Pathogen News and Research

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Study finds rhinovirus reduces SARS-CoV-2 replication in airway epithelial cells

A recent study has demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a significantly lower interferon response than rhinovirus infection.

24 Nov 2021

How does penicillin work?

In this interview, we spoke to Dr. Bartlomiej Salamaga about his latest research that discovered how penicillin works in the body.

24 Nov 2021

Bat coronavirus ecology, evolution, and spillover

In a review published in Nature Reviews Microbiology, the authors collate information about the ecology and evolution of bat coronaviruses.

24 Nov 2021

Study offers insights into how Shigella delivers bacterial proteins into our cells

Shigella, a bacterial pathogen that causes dysentery and is the leading cause of childhood diarrheal diseases, inserts a pore called a translocon into an infected person's intestinal cells and then injects bacterial proteins into the cells.

24 Nov 2021

Time of starting antiretroviral therapy can influence tumor development In HIV patients

HIV patients have an increased risk of developing skin and mucosal cancers, even though HIV is no longer detectable in their blood due to antiretroviral therapy.

23 Nov 2021

Interferon beta versus the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant

In a study recently published on the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers investigated the difference in replication efficiency or IFN sensitivity of the four VOCs.

22 Nov 2021

Characterization of B-cell receptor repertoires in COVID-19 patients

In a new study published in the journal Human Immunology, scientists sought to better understand how B-cell immune repertoire changes over time during SARS-CoV-2 infection by comprehensively characterizing the dynamics of immunoglobin heavy chain (IGH) repertoire in COVID-19 patients.

22 Nov 2021

Novel Lyme disease vaccine may also combat other tick-borne diseases

Yale University researchers have developed a novel vaccine that in guinea pigs offers protection against infection by the bacterium that causes Lyme disease and may also combat other tick-borne diseases, they report Nov. 17 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

22 Nov 2021

Impact of ultraviolet disinfection on nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases

A new review article determines the role of UV disinfection for nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

22 Nov 2021

Sheep at low-risk for infection with SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the US has recently evaluated the susceptibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in sheep. The findings reveal that sheep are generally less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the susceptibility is relatively higher for the alpha variant of the virus. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

21 Nov 2021

MIT researchers uncover a possible new way to combat tumors

Under the right circumstances, the body's T cells can detect and destroy cancer cells. However, in most cancer patients, T cells become disarmed once they enter the environment surrounding a tumor.

21 Nov 2021

Naturally occurring phage A1-1 kills dysentery-causing bacteria in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia

Phages are viruses that infect bacteria and can also be used to treat human infections. However, as with antibiotics, bacteria can readily evolve resistance to phage attack, highlighting a key limitation to the use of phages as therapeutics.

21 Nov 2021

Human lung airway-on-a-chip faithfully recapitulates cystic fibrosis pathology

The inherited progressive disorder cystic fibrosis (CF) causes severe damage to the lungs, and other tissues in the body by affecting the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices.

21 Nov 2021

Study reveals molecular architecture of fungal cell walls and structural responses to stress

In a new study published in Nature Communications, Associate Professor Tuo Wang and his research team from the Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University revealed the molecular architecture of fungal cell walls and the structural responses to stresses, aiding the development of antifungal drugs targeting cell wall components.

21 Nov 2021

New evidence that host immunity drives evolution of the dengue virus

New research by a team of University of Florida investigators, and others, provides evidence that host immunity drives evolution of the dengue virus.

20 Nov 2021

Infant respiratory syncytial virus infection results in metabolic reprogramming of airway epithelial cells

Infection with respiratory syncytial virus during infancy results in metabolic reprogramming of epithelial cells lining the airway, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in the journal Viruses.

20 Nov 2021

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during Delta variant predominance

A new study investigated the continued effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during the delta variant predominance in a diverse and urban healthcare setting.

19 Nov 2021

Viral biomolecular condensation

A review published in PLOS Pathogens deconstructs virus condensation and provides a biochemical background for LLPS.

19 Nov 2021

Air filter and floor sampling to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in schools

A study recently published on the medRxiv* preprint server observed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in five schools (96 classrooms) in Davis, California (USA), by collecting weekly surface-swab samples from classroom floors and/or portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) units.

18 Nov 2021