Microbiology News and Research

RSS

Scientists reveal how MRSA strain rapidly rises to prominence

Scientists believe they have an explanation for how the most common strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus rapidly rose to prominence. Research published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, suggests that the strain recently acquired a number of genes from common skin bacteria that allow it to grow and thrive on the skin where other strains of MRSA cannot.

17 Dec 2013

Findings could point the way to new vaccines to prevent Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The lung lesions in an individual infected with tuberculosis are surprisingly variable and independent of each other, despite whether the patient has clinically active or latent disease, according to a new animal study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published online today in Nature Medicine, could point the way to new vaccines to prevent the hard-to-treat infection.

16 Dec 2013

MD Anderson researcher earns Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Basic science research that exposed vital details of cancer's defense against the immune system, revealing an entirely new way to combat these diseases, has earned Jim Allison, Ph.D., a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

14 Dec 2013

Protein in Salmonella inactivates mast cells that fight against bacteria

A protein in Salmonella inactivates mast cells -- critical players in the body's fight against bacteria and other pathogens -- rendering them unable to protect against bacterial spread in the body, according to researchers at Duke Medicine and Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS).

13 Dec 2013

Vaccines for whooping cough contain 3 to 5 protective antigens

Vaccines for whooping cough contain three to five protective antigens, the presence of which are critical to the vaccine's effectiveness. But one of the antigens, pertactin, which had been present in almost all isolates of Bordetella pertussis in the US as late as 2010, is now absent from more than half of them, according to a paper published ahead of print in Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

13 Dec 2013

Scientists bring stem cell science directly to patients

Scientists from UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research are bringing stem cell science funded by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency, directly to patients in two exciting new clinical trials scheduled to begin in early 2014.

13 Dec 2013

Understanding long-term clinical stability in hemophilia patients living with HIV

People with the genetic blood clotting disorder hemophilia who have been infected with HIV for decades have an increased proportion of immune cells in their blood that specifically target HIV. This protective immune response helps chronically infected hemophilia patients survive, even during periods of HIV activity, according to a study published in BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

12 Dec 2013

Study reveals that germ-free mice are susceptible to infection with foodborne pathogen

When it comes to fighting off pathogens like Listeria, your best allies may be the billions of microorganisms that line your gut, according to new research published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

10 Dec 2013

Researchers develop new technique to cure human diseases caused by misfolded protein molecules

A team led by a longtime Oregon Health & Science University researcher has demonstrated in mice what could be a revolutionary new technique to cure a wide range of human diseases - from cystic fibrosis to cataracts to Alzheimer's disease - that are caused by "misfolded" protein molecules.

9 Dec 2013

ATS Labs offers testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against H7N9 virus

ATS Labs announced today that they are pleased to offer testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. Avian influenza A (H7N9) virus, called H7N9 for short, has infected humans in China causing severe respiratory illness.

6 Dec 2013

Researchers identify biomarker that may accurately predict prostate cancer spread

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Alberta in Canada have identified a biomarker for a cellular switch that accurately predicts which prostate cancer patients are likely to have their cancer recur or spread.

6 Dec 2013

Tel Aviv University says caffeine and alcohol can change part of DNA linked to aging, cancer

Coffee and beer are polar opposites in the beverage world. Coffee picks you up, and beer winds you down.

6 Dec 2013

C. difficile doesn’t harm infants, but serves as a reservoir to affect adults

Infants and toddlers frequently carry toxigenic Clostridium difficile, usually with no harm to themselves, but can serve as a reservoir and spread the bacteria to adults in whom it can cause severe disease, according to a study by a team of Swedish researchers published ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

4 Dec 2013

AAAS Honors Two Tufts University faculty members as Fellows

Two faculty members at Tufts University have been elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. John M. Coffin and planetary scientist Samuel P. Kounaves are among 388 new Fellows recognized by AAAS based on their distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

4 Dec 2013

Antiretroviral therapy for HIV treatment saves 2.8 million years of life in South Africa

Antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of HIV infection has saved 2.8 million years of life in South Africa since 2004 and is projected to save an additional 15.1 million years of life by 2030, according to a new study published online in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. The analysis suggests these dramatic benefits could be even greater if more aggressive HIV testing and treatment strategies are implemented.

4 Dec 2013

Nanologix collaborates with Saudi company to distribute Nanologix products in Arabian Gulf region

NanoLogix, Inc. an innovator in the rapid detection, identification of live bacteria, and determination of their antibiotic resistance and sensitivity, announces that they are working with Nasaem-Aljazira, a Saudi Arabian company headquartered in Riyadh, to establish exclusive distribution and/or manufacturing of NanoLogix products in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf region, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) area.

4 Dec 2013

Researchers offer promise of strategy for curing HIV infection

Researchers have used radioimmunotherapy (RIT) to destroy remaining human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected cells in the blood samples of patients treated with antiretroviral therapy, offering the promise of a strategy for curing HIV infection. Results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

3 Dec 2013

Tel Aviv University researchers discover a protein that kills bacteria

In the arms race between bacteria and modern medicine, bacteria have gained an edge. In recent decades, bacterial resistance to antibiotics has developed faster than the production of new antibiotics, making bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat. Scientists worry that a particularly virulent and deadly "superbug" could one day join the ranks of existing untreatable bacteria, causing a public health catastrophe comparable with the Black Death.

3 Dec 2013

VRC scientists receive $2.2M grant to develop new resin composite dental fillings

The American Dental Association and the ADA Foundation today announced that the foundation's Anthony Volpe Research Center (VRC) received a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to develop new resin composite dental fillings.

3 Dec 2013

Investigators use new technique to identify pathogens faster, directly from clinical samples

A team of Danish investigators has shown how to identify pathogens faster, directly from clinical samples. The research, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology appears in the journal's January 2014 issue.

2 Dec 2013

Microbiology News and Research

Scientists reveal how MRSA strain rapidly rises to prominence

Findings could point the way to new vaccines to prevent Mycobacterium tuberculosis

MD Anderson researcher earns Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Protein in Salmonella inactivates mast cells that fight against bacteria

Vaccines for whooping cough contain 3 to 5 protective antigens

Scientists bring stem cell science directly to patients

Understanding long-term clinical stability in hemophilia patients living with HIV

Study reveals that germ-free mice are susceptible to infection with foodborne pathogen

Researchers develop new technique to cure human diseases caused by misfolded protein molecules

ATS Labs offers testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against H7N9 virus

Researchers identify biomarker that may accurately predict prostate cancer spread

Tel Aviv University says caffeine and alcohol can change part of DNA linked to aging, cancer

C. difficile doesn’t harm infants, but serves as a reservoir to affect adults

AAAS Honors Two Tufts University faculty members as Fellows

Antiretroviral therapy for HIV treatment saves 2.8 million years of life in South Africa

Nanologix collaborates with Saudi company to distribute Nanologix products in Arabian Gulf region

Researchers offer promise of strategy for curing HIV infection

Tel Aviv University researchers discover a protein that kills bacteria

VRC scientists receive $2.2M grant to develop new resin composite dental fillings

Investigators use new technique to identify pathogens faster, directly from clinical samples

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

Latest Life Science News