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Study links pneumonia transmission in seniors to contact with young children

New research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) finds that pneumonia-causing bacteria are common in the over 60s and that contact with pre-school and young school-aged children appears to be the most important factor in the onward transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) to the over 60s.

3 Apr 2024

Study reveals skin bacteria removal boosts brain attention signals

Researchers discover a link between skin microbiota and brain cognitive functions, showing that removing skin bacteria may enhance attention levels.

3 Apr 2024

How gut microbiome influences obesity onset differently in men and women

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May) identifies changes in the composition of gut bacteria that may play a key role in the onset and development of obesity, with differences in men and women, which might affect the metabolism of different nutrients and therefore the presence of bioactive molecules in the gut that influence the development of metabolic disease.

2 Apr 2024

Certain gut bacteria may help lower cholesterol and heart disease risk

Changes in the gut microbiome have been implicated in a range of diseases including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease.

2 Apr 2024

Novel antibiotic-infused hydrogel kills bacteria and promotes cell growth

Hydrogels are popular for use in skin ailments and tissue engineering. These polymer-based biocompatible materials are useful for their abilities to retain water, deliver drugs into wounds, and biodegrade.

2 Apr 2024

Infant gut microbiomes exhibit circadian rhythms independent of external cues

Infant gut microbiomes oscillate with a circadian rhythm, even when they are cultivated outside of the body.

2 Apr 2024

Climate change boosts infectious disease spread, hits the vulnerable hardest

Climate change is intensifying the spread of vector, water, and food-borne infections, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations due to enhanced pathogen transmission in altered environmental conditions.

1 Apr 2024

New insights into gas vesicle clustering in bacteria open doors for biomedical applications

Gas vesicles are hollow structures made of protein found in the cells of certain microorganisms, and researchers at Rice University believe they can be programmed for use in biomedical applications.

29 Mar 2024

Generative AI revolutionizes antibiotic development against resistant pathogens

With nearly 5 million deaths linked to antibiotic resistance globally every year, new ways to combat resistant bacterial strains are urgently needed.

28 Mar 2024

Simple pre-surgical protocol can help prevent dangerous post-surgical infections

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) demonstrates the use of a simple pre-surgical infection prevention protocol to prevent dangerous post-surgical infections.

28 Mar 2024

Using microbiota analysis for health and disease management

The human body harbors approximately 30 trillion microbes, known collectively as the microbiota.

28 Mar 2024

Rethinking PrEP's role in prevention of sexually transmitted infections

In their research article published in Eurosurveillance, von Schreeb et al. challenge existing assumptions regarding the relationship between the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI).

28 Mar 2024

Enzymatic cocktail emerges as new hope against mycobacterial infections

With resistance to chemical antibiotics on the rise, the world needs entirely new forms of antibiotics. A new study published in Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, shows that an enzymatic cocktail can kill a variety of mycobacterial species of bacteria, including those that cause tuberculosis.

27 Mar 2024

New method predicts sepsis and organ failure in children

University of Queensland researchers have developed a method to predict if a child is likely to develop sepsis and go into organ failure.

25 Mar 2024

Leveraging cancer therapies to combat tuberculosis

What could cancer teach us about tuberculosis? That's a question Meenal Datta has been chasing since she was a graduate student.

25 Mar 2024

Researchers develop a novel sensor for the detection of bacteria

Each year, bacterial infections claim several million lives worldwide. That is why detecting harmful microorganisms is crucial – not only in the diagnosis of diseases but also, for example, in food production.

25 Mar 2024

New compound extracted from African catfish skin mucas exhibits powerful antibacterial properties

Scientists report they have extracted a compound with powerful antibacterial properties from the skin of farmed African catfish.

25 Mar 2024

New "fusion sites" enable faster and more targeted drug development

Many important medicines, such as antibiotics and anticancer drugs, are derived from natural products from Bacteria.

22 Mar 2024

UCLA researchers develop promising vaccine against deadly melioidosis bacterium

In a mouse study, UCLA researchers tested a vaccine against the bacterium that causes melioidosis and found it was highly protective against the disease, which is endemic in many tropical areas, causing approximately 165,000 cases with 89,000 fatalities around the world each year.

22 Mar 2024

Rising antimicrobial resistance in STIs: A call for global action

Review delves into the rising challenge of antimicrobial resistance in sexually transmitted infections, underscoring the need for innovative treatments and the critical role of global surveillance in managing diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis.

21 Mar 2024