Microbiology News and Research

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Stanford researchers uncover key to overcoming chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a particularly aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancer, in part because it is often resistant to chemotherapy.

4 Jul 2024

New HIV test targets neglected strains in global cure hunt

A multinational team led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators developed a test that will help measure the persistence of HIV in people affected by viral strains found predominantly in Africa-;a vital tool in the search for an HIV cure that will benefit patients around the world.

3 Jul 2024

Innovative HIV vaccine approaches yield potential for broad protection against viral strains

A major challenge in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates fast-;very fast. Although a person initially becomes infected with one or a few HIV strains, the virus replicates and mutates quickly, resulting in a "swarm" of viral strains existing in a single body.

2 Jul 2024

Study finds promising new target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

A class of proteins that regulates cell repair and enhances cell growth-signaling systems could be a promising new target for the treatment of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.

2 Jul 2024

Commercial tattoo and permanent makeup inks can harbor anaerobic bacteria

Researchers have detected anaerobic and aerobic bacteria in commercial tattoo and permanent makeup inks.

2 Jul 2024

New host factors identified as important for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A research team led by Prof. Guo Yusong, Associate Professor of the Division of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), recently made a novel discovery related to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19.

2 Jul 2024

New weakness found in antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are experts in evolving new strategies to avoid being killed by antibiotics.

1 Jul 2024

Enhancing viral therapy for resistant cancers with a metabolite-drug

When a cancer cell doesn't respond to traditional therapies, doctors may turn to a sort of viral biological warfare, by deploying 'troops' in the form of viral agents that are specifically engineered to target and eliminate cancer cells.

28 Jun 2024

LJI study details measles virus neutralization

What happens when measles virus meets a human cell? The viral machinery unfolds in just the right way to reveal key pieces that let it fuse itself into the host cell membrane.

28 Jun 2024

Study shows how milking equipment spreads bird flu risk

Bird flu, or H5N1 virus, in unpasteurized milk is stable on metal and rubber components of commercial milking equipment for at least one hour, increasing its potential to infect people and other animals, report researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Emory University in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

28 Jun 2024

Dietary fiber intake reshapes tryptophan metabolism, promoting gut health and reducing disease risks

A recent study in Nature Microbiology reveals that increased dietary fiber intake directs microbial tryptophan metabolism, leading to health benefits such as improved gut mucosa integrity and reduced risk of metabolic disorders.

27 Jun 2024

NIAID scientists discover probiotic treatment for eczema

NIAID research has led to the availability of a new over-the-counter topical eczema probiotic.

26 Jun 2024

Dietary fiber promotes beneficial conversion of tryptophan by gut bacteria

We get healthy dietary fibres from consuming fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But why are the fibres so good for us? A team of researchers has discovered that dietary fibres play a crucial role in determining the balance between the production of healthy and harmful substances by influencing the behavior of bacteria in the colon.

26 Jun 2024

Using microbial community-scale metabolic modeling approach for precision nutrition

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are beneficial molecules created by the bacteria residing in our gut that are closely tied to improved host metabolism, lower systemic inflammation, better cardiovascular health, lower cancer risk, and more.

24 Jun 2024

Antisense RNA acts as a cellular 'booster' for gene expression, study finds

The function of non-coding RNA in the cell has long been a mystery to researchers. Unlike coding RNA, non-coding RNA does not produce proteins – yet it exists in large quantities.

24 Jun 2024

Advances in organoids and embryonic models pose no risk to personhood, expert argues

Advances in organoids and embryonic models of human development have the potential to prompt social and existential questions-;e.g., what defines human individuality? However, bioethicist Insoo Hyun of Harvard Medical School and the Museum of Science in Boston says that these models have the potential to strengthen rather than weaken the concept of human individuality when considered within the philosophical frameworks of "personhood" and sentience.

20 Jun 2024