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New discoveries show how protein droplets do more than keep cells’ interiors tidy

Inside cells, where DNA is packed tightly in the nucleus and rigid proteins keep intricate transport systems on track, some molecules have a simpler way of establishing order. They can self-organize, find one another in crowded spaces, and quickly coalesce into droplets - like oil in water.

15 Aug 2018

Study: IgG3 antibody stops B cells from fighting pathogens in HIV patients

For the first time, scientists have shown that in certain people living with HIV, a type of antibody called immunoglobulin G3 stops the immune system's B cells from doing their normal job of fighting pathogens.

14 Aug 2018

Study may help increase effectiveness of antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria

Bacteria-;especially Gram-negative strains-;are becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotic drugs, and the development of new classes of antibiotics has slowed.

13 Aug 2018

Transmission of F. tularensis unlikely to happen through the food chain

In Germany, 41 cases of tularemia were reported in 2016. The infections are mainly due to direct contact with infected animals or with insect vectors like ticks and mosquitos.

10 Aug 2018

Study reveals cellular pathway used by Ebola virus to enter cells

A new study at Texas Biomedical Research Institute is shedding light on the role of specific proteins that trigger a mechanism allowing Ebola virus to enter cells to establish replication.

9 Aug 2018

Researchers find faster way to analyze outcome of experimental vaccines

A team at Scripps Research has come up with a faster way to analyze the outcome of experimental vaccines against HIV and other pathogens.

9 Aug 2018

Researchers identify role of infection-fighting cells in inflamed and damaged tissue

Hookworms infect nearly 430 million people in the world, mostly in countries where sanitation is poor, and people often walk barefoot.

7 Aug 2018

New study finds key factors behind differences in immune responses

Age, sex, and specific human genetic variants are the key factors behind differences between immune responses among healthy humans, finds a study of 1,000 individuals carried out by EPFL and the Pasteur Institute.

6 Aug 2018

Researchers shed new light on how bacteria sense nutrients in their environment

University of Leicester researchers have shed new light on how bacteria sense nutrients in their environment - which could provide important knowledge in the development of drugs and antibiotics to combat a range of diseases including tuberculosis.

3 Aug 2018

Nalco Water's molecular-based test for Legionella provides much faster results than current methods

Nalco Water, an Ecolab company, has introduced a molecular-based test for Legionella that provides results 14-times faster than current culture testing methods to help building and cooling tower operators manage public health risks from the waterborne pathogen.

2 Aug 2018

Researchers discover how chronic infections can outsmart the immune system

Like many chronic infections, visceral leishmaniasis thwarts the immune system's defenses so it can settle comfortably into its host.

1 Aug 2018

Researchers describe strategy used by Oropouche virus to replicate in human cells

The strategy used by the Oropouche virus to replicate in human cells has been described for the first time by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and international collaborators in an article published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

31 Jul 2018

New approach shows important role of microRNAs in papillomavirus life cycle

The discovery of microRNAs encoded by papillomaviruses supports the important role of these small molecules in persistent infection, according to a study published July 26 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens.

27 Jul 2018

Researchers discover new protein that controls level of inflammation-inducing molecule

One of the major therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases is the inflammation-inducing molecule TNF. However, excess levels of TNF cause side effects and can lead to diseases.

27 Jul 2018

Softening agents added to drinking water may amplify risk of pathogen release

Many city drinking water systems add softening agents to keep plumbing free of pipe-clogging mineral buildup. According to new research, these additives may amplify the risk of pathogen release into drinking water by weakening the grip that bacteria - like those responsible for Legionnaires' disease - have on pipe interiors.

26 Jul 2018

NIH officials highlight growing threat of tickborne diseases

The incidence of tickborne infections in the United States has risen significantly within the past decade. It is imperative, therefore, that public health officials and scientists build a robust understanding of pathogenesis, design improved diagnostics, and develop preventive vaccines, according to a new commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine from leading scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health

26 Jul 2018

Researchers identify gene from Ebola virus in Myotis bats

A gene from the deadly Ebola virus that allows the virus to escape from the human immune system has been identified in the genome of a group of bats that is found worldwide, including North America.

25 Jul 2018

Researchers find that IgM antibody could protect against HIV-1

A team of scientists from Texas Biomedical Research Institute have homed in on an antibody that could protect against infection with HIV-1.

24 Jul 2018

Study reveals protective potential of new class of antibodies against HIV-1 infection

A group of scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute have zeroed in on a new defense against HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS. Led by Ruth Ruprecht, M.D., Ph.D., the team used an animal model to show for the first time that an antibody called Immunoglobulin M was effective in preventing infection after mucosal AIDS virus exposure.

24 Jul 2018

Karius Test accurately detects invasive fungal infections, shows study

Karius, a life sciences company transforming infectious disease diagnostics with genomics and data through the innovative use of next-generation sequencing to analyze microbial cell-free DNA, announced today the positive results of a clinical study using blood samples from patients with confirmed invasive fungal infections.

20 Jul 2018