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Common cholesterol-lowering drug linked to improvement in gut microbiota

There is a clear link between improved gut microbiota and one of our most common cholesterol-lowering drug groups: statins.

15 Jun 2020

Study identifies two new viruses in Brazilian patients with suspected dengue

Two new species of viruses have been identified in blood samples taken from patients in Brazil's northern region who had similar symptoms to those of dengue or Zika, such as high fever, severe headache, rash and red skin spots.

17 Apr 2020

Cultural transition to agriculture linked with emergence of human-adapted pathogens

Using Salmonella enterica genomes recovered from human skeletons as old as 6,500 years, an international team of researchers illustrates the evolution of a human pathogen and provides the first ancient DNA evidence in support of the hypothesis that the cultural transition from foraging to farming facilitated the emergence of human-adapted pathogens that persist until today.

25 Feb 2020

Bacterial viruses in intestinal tracts of children may play a role in stunting

New research spearheaded by McGill University has discovered that bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) found in the intestinal tracts of children may play a role in childhood stunting, a significant impediment to growth that affects 22% of children under the age of five around the world.

12 Feb 2020

Study uncovers large, giant viruses that belong to NCLDV supergroup

While the microbes in a single drop of water could outnumber a small city's population, the number of viruses in the same drop-;the vast majority not harmful to humans could be even larger.

24 Jan 2020

RNAssist and Rapid Labs agree on a manufacturing and supply agreement for genoPHIX and vivoPHIX

RNAssist has developed several universal biological sample stabilization, fixation and microbial inactivation reagents.

From Rapid Labs Ltd 23 Jan 2020

Gut microbiome linked to behavioral problems in children

Children with behavioral problems may have different compositions in their gut microbiome, with parents playing a major role in how pronounced the differences were, other than the food they provide, a new study suggests.

21 Jan 2020

Unique tool to democratize entry into the field of nanopore research

A nanopore is a tiny hole in a thin membrane with a diameter of around a billionth of a meter, or about the width of a single DNA molecule.

14 Jan 2020

Evolutionary adaptations may lead to different microbial populations, shows study

It's no secret there's a close relationship between humans and our microbiomes -- the communities of microbes that live in and on us.

7 Jan 2020

New method reveals how microbial communities function in our bodies

In the last decade, scientists have made tremendous progress in understanding that groups of bacteria and viruses that naturally coexist throughout the human body play an important role in some vital functions like digestion, metabolism and even fighting off diseases. But understanding just how they do it remains a question.

11 Dec 2019

GW-led consortium receives $2.2 million from FDA for Biocompute Object Specification Project

A consortium led by the George Washington University (GW) has been refunded for their BioCompute Object Specification Project, thanks to a $2.2 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

4 Dec 2019

Tulane virus needs intracellular calcium to replicate

Some gastrointestinal viruses need calcium. They need calcium ions to carry out several essential aspects of viral life, such as entry into host cells, genome replication and building new viruses to invade other cells. The cells invaded by viruses also use calcium. They use it as signals to regulate many of the cells' own processes, but viruses can takeover cellular calcium signaling to satisfy their own needs.

13 Nov 2019

Two strains of the same bacterium work together to cause deadly flesh-eating disease

Two different strains of the same flesh-eating bacteria species work in combination to become more dangerous.

12 Nov 2019

SEPATH: New template to detect oncogenic viruses and bacteria in human DNA

A new study from the University of East Anglia describes a novel approach to detecting bacteria and viruses that may possibly be causing cancer. Many such associations have already been found, such as HPV (human papilloma virus) infection in cervical cancer, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in stomach cancer.

22 Oct 2019

GW researchers show connection between bacteria in the microbiome and colon cancer

A mutant protein found in humans with colon cancer blocks a pathway that regulates proliferation and expansion of cells, increasing amounts of bacterial species associated with the development of colon cancer.

4 Oct 2019

Research: Potentially harmful microbes overwhelm healthy gut microbiota in ICU patients

Potentially harmful microbes overwhelm the healthy gut microbiota in intensive care patients, research has found.

1 Oct 2019

What you eat may change the way that antibiotics affect your gut

Scientists have examined how antibiotics change the gut bacteria in mice and looked at how diet may exacerbate or mitigate these changes.

16 Sep 2019

Study describes initial baseline healthy gut microbiome database and abundance profile

An initial baseline healthy gut microbiome database and abundance profile is described in a study published September 11, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Charles Hadley King from George Washington University Medical Center, USA, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 13 Sep 2019

Researchers publish microbial profile to support growing field of gut research

There are 157 organisms that form the baseline biome of a healthy human gut, according to research published in the journal PLOS ONE by investigators at the George Washington University.

12 Sep 2019

Gut microbiome and IBD – the connection maybe in diet says study

A new study has shown conclusive evidence that inflammatory bowel disease or IBD is intimately associated with the gut microbial environment which can be altered with prescription diet. The microbiome within the human gut is a collection of healthy and helpful bacteria that help in several functions of the body including development and maintenance of immunity.

10 Sep 2019