fungi News and Research

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Research offers new hope for seasonal allergy sufferers

One in three people is plagued by an allergy, triggered by foodstuffs, fungi, house dust mites or on a seasonal basis due to pollen. The latter group is the largest: around 800 million people worldwide suffer from some form of allergy to pollen, with the usual symptoms such as a runny nose, cough and severe breathing problems.

6 Mar 2019

Peptide derived from fungi prevents growth of tuberculosis bacteria

The discovery of the peptide as a possible future antibiotic was made when the researchers screened different antimicrobial peptides' ability to prevent the growth of the tuberculosis bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

4 Mar 2019

Research shows presence of yeasts and fungi in breast milk of healthy mothers

Investigators have now shown that the breast milk microbiome contains fungi. Multiple previous studies had found bacteria in breast milk. Certain fungi and bacteria have been shown to be important probiotics for infant health.

4 Mar 2019

Research shows how common fungus gets the flexibility to live in different host environments

The fungus Candida albicans is found in the gastrointestinal tract of about half of healthy adults with little if any effect, yet it also causes an oft-fatal blood infection among patients with compromised immune systems, including those with HIV/AIDS.

1 Mar 2019

Scientists use CRISPR to reveal the secret life of antimicrobial peptides

When it comes to the immune system, we usually think about lymphocytes like B and T cells or macrophages going on constant seek-and-destroy missions against invading pathogens like bacteria and viruses.

26 Feb 2019

Study uncovers potential role of Foxp1 protein in control of autoimmune diseases

Scientists at the Higher School of Economics, the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center created a genetic model that helps to understand how the body restrains autoimmune and oncological diseases.

26 Feb 2019

Researchers unravel how specific intestinal microbiota amplify inflammatory reactions in the lungs

The composition of the microbiome - the countless bacteria, fungi and viruses that colonize our body surface, skin, intestines or lungs - makes a decisive contribution to human health or disease.

23 Feb 2019

Bringing Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) to the Community

An interview with Dr. Ester Segal, discussing the development of a 2D silicon microarray that supports the growth of bacteria and fungi for rapid AST.

From Pittcon 13 Feb 2019

Scientists uncover main mechanisms of fluconazole drug resistance

The yeast Candida albicans occurs in most healthy people as a harmless colonizer in the digestive tract. However, it can also cause life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised patients.

11 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

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 approach helps clinicians to decide most effective antibiotic treatment courses

A scientific team from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic has developed a new way to identify second-line antibiotics that may be effective in killing germs already resistant to a first-line antibiotic - potentially helping overcome antibiotic resistance.

31 Jan 2019

New findings challenge existing strategies for fighting infectious diseases and germs

Do the same laws of biodiversity which apply in nature also apply to our own bodies and homes? If so, current hygiene measures to combat aggressive germs could be, to some extent, counterproductive.

22 Jan 2019

Peptide isolated from soil fungi has antitumor and antibacterial properties

A team of scientists from I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University together with their colleagues isolated a peptide named emericellipsin A from soil fungi.

22 Jan 2019

Diversity among rural Africans extends to their gut microbiomes

Our microbiome, the complex community of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and other microorganisms in and on our bodies, reflects the way we live. If we own a pet, we likely share microbes with them. If we eat meat, the microbiome in our intestines may look different from that of a vegan.

22 Jan 2019

Research finds how Candida albicans adapt to low oxygen levels to cause infection

Scientists from Umeå university have shown how the yeast Candida albicans can modulate and adapt to low oxygen levels in different body niches to cause infection and to harm the host.

16 Jan 2019

Researchers manipulate T cells to improve transplant success

Researchers have manipulated T cells in a way that prevents the rejection of transplanted organs, without affecting the immune system’s ability to fight microbial infection.

15 Jan 2019

CIRCLES kicks-off: From microbiome research to healthier and sustainable foods

Microbes offer an untapped potential and could be the key to a better and healthier living. Yet, research and innovation developments on microbiomes remain scarce.

14 Jan 2019

Researchers repurpose gene-editing tool CRISPR to develop better antibiotics

A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher and his collaborators at the University of California, San Francisco have repurposed the gene-editing tool CRISPR to study which genes are targeted by particular antibiotics, providing clues on how to improve existing antibiotics or develop new ones.

11 Jan 2019

Microbial metabolite from pomegranates can reduce and protect against IBD

Scientists at the University of Louisville have shown that a microbial metabolite, Urolithin A, derived from a compound found in berries and pomegranates, can reduce and protect against inflammatory bowel disease.

10 Jan 2019