Microbiology News and Research

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Law of physics can be demonstrated by collection of individual protein molecules

Experiments by biochemists at the University of California, Davis show for the first time that a law of physics, the ergodic theorem, can be demonstrated by a collection of individual protein molecules -- specifically, a protein that unwinds DNA. The work will be published online by the journal Nature on July 14.

16 Jul 2013

Cranberry consumption may prevent chronic infections

Consuming cranberry products has been anecdotally associated with prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) for over 100 years. But is this popular belief a myth, or scientific fact?

16 Jul 2013

Infrared light allows characterization of pathogens

The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is commonly found in nature and frequently colonizes the skin and the upper respiratory tract of humans. A healthy immune system can fight the microorganism but once the immune system is weakened the pathogen can spread and lead to life-threatening diseases of the lungs, the heart and other organs.

15 Jul 2013

Ipsen, Harvard initiate collaboration to discover, develop botulinum toxins for neurologic diseases

Ipsen announced today that it has initiated a research and development collaboration on novel engineered botulinum toxins with Harvard Medical School.

15 Jul 2013

Scientists successfully transplant insulin-producing cells from one species to another

In the first step toward animal-to-human transplants of insulin-producing cells for people with type 1 diabetes, Northwestern Medicine- scientists have successfully transplanted islets, the cells that produce insulin, from one species to another. And the islets survived without immunosuppressive drugs.

15 Jul 2013

Hydrogel method form synthetic scaffolds to support formation of blood vessels in engineered tissues

Next-generation hydrogels can form synthetic scaffolds to support the formation of replacement tissues and organs in the emerging area of regenerative medicine. Embedding peptides into the hydrogels stimulates the growth of essential microvascular networks to ensure a good blood supply.

12 Jul 2013

Researchers identify new cellular source for disease-fighting protein

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report the identification of a new cellular source for an important disease-fighting protein used in the body's earliest response to infection.

11 Jul 2013

Scientists discover bacterium that stores biodegradable plastic

In Bolivia, in the largest continuous salt desert in the world, researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have found a bacterium that stores large amounts of PHB, a prized polymer. This biodegradable plastic is used by the food and pharmaceutical industries, for example to produce nanospheres to transport antibiotics.

11 Jul 2013

IDSA and ASM collaborate to guide the best use of lab tests for diagnosis of infectious diseases

A new guide developed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) will help physicians appropriately and accurately use laboratory tests for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Laboratory test results drive approximately two-thirds of physicians' medical decisions.

11 Jul 2013

Study identifies new groups of people at risk of parasitic lung infection

A study conducted by Dr. James Diaz, Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Program Director of the Environmental/Occupational Health Sciences Program at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, analyzed cases of a parasitic lung infection and found new modes of transmission and associated behaviors, identifying new groups of people at risk.

11 Jul 2013

H7 influenza may spillover repeatedly into humans, say scientists

The H7N9 avian flu strain that emerged in China earlier this year has subsided for now, but it would be a mistake to be reassured by this apparent lull in infections. The virus has several highly unusual traits that paint a disquieting picture of a pathogen that may yet lead to a pandemic, according to lead scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

10 Jul 2013

UBC researchers develop vaccine to halt spread of West Nile Virus in birds

University of British Columbia researchers have developed a vaccine that may halt the spread of West Nile Virus among common and endangered bird species.

10 Jul 2013

Agreement expands national presence of Cleveland Clinic Laboratories

Cleveland Clinic Laboratories will now be the main provider of specialized testing and diagnostics services for ACL Laboratories, one of the largest hospital system laboratories in the United States.

10 Jul 2013

Curetis starts prospective clinical trial for Unyvero P50 pneumonia application

Curetis AG today announced the start of an additional prospective, multicenter clinical trial of its marketed Unyvero™ P50 Pneumonia Application to demonstrate its clinical and health economic value.

10 Jul 2013

Sorrento Therapeutics, BGN partner to develop therapeutic antibodies for Hepatitis C Virus

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. and B.G. Negev Technologies and Applications Ltd., the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, have announced an option and license agreement to develop therapeutic products to treat Hepatitis C Virus.

10 Jul 2013

Researchers develop new tool to promote improved drug development

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed the first method for directly measuring the extent to which drugs reach their targets in the cell.

5 Jul 2013

Book provides new insight on one of the most common infectious diseases, Chlamydia

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that cause one of the most common sexually transmitted infectious diseases in the world. The infection disproportionately impacts women and the highest prevalence of infection is found in adolescents.

5 Jul 2013

Montreal researchers discover novel research model to study auto-immune diseases

A team of researchers at the IRCM, led by Dr. Javier M. Di Noia in the Immunity and Viral Infections research division, discovered a novel research model for the study of auto-immune diseases. The Montr-al scientists are the first to find a way to separate two important mechanisms that improve the quality of antibodies. This study was featured in a recent issue of The Journal of Immunology.

4 Jul 2013

Assay identifies T cells as most capable of fighting infections and cancers

The idea of fighting infections and even cancers by inducing protective immune responses may now be a step closer to clinical practice. Researchers have removed a major obstacle to widespread use of so-called adoptive transfer therapy, in which a patient receives "killer" immune cells targeting a disease agent. Existing technologies can easily provide T cells that will recognize a specific antigen, but it has been challenging to identify individual cells most likely to succeed in fighting the disease - until now.

4 Jul 2013

Research unravels a novel means of communication that allows bacteria to resist antibiotic treatment

New research from Western University unravels a novel means of communication that allows bacteria such as Burkholderia cenocepacia (B. cenocepacia) to resist antibiotic treatment. B. cenocepacia is an environmental bacterium that causes devastating infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) or with compromised immune systems.

4 Jul 2013

Microbiology News and Research

Law of physics can be demonstrated by collection of individual protein molecules

Cranberry consumption may prevent chronic infections

Infrared light allows characterization of pathogens

Ipsen, Harvard initiate collaboration to discover, develop botulinum toxins for neurologic diseases

Scientists successfully transplant insulin-producing cells from one species to another

Hydrogel method form synthetic scaffolds to support formation of blood vessels in engineered tissues

Researchers identify new cellular source for disease-fighting protein

Scientists discover bacterium that stores biodegradable plastic

IDSA and ASM collaborate to guide the best use of lab tests for diagnosis of infectious diseases

Study identifies new groups of people at risk of parasitic lung infection

H7 influenza may spillover repeatedly into humans, say scientists

UBC researchers develop vaccine to halt spread of West Nile Virus in birds

Agreement expands national presence of Cleveland Clinic Laboratories

Curetis starts prospective clinical trial for Unyvero P50 pneumonia application

Sorrento Therapeutics, BGN partner to develop therapeutic antibodies for Hepatitis C Virus

Researchers develop new tool to promote improved drug development

Book provides new insight on one of the most common infectious diseases, Chlamydia

Montreal researchers discover novel research model to study auto-immune diseases

Assay identifies T cells as most capable of fighting infections and cancers

Research unravels a novel means of communication that allows bacteria to resist antibiotic treatment

Microbiology eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO 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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