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Study reveals how bacteria pass on traits without DNA changes

Bacterial cells can "remember" brief, temporary changes to their bodies and immediate surroundings, a new Northwestern University and University of Texas-Southwestern study has found.

28 Aug 2024

16 promising postdoctoral scientists awarded Damon Runyon Fellowships for cancer research

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named 16 new Damon Runyon Fellows, exceptional postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators.

28 Aug 2024

New antibacterial compound shows promise for preventing periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease caused by a periodontal pathogenic bacteria infection that affects oral and internal health.

28 Aug 2024

Innovative berry-based skin spray targets hospital-acquired bacteria

VTT has developed a skin spray, based on nanocellulose and antimicrobial compounds from wild berries, which can be used to treat wounds and eliminate hospital-acquired bacteria such as MRSA before surgery.

28 Aug 2024

Autofluorescence imaging improves accuracy of wound debridement

Over 6.5 million Americans experience chronic wounds - wounds that do not heal after a few months.

27 Aug 2024

Gut microbiota plays a critical role in rotavirus vaccine efficacy

Certain types of gut bacteria can hinder the efficacy of the rotavirus vaccine, according to researchers at the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

27 Aug 2024

A novel approach to photosynthetic production of high-value compounds

Using evolution as a guiding principle, researchers have successfully engineered bacteria-yeast hybrids to perform photosynthetic carbon assimilation, generate cellular energy and support yeast growth without traditional carbon feedstocks like glucose or glycerol. By engineering photosynthetic cyanobacteria to live symbiotically inside yeast cells, the bacteria-yeast hybrids can produce important hydrocarbons, paving new biotechnical pathways to non-petroleum-based energy, other synthetic biology applications, and the experimental study of evolution.

27 Aug 2024

Computational tools reveal 3D structures of viral proteins

These rapid shifts mean that researchers are still trying to understand a multitude of viral proteins and precisely how they increase viruses' infecting abilities - knowledge that could be crucial for developing new or better virus-fighting treatments.

27 Aug 2024

University of Oklahoma researcher receives NIH grant to explore natural cancer treatments

Today, about 25% of drugs approved to treat cancer are derived from nature – from the bark of a tree to marine life to bacteria in the soil.

26 Aug 2024

How diet shapes gut microbiota and affects brain function

Researchers discuss the diet-microbiota-gut-brain axis, which describes the role of both diet and gut microbiota composition on cognitive and emotional health.

26 Aug 2024

Human gut microbiome: A source of new antibiotic peptides

Researchers identified 323 peptide-based antimicrobials from the human microbiome, with 71% showing significant antibacterial activity, and the lead peptide, prevotellin-2, matching the efficacy of polymyxin B in both in vitro and in vivo models.

25 Aug 2024

Research suggests chlamydia may persist in the human intestine

People who are infected with chlamydia can transmit these bacteria to other people during unprotected sex.

23 Aug 2024

Unique strain of probiotic bacteria shows potential in combating inflammatory diseases

23 Aug 2024

Maternal gut bacteria linked to changes in fetal brain metabolism

The impact of Bifidobacterium breve's presence in the maternal gut during pregnancy on fetal brain metabolism.

23 Aug 2024

Probiotic offers protection against intestinal damage

There is a critical unmet need to help tighten and maintain a healthy intestinal barrier and treat a leaky gut. Researchers have now found that a unique strain of probiotic bacteria, Bifidobacterium bifidum BB1, enhances intestinal barrier function and protects against penetration of bacteria and various harmful agents in the intestine. The findings, detailed in an article in The American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, can help advance the development of novel, targeted, naturally occurring probiotic therapy for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases, such as fatty liver disease or alcoholic liver disease, that are associated with a leaky or disordered intestinal barrier.

23 Aug 2024