Bacterial News and Research

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Ecology of microbial invasions

Infectious disease can play a key role in mediating the outcome of competition between rival groups, as seen in the effects of disease-bearing conquistadors in the New World - or, on a much smaller ecological scale, the ability of bacteria to spread their viruses to competing bacteria.

23 Oct 2006

Researchers discover new method of mapping how bacteria spread within the body

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered a new, more accurate, method of mapping how bacteria spread within the body, a breakthrough that could lead to more effective treatments and prevention of certain bacterial infections.

20 Oct 2006

Scientists discover why some bacteria are naturally magnetic

Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Purdue University have shed light on one of microbiology's most fascinating mysteries--why some bacteria are naturally magnetic.

20 Oct 2006

Antibiotic gives long acting relief to irritable bowel sufferers

Researchers in the U.S. say that a long-acting antibiotic can help treat the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

19 Oct 2006

Killing resistant germs - total synthesis successful: Platensimycin, a new antibiotic

Although a number of new antibiotics have been discovered in recent decades, our armory against infection is continually being depleted, as our microscopically small enemies are crafty warriors that develop resistance to current antibiotics. Multiresistant bacteria are a big problem, especially in hospitals.

11 Oct 2006

High rates of pertussis found in States with easy immunization exemptions

States that easily permit parents to opt out of vaccinating their children for nonmedical reasons are at increased risk of pertussis (whooping cough), according to a new study from researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Florida and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

10 Oct 2006

FBI and FDA investigate spinach packing companies in California

As a result of the nationwide outbreak of E. coli the FBI and agents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have searched two spinach packaging companies in order to ascertain that food safety procedures were properly followed.

5 Oct 2006

When it comes to the flu, antivirals far more effective than antibiotics

It seems that even though influenza has been shown to be better treated with anti-viral medication doctors and hospitals continue to use antibiotics, often with deadly consequences.

2 Oct 2006

Smart nanoscale bioreactors for drug delivery

In a powerful demonstration of how to build a multifunctional, smart nanoscale drug delivery system, researchers at the University of Basel have created a drug-loaded nanocontainer that targets specific cells and releases its payload when receiving a specific physiological signal.

2 Oct 2006

New understanding of how cells defend themselves

Biologists at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) have unveiled a new twist in a metabolic pathway that cells use to defend themselves against toxins made by disease-causing bacteria.

21 Sep 2006

New compounds could make drug-resistant bacteria harmless

Just as the medical world has become concerned over the apparent resistance of some bugs to antibiotics, scientists have made significant progress towards the development of a new generation of antibiotics.

12 Sep 2006

Drug infliximab may help ease ulcerative colitis

In good news for patients with stubborn cases of ulcerative colitis, a serious intestinal disorder, a new research review suggests that the drug infliximab can be a useful alternative if other treatments don't work.

12 Sep 2006

Study shows how the plague bacteria Yersinia pestis causes disease

The bacteria responsible for the plague and some forms of food poisoning "paralyze" the immune system of their hosts in an unexpected way, according to a new study in the September 8, 2006 issue of the journal Cell.

7 Sep 2006

African plant root, Paullinia pinnata, may be the answer to MRSA

A plant root used in Africa as a traditional remedy could hold the key to combating the potentially fatal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infection, according to research findings presented today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester.

4 Sep 2006