Biofilms News and Research

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Common type of hospital-associated infections can be prevented with vaccine

The most common type of hospital-associated infection may be preventable with a vaccine, new research in mice suggests.

18 Sep 2014

Disrupting cancer regulator MYC: an interview with Professor Kim Janda

MYC is an oncogenic member of the basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper transcription factor family. In its monomeric form, MYC’s tertiary structure is intrinsically disordered and the protein is transcriptionally inactive.

17 Sep 2014

New antiseptic agent holds promise for treatment of periodontitis

The study, published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, by Shinichi Arakawa and colleagues at Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, evaluated the bactericidal activities of ozone nano-bubble water - also known as NBW3 - against the two main bacterial agents that cause periodontitis as well as its toxicity to human oral tissue cells.

15 Sep 2014

Queen's University scientists make breakthrough in fight against hospital superbugs

Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have made a breakthrough in the fight against the most resistant hospital superbugs.

19 Aug 2014

Study results may lead to new approach for treatment of chronic ear infections in children

Researchers from the University of Southern California and the Oak Crest Institute of Science have discovered the link between antibiotics and bacterial biofilm formation leading to chronic lung, sinus and ear infections. The study results, published in the current issue of PLOS ONE, illustrate how bacterial biofilms can actually thrive, rather than decrease, when given low doses of antibiotics.

11 Jul 2014

New way to combat bacterial biofilm formation with titanium encrusted with gold nanoparticles

Bacteria love to colonize surfaces inside your body, but they have a hard time getting past your rugged, salty skin.

1 Jul 2014

Bacteria must be considered part of overall pathology of atherosclerosis

Scientists believe they have an explanation for the axiom that stress, emotional shock, or overexertion may trigger heart attacks in vulnerable people. Hormones released during these events appear to cause bacterial biofilms on arterial walls to disperse, allowing plaque deposits to rupture into the bloodstream, according to research published in published today in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

11 Jun 2014

New device designed to detect foodborne bacteria

A new device designed to sample and detect foodborne bacteria is being trialled by scientists at the University of Southampton.

11 Jun 2014

Researchers identify small molecule that prevents bacteria from forming into infectious biofilms

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have identified a small molecule that prevents bacteria from forming into biofilms, a frequent cause of infections.

23 May 2014

Red wine could potentially help prevent cavities

For anyone searching for another reason to enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner, here's a good one: A new study has found that red wine, as well as grape seed extract, could potentially help prevent cavities.

22 May 2014

Study: E-cigarettes appear to increase virulence of drug- resistant and life-threatening bacteria

Despite being touted by their manufacturers as a healthy alternative to cigarettes, e-cigarettes appear in a laboratory study to increase the virulence of drug- resistant and potentially life-threatening bacteria, while decreasing the ability of human cells to kill these bacteria

19 May 2014

ConvaTec posts strong financial results for FY 2013

ConvaTec, a privately-held medical products and technologies company, today announced strong financial results for the year ended December 31, 2013.

6 May 2014

Decker Foundation gift helps Binghamton University to establish lab for improving health outcomes

A gift from the Dr. G. Clifford & Florence B. Decker Foundation will enable Binghamton University biologists and their colleagues to conduct tests and research that will improve health outcomes for patients in Southern Tier hospitals with conditions ranging from ear infections to cancer.

30 Apr 2014

New urinary catheter design can eliminate nearly all hard-to-kill biofilm

For the millions of people forced to rely on a plastic tube to eliminate their urine, developing an infection is nearly a 100 percent guarantee after just four weeks. But with the help of a little bubble-blowing, biomedical engineers hope to bring relief to urethras everywhere.

27 Mar 2014

Study to develop novel antibacterial orthodontic bracket cement incorporating DMADDM

Today, at the 43rd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), held in conjunction with the 38th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, Mary Anne Sampaio de Melo, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, will present a research study titled "Antibacterial Orthodontic Cement Containing a Quaternary Ammonium Monomer Dimethylaminododecyl Methacrylate."

24 Mar 2014

Honey helps fight antibiotic resistance, says study

Honey, that delectable condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers said here today.

17 Mar 2014

Bacterium and fungus partner to cause painful form of tooth decay in preschool children

Early childhood caries, a highly aggressive and painful form of tooth decay that frequently occurs in preschool children, especially from backgrounds of poverty, may result from a nefarious partnership between a bacterium and a fungus, according to a paper published ahead of print in the journal Infection and Immunity.

13 Mar 2014

Researchers identify microbe that 'eats' electricity

There have been plenty of fad diets that captured the public's imagination over the years, but Harvard scientists have identified what may be the strangest of them all - sunlight and electricity.

11 Mar 2014

Microbes are more likely to adhere to tube walls in flowing water

In a surprising new finding, researchers have discovered that bacterial movement is impeded in flowing water, enhancing the likelihood that the microbes will attach to surfaces.

25 Feb 2014

Researchers find difficult to kill Salmonella biofilms with three types of disinfectant

Once Salmonella bacteria get into a food processing facility and have an opportunity to form a biofilm on surfaces, it is likely to be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to kill it, according to research published ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

17 Jan 2014