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Cholera against cholera: an interview with Dr Bruce Turnbull, University of Leeds

Cholera bacteria, and other types of bacteria that cause diarrheal diseases, infect your intestines where they release AB5 protein toxins – that is they have a single toxic A-subunit that is linked to a pentamer of B-subunits that act as the delivery vehicle to transport the A-subunit into the cells.

8 Sep 2014

Each day of hospitalization increases risk of multidrug-resistant by 1%

If a patient contracts an infection while in the hospital, each day of hospitalization increases by 1% the likelihood that the infection will be multidrug-resistant, according to research presented at the 54th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) an infectious disease meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

8 Sep 2014

Researchers modify protocol to test dangerous form of antibiotic resistance

Researchers from Oregon State Public Health Lab have modified the protocol for a relatively new test for a dangerous form of antibiotic resistance, increasing its specificity to 100 percent.

8 Sep 2014

New antifungal drug effective against invasive mold disease in cancer patients with less adverse effects

A newly developed antifungal, isavuconazole, is as effective as an existing drug, voriconazole, against invasive mold disease in cancer patients with less adverse effects, according to phase 3 clinical data presented at the 54th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, an infectious disease meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

8 Sep 2014

Antibiotic stewardship programs reduce hospital readmissions due to infection

Antibiotic stewardship programs, which promote the appropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals and other healthcare centers, not only lead to reduction in antibiotic use with reduced adverse events, but also lead to significant savings.

8 Sep 2014

Middle ear infections can be triggered by viral infection in nose, say researchers

Middle ear infections, which affect more than 85 percent of children under the age of 3, can be triggered by a viral infection in the nose rather than solely by a bacterial infection, according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

6 Sep 2014

Peramivir drug safe, effective at alleviating influenza symptoms

An analysis of phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials shows that a single injected dose of the neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) peramivir is safe and effective at alleviating influenza symptoms, including fever and viral shedding, when administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

6 Sep 2014

Study compares breast and bottle fed infants

Infant rhesus monkeys receiving different diets early in life develop distinct immune systems that persist months after weaning, a study by researchers from UC Davis, the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) at UC Davis and UC San Francisco have shown.

5 Sep 2014

Case Western Reserve scientists discover leaky gut as source of non-AIDS complications

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is no longer a fatal condition, thanks to newer medications inhibiting the retrovirus, but a puzzling phenomenon has surfaced among these patients — non-AIDS complications. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have resolved the mystery with their discovery of the leaky gut as the offender.

4 Sep 2014

Polyester clothes smell worse than cotton following intensive exercise

Polyester clothes smell worse than cotton, following intensive exercise by their wearers, because bacteria that cause odor grow better on polyester, according to research published ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

4 Sep 2014

New regulatory component in infectious bacterium helps explain ability to survive in human body

The discovery of a new regulatory component in an infectious bacterium could aid efforts to explain its ability to survive in the human body, report microbiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and University of Maryland, College Park, in the journal Science.

3 Sep 2014

Study suggests phages are sophisticated bacterial predators and can prevent infections

In the battle between our immune systems and cholera bacteria, humans may have an unknown ally in bacteria-killing viruses known as phages.

3 Sep 2014

Two fully automated molecular testing systems for blood and plasma donor screening launched by Roche

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the commercial availability of the cobas 6800/8800 Systems, two integrated and fully automated molecular testing systems for blood and plasma donor screening, in markets accepting the CE mark. The cobas 6800/8800 Systems offer the fastest time to results with the highest throughput available, along with the longest walk-away time, enabling laboratory staff to drive increased workflow efficiencies, while adapting to their ever-changing testing demands.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 2 Sep 2014

University of Leicester research sniffs out smell of disease in feces

A fast-sensitive "electronic-nose" for sniffing the highly infectious bacteria C. diff, that causes diarrhoea, temperature and stomach cramps, has been developed by a team at the University of Leicester.

1 Sep 2014

Blend of three monoclonal antibodies can protect monkeys against Ebola virus, says UTMB researcher

A leading U.S. Ebola researcher from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has gone on record stating that a blend of three monoclonal antibodies can completely protect monkeys against a lethal dose of Ebola virus up to 5 days after infection, at a time when the disease is severe.

30 Aug 2014

Researchers make surprising discoveries about the body's early responses to HIV infection

Researchers at UC Davis have made some surprising discoveries about the body's initial responses to HIV infection. Studying simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), the team found that specialized cells in the intestine called Paneth cells are early responders to viral invasion and are the source of gut inflammation by producing a cytokine called interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β).

30 Aug 2014

New treatment fights respiratory syncytial virus

The New England Journal of Medicine published research results on Aug. 21 from a clinical trial of a drug shown to safely reduce the viral load and clinical illness of healthy adult volunteers intranasally infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

29 Aug 2014

HICCC receives $18 million grant from the National Cancer Institute

Outstanding basic research, a growing focus on translating discoveries into treatments, and a dedication to patient care have earned the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) of Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital an $18 million, five-year Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

28 Aug 2014

Protein p66ShcA shows promise as biomarker to identify breast cancers with poor prognoses

A protein named p66ShcA shows promise as a biomarker to identify breast cancers with poor prognoses, according to research published ahead of print in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology.

26 Aug 2014

Researchers report that predominant CA-MRSA strain migrated from sub-Saharan Africa

The predominant strain of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infecting people in Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa derived from a single sub-Saharan ancestor, a team of international researchers reported this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

26 Aug 2014

Microbiology News and Research

Cholera against cholera: an interview with Dr Bruce Turnbull, University of Leeds

Each day of hospitalization increases risk of multidrug-resistant by 1%

Researchers modify protocol to test dangerous form of antibiotic resistance

New antifungal drug effective against invasive mold disease in cancer patients with less adverse effects

Antibiotic stewardship programs reduce hospital readmissions due to infection

Middle ear infections can be triggered by viral infection in nose, say researchers

Peramivir drug safe, effective at alleviating influenza symptoms

Study compares breast and bottle fed infants

Case Western Reserve scientists discover leaky gut as source of non-AIDS complications

Polyester clothes smell worse than cotton following intensive exercise

New regulatory component in infectious bacterium helps explain ability to survive in human body

Study suggests phages are sophisticated bacterial predators and can prevent infections

Two fully automated molecular testing systems for blood and plasma donor screening launched by Roche

University of Leicester research sniffs out smell of disease in feces

Blend of three monoclonal antibodies can protect monkeys against Ebola virus, says UTMB researcher

Researchers make surprising discoveries about the body's early responses to HIV infection

New treatment fights respiratory syncytial virus

HICCC receives $18 million grant from the National Cancer Institute

Protein p66ShcA shows promise as biomarker to identify breast cancers with poor prognoses

Researchers report that predominant CA-MRSA strain migrated from sub-Saharan Africa

Microbiology eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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