Cell Wall News and Research

RSS

Yeast-based nanoparticle vaccine could make annual flu shots obsolete

The world mostly relies on an 80-year-old method for producing flu vaccines from chicken eggs - a slow, costly process that struggles to quickly adapt to new, mutant strains.

24 Aug 2026

Genome-mining tool reveals new antibiotic hidden in a silent gene cluster

Researchers developed DiscERN, a genome-mining platform that combines four complementary algorithms to identify evolutionarily related biosynthetic gene clusters and prioritize candidates for experimental study. The approach revealed discomycin A, a previously unknown calcium-dependent lipopeptide antibiotic with potent activity against several Gram-positive bacteria.

15 Jul 2026

New strategy restores vancomycin effectiveness against resistant bacteria

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to global health, linked to an estimated 4.7 million deaths worldwide in 2019 alone.

29 Jun 2026

Deep learning identifies novel compounds against antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea

With tens of millions of annual cases, gonorrhea is the second most frequently reported sexually transmitted infection (STI). Alone in the U.S., over 600,000 cases are reported each year.

17 Jun 2026

Mycoplasma genitalium unlikely to drive recurrent preterm deliveries

A new study from UTHealth Houston found that the common sexually transmitted infection, Mycoplasma genitalium, also known as MGen, does not appear to increase the risk of recurrent preterm birth.

9 Jun 2026

Surface acids found crucial for bacterial shape and growth

Researchers have discovered how acids on the surface of bacteria give these microscopic organisms their characteristic "rod" shape-by keeping an enzyme at bay that would otherwise turn the cylindrical cells into shape-shifting blobs.

26 May 2026

Boston Children's scientists create new booster-free mRNA vaccine strategy

In a new study published in Nature Immunology, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital demonstrated that pairing the original COVID-19 mRNA vaccine with an immune system enhancer, known as an adjuvant, extended the duration of the vaccine's protection in mice from a few months up to two years.

22 May 2026

New AI models quickly find compounds that target Lyme bacteria

Tufts University researchers are using AI and machine learning to more quickly identify potential narrow-spectrum antibiotics to prevent and treat Lyme disease, thanks to a generous gift from an alumnus that sped up their timeline by two to three years.

28 Apr 2026

Scientists discover how the immune system signals the brain to avoid germs

Researchers from the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn uncover vital mechanism for survival

16 Apr 2026

Ultrasensitive assay uncovers hidden burden of tuberculosis disease

Researchers at Boston University have discovered an unexpectedly high prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (TB DNA) in patients hospitalized in Boston, suggesting that tuberculosis disease may be significantly underdiagnosed in the United States.

14 Apr 2026

International researchers set new standards for studying tumor microbiota

Recent research shows that tumors in different organs host microbial communities capable of influencing cancer biology, immune responses, and the effectiveness of therapies, highlighting the need to standardize methods for studying intratumoral microbes.

2 Apr 2026

The 0.05 EU/mg breakthrough: How Sino Biological ProPure™ is redefining the Ultra-Low Endotoxin standard

When we discuss bacterial infections, we often think of exotoxins—those soluble proteins actively secreted by bacteria—while overlooking endotoxins, which are more insidious but equally dangerous.

From Sino Biological Inc. 12 Mar 2026

Simplified nanoparticles "educate" the immune system to find and destroy disease-causing cells

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have developed a simplified version of biodegradable nanoparticles that can "educate" the immune system to find and destroy disease-causing cells throughout the body.

11 Mar 2026

No evidence probiotic skincare can improve mood

Current findings reveal no support for emotional benefits from probiotic cosmetics, highlighting the need for further investigation into neurocosmetics.

5 Mar 2026

Modified peptides show promise against tuberculosis bacteria

Antibiotic treatments are losing effectiveness against a range of common bacterial pathogens, including E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Salmonella and Acinetobacter, according to a warning issued by the World Health Organization last October.

13 Feb 2026

Engineered Listeria boosts innate immunity against cancer

After nearly 40 years of research on how Listeria bacteria manipulate our cells and battle our immune system to cause listeriosis, Daniel Portnoy and his colleagues have discovered a way to turn the bacteria into a potent booster of the immune system - and a potential weapon against cancer.

13 Feb 2026

Exploring Targeted Protein Degradation as a New Strategy to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance

Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.

28 Jan 2026

New insights into the global expansion of Candida auris

The fungal species Candida auris is spreading across the globe, and gaining in virulence, according to a new review by a Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) scientist and colleagues.

30 Dec 2025

A massive mid-14th-century volcanic eruption likely triggered the spread of the "Black Death"

A large volcanic eruption or cluster of eruptions in the mid-1340s triggered severe climate anomalies that drove harvest failures across parts of Europe. These shocks reshaped Mediterranean grain trade routes, likely introducing plague-infected fleas into Italian ports and helping ignite the Black Death.

9 Dec 2025

CRISPR-edited fungus boosts protein production and cuts environmental impact

In a new study publishing November 19 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Biotechnology, researchers used a gene-editing technology called CRISPR to increase a fungus's production efficiency and cut its production-related environmental impact by as much as 61%-all without adding any foreign DNA.

21 Nov 2025