Bacteria News and Research

RSS

More than 15 percent of our genes are mobilized to defend against microbial attacks

The body's overwhelming genetic defense, which has implications for the survival of patients who are severely burned or injured, was revealed in a sweeping analysis of gene activity in volunteers who were injected with a bacterial product that temporarily created flu-like symptoms.

1 Sep 2005

Significant advance in understanding how enzyme can prevent certain bacteria from becoming virulent

A team of biomedical researchers from Brandeis University and the University of Texas at Austin has determined the first 3-dimensional structure of an enzyme that may be pivotal in preventing certain bacterial infections in plants, animals and humans, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

30 Aug 2005

Designer molecules that combine metals such as copper with natural organic materials could treat diseases in the body

That's the finding of chemists at Ohio State University, who have successfully tested such molecules against portions of HIV and Hepatitis C virus RNA in the laboratory. They've also created molecules that act like ACE, or angiotensin-converting enzyme, inhibitors - drugs that are used to lower blood pressure.

30 Aug 2005

Good old fashioned soap and water the answer for "superbug"

Superbugs are bacteria that have mutated to become resistant to common antibiotics which are no longer any use against them.

30 Aug 2005

Dental problems caused by radiation, chemotherapy should be treated before a child undergoes immunosuppression as part of bone marrow transplantation therapy

Many children who undergo bone marrow transplantation (BMT) as part of cancer treatment already have dental abnormalities that leave them vulnerable to potentially life-threatening bacterial infections, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A report on this study appears in the prepublication online edition of Bone Marrow Transplantation.

29 Aug 2005

Vitamin D puts a brake on activated macrophages - newly discovered mechanism keeps inflammation under control

When macrophages, the first line defender cells of the immune system become activated, they produce an inhibitor, which acts back on them to suppress their activity.

29 Aug 2005

New way to "image" the internal chemistry of bacteria

As part of the search for better ways to track and clean up soil contaminants, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have developed a new way to "image" the internal chemistry of bacteria.

29 Aug 2005

Unusual type of antibiotic shows promise in defeating deadly "superbugs"

An unusual type of antibiotic being developed by chemists at Notre Dame University shows promise in defeating deadly "superbugs" - highly drug-resistant staph bacteria that are an increasing source of hospital-based infections.

29 Aug 2005

New laboratory method for quickly detecting active anthrax proteins

A new laboratory method for quickly detecting active anthrax proteins within an infected blood sample at extremely low levels has been developed by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Cancer Institute.

29 Aug 2005

New way to count bugs in dirt

Don't call them the Dirt Doctors, or Sultans of Soil, they're just clever Lab guys. A team from Los Alamos National Laboratory has a paper in this week's Science Magazine with a new way to count bugs in dirt. Bacteria, that is, in the highly complex world beneath our feet.

29 Aug 2005

Carbohydrate-based vaccine against cancer?

Couldn't we be immunized against cancer? This sounds like a dream, but is in fact a thoroughly realistic research goal. American researchers have now taken an important step forward in the development of a cancer vaccine.

29 Aug 2005

Previously unknown family of plague virulence factors identified

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have identified a previously unknown family of virulence factors that make the bacterium responsible for the plague especially efficient at killing its host.

28 Aug 2005

Immunity - another important function of the mitochondria

Researchers have discovered a surprise lurking inside mitochondria, the power plants that are present in every cell. It turns out that these powerhouses also contain a protein that triggers the immune system to attack viral invaders.

28 Aug 2005

The role of antigenic drive and tumor-infiltrating accessory cells in the pathogenesis of Helicobacter-induced MALT lymphoma

Research led by Dr. Anne Mueller at Stanford University School of Medicine demonstrates that successful eradication of Helicobacter may not prevent future aggressive gastric lymphoma since resting B cells are left behind.

25 Aug 2005

Genomics reveals mechanisms that engineer remarkable heat resistance in bacteria

Warm-blooded creatures maintain a relatively stable body temperature that cannot tolerate the stress of intense heat (or cold). When it's too hot proteins destabilize and degrade--in some cases, with fatal results.

24 Aug 2005

First study to test the role of RNA chemical modifications on immunity

The investigators published their findings in the August issue of Immunity. "We think this study will open a new area of research in understanding how our immune systems protect us," says Weissman.

23 Aug 2005

Fear of superbugs bans nurses from wearing their uniform when not on duty

District nurses in the UK, working in the community, have been banned from wearing their uniforms when they are not on duty, amid growing concerns about superbugs.

23 Aug 2005

Elderly woman latest victim of swine flu in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government has reported that an elderly woman has contracted the pig-borne bacterial disease that has killed nearly 40 people in mainland China.

22 Aug 2005

New FDA and USDA approved compound for Salmonella reduction in poultry processing

Solution BioSciences, Inc., has announced a new antimicrobial system, called Bromitize, to reduce salmonella and other carcass bacteria during poultry processing.

22 Aug 2005

Researchers test experimental drug Neuprex on infants undergoing heart surgery

UT Southwestern Medical Center is the only institution in the nation approved by the Food and Drug Administration to test an experimental drug on infants undergoing heart surgery to see whether it can help them avoid potentially lethal infections and improve survival.

22 Aug 2005

Bacteria News and Research

More than 15 percent of our genes are mobilized to defend against microbial attacks

Significant advance in understanding how enzyme can prevent certain bacteria from becoming virulent

Designer molecules that combine metals such as copper with natural organic materials could treat diseases in the body

Good old fashioned soap and water the answer for "superbug"

Dental problems caused by radiation, chemotherapy should be treated before a child undergoes immunosuppression as part of bone marrow transplantation therapy

Vitamin D puts a brake on activated macrophages - newly discovered mechanism keeps inflammation under control

New way to "image" the internal chemistry of bacteria

Unusual type of antibiotic shows promise in defeating deadly "superbugs"

New laboratory method for quickly detecting active anthrax proteins

New way to count bugs in dirt

Carbohydrate-based vaccine against cancer?

Previously unknown family of plague virulence factors identified

Immunity - another important function of the mitochondria

The role of antigenic drive and tumor-infiltrating accessory cells in the pathogenesis of Helicobacter-induced MALT lymphoma

Genomics reveals mechanisms that engineer remarkable heat resistance in bacteria

First study to test the role of RNA chemical modifications on immunity

Fear of superbugs bans nurses from wearing their uniform when not on duty

Elderly woman latest victim of swine flu in Hong Kong

New FDA and USDA approved compound for Salmonella reduction in poultry processing

Researchers test experimental drug Neuprex on infants undergoing heart surgery

Microbiology eBook

Latest eBooks

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (3rd edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Microbiome (1st edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition)

Advancing degrader and proximity-based drug development

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo