling bacteria that produce approximately two-thirds of the antibiotics in current clinical use.

6 Feb 2019

Advantages of universal GBS screening for pregnant women unclear

Serological group B streptococci are common bacteria, which usually remain unnoticed. This is also the case for the almost 20% of pregnant women with vaginal or anal colonization of GBS.

5 Feb 2019

Study develops simple, new treatment to fight Candida Albicans fungus

A study led by the UPV/EHU has developed an innovative, simple treatment based uterine stem cells to combat the Candida Albicans fungus, responsible for vaginal candidiasis disease.

5 Feb 2019

Powerful immune molecule silences barrel to protect transplanted organs from rejection

A powerful immune molecule helps protect transplanted organs from rejection by putting a silencer on two other immune molecules that converge to take a direct shot at the organ, scientists report.

5 Feb 2019

Fermentation of flaxseed fibers in the gut changes microbiota to improve health, reduce obesity

Research in mice suggests that fermentation of flaxseed fibers in the gut changes the microbiota to improve metabolic health and protect against diet-induced obesity.

5 Feb 2019

Novel lysin therapy shows promise for fighting drug-resistant bacteria

Humans are in a constant arms race with infectious bacteria. To kill these disease microbes, we develop powerful antibiotics; and in turn, the bacteria develop resistance against these drugs.

5 Feb 2019

Sinks next to toilets in hospital may be reservoirs for Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase

Sinks situated next to patient toilets in hospital rooms may be reservoirs for Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, increasing the risk of dangerous germ transmission, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

4 Feb 2019

Gut microbes could be linked to depression

The human gut contains trillions of bacteria that form the gut microbiome or microbiota. A new research has linked the composition of this gut microbiome and depressive disorder.

4 Feb 2019

New study will "fundamentally change the way researchers study the microbiome"

Researchers investigating the gut microbiome have isolated more than a hundred bacterial species that have never previously been identified.

4 Feb 2019

Amprologix wins £1.2 million contract to tackle antimicrobial-resistant MRSA

Amprologix Limited, a University of Plymouth spinout company, has won a £1.2 million contract from the Department for Health and Social Care to accelerate development and scale up its lead antibiotic candidate to tackle antimicrobial resistant MRSA and related superbugs.

4 Feb 2019

Insect-borne microbes outperform soil bacteria in stopping certain dangerous antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Medicine was transformed in the 20th century by the discovery and development of antibiotics, the vast majority of which came from one source: soil bacteria.

4 Feb 2019

New genetic technique could allow scientists to study how smell affects behavior

Take a whiff when it rains after a dry spell, and breathe in the earthy scent that pervades the air. That smell comes from decomposing bacteria, and scientists call the compound geosmin.

1 Feb 2019

Understanding the defense mechanism of NETs could lead to better antibiotics

Experiencing a bacterial infection? You're generally prescribed antibiotics by your doctor. But how exactly do those antibiotics and your white blood cells work in tandem to improve your infection?

1 Feb 2019

Study reveals how whipworms cause destruction in the gut

Signaling through interleukin-10 (IL-10) receptors on gut immune cells plays a critical role in protecting the gut lining and microbiota from disruption caused by whipworms, according to a study published January 31 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by María Duque-Correa of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK, and colleagues.

1 Feb 2019