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Life Technologies launches new assay to detect deadly strain of E. coli

Life Technologies, a provider of innovative life science solutions, announced at the International Association of Food Protection annual meeting the launch of the MicroSEQ E. coli O157:H7 assay, designed to detect the deadly strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli), using the company's industry-leading real-time PCR technology.

2 Aug 2010

White button mushrooms can keep the immune system healthy: Study

Mushrooms are among the many foods thought to play an important role in keeping the immune system healthy. Now, Agricultural Research Service funded scientists have conducted an animal-model and cell-culture study showing that white button mushrooms enhanced the activity of critical cells in the body's immune system.

30 Jul 2010

Advanced Life Sciences enters agreement with UBC to develop antimicrobial peptides

Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, today announced that the Company has entered into a sponsored research and option agreement with The University of British Columbia (UBC) to develop several antimicrobial peptides.

27 Jul 2010

Scientists study Legionella's reprogramming on cells for survival, propagation

When it infects the lungs, the Legionnaire's bacterium Legionella pneumophila causes acute pneumonia. The pathogen's modus operandi is particularly ingenious: it infiltrates deliberately into cells of the human immune system and injects a host of proteins which then interfere in the normal cellular processes. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund have now discovered how Legionella reprogrammes the cells to ensure its own survival and to propagate. They examined a protein used by the pathogen to divert the material transport within the cells for its own purposes.

26 Jul 2010

Researchers discover fundamental entry mechanism of fungal microbes into plant and human host cells

A research team led by scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech has discovered a fundamental entry mechanism that allows dangerous fungal microbes to infect plants and cause disease. The discovery paves the way for the development of new intervention strategies to protect plant, and even some animal cells, from deadly fungal infections. The findings are published in the July 23 edition of the journal Cell.

23 Jul 2010

Smoking cessation effectively alter subgingival microbiome in patients on periodontal therapy: Study

Patients with chronic gum disease who quit smoking in addition to undergoing nonsurgical therapy not only demonstrated a lower abundance of harmful oral pathogens, but also an increase in health-associated bacteria. The researchers from The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, and Newcastle University, United Kingdom report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

22 Jul 2010

Preventative measures to avoid Lyme disease

Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors.

21 Jul 2010

Phase II data on Genetic Immunity's DermaVir vaccine to be presented at XVIII International AIDS Conference

Genetic Immunity, a US/Hungarian biopharmaceutical company developing nanomedicine-based immunotherapies for HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases, is releasing Phase II data on the Company's novel DermaVir therapeutic vaccine for HIV/AIDS during the XVIII International AIDS Conference this week in Vienna, Austria. DermaVir, the first dendritic cell-targeting topical HIV vaccine candidate, employs nanotechnology to induce multi-faceted and long-lived immune responses capable of eliminating HIV infected cells.

19 Jul 2010

Study on how cellular defence systems keep themselves in check from damaging cells themselves

When cells are attacked by bacteria they use all means at their disposal to defend themselves. But cellular defence systems can damage the cells themselves and so need to be kept tightly in check. Recent results help us to understand how this is done and give pointers to new ways of combating disease. Matthias Farlik in the group of Thomas Decker at the Centre for Molecular Biology of the University of Vienna (Max F. Perutz Laboratories) and Mathias Müller of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have published these findings in the current issue of the journal "Immunity".

16 Jul 2010

New findings on macrophage activation can facilitate development of early diagnosis tools

Immune system cells called macrophages spring into action to surround and destroy threats such as viruses or cancer cells. But sometimes the would-be protective response leads to persistent inflammation, which, in turn, can cause disease.Scientists don't know exactly how macrophages cross the line from being good cops to bad cops, but researchers at the University of Florida recently unearthed several clues about the mechanisms involved. Through the lens of two inflammation-related diseases, HIV and rheumatoid arthritis, they identified changes in specific proteins linked to the action of macrophages, white blood cells that are key to the body's natural defenses.

16 Jul 2010

NIH awards MacroGenics $9.8 million grant for three projects

MacroGenics, Inc, a privately held biotechnology company that develops immunotherapeutics to treat autoimmune disorders, cancer and infectious diseases, today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the company three new grants representing total funding of $9.8 million.

15 Jul 2010

Researchers investigate oral cancer, periodontal disease relationship

Today during the 88th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, in Barcelona, Spain, presenting author J. Meyle, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany, will present an abstract titled "P. gingivalis Infection and Immune Evasion of Oral Carcinomas."

14 Jul 2010

Aggressive infection control measures stop spread of Acinetobacter baumannii at Dallas hospital

Rapid identification and aggressive infection control measures allowed a Dallas hospital to stop the spread of Acinetobacter baumannii, a type of bacteria that has become increasingly prevalent in healthcare facilities and is resistant to most antibiotics. The findings were presented today at the 37th Annual Conference and International Meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

13 Jul 2010

Fresh salsa and guacamole may be important vehicles of foodborne infection, says ORISE researcher

Nearly 1 out of every 25 restaurant-associated foodborne outbreaks with identified food sources between 1998 and 2008 can be traced back to contaminated salsa or guacamole, more than double the rate during the previous decade, according to research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

13 Jul 2010

Wall Street Journal essay examines historical efforts to control malaria

In a Wall Street Journal essay, Sonia Shah, the author of an upcoming book on malaria, outlines the historical efforts to control malaria - from the Roman Empire through today.

13 Jul 2010

Lectures on DermaVir to be presented at International Conference on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies

Julianna Lisziewicz, PhD, President of Genetic Immunity, a biopharmaceutical company developing nanomedicine-based immunotherapies, is an invited speaker at this week's 7th International Conference on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies in Ouranoupolis Halkidiki, Greece. The conference gathers front-line researchers, scientists and industry experts specialized in nanotechnology applications. Leading experts such as Dr. Lisziewicz are invited to present lectures covering the latest research in this rapidly progressing field.

12 Jul 2010

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today commended federal food safety agencies for their accomplishments supporting the charge of President Obama's Food Safety Working Group, which advises the President on how to upgrade the U.S. food safety system for the 21st century.

12 Jul 2010

IRIC scientists identify vitamin B3 as potential antifungal treatment

A team of scientists from the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the University of Montreal have identified vitamin B3 as a potential antifungal treatment. Led by IRIC Principal Investigators Martine Raymond, Alain Verreault and Pierre Thibault, in collaboration with Alaka Mullick, from the Biotechnology Research Institute of the National Research Council Canada, the study is the subject of a recent article in Nature Medicine.

9 Jul 2010

Biomagnetics, LANL collaborate to develop device for tuberculosis diagnosis

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary technology for diagnostic systems for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis and malaria detection, today announced the signing of an agreement with Los Alamos National Security, LLC where Los Alamos National Laboratory's scientific and engineering staffs will attempt to identify new potential human tuberculosis biomarkers and will develop a validated assay to detect human tuberculosis using a currently known biomarker to be used in combination with the waveguide-based optical biosensor platform.

9 Jul 2010

Communication between bacterial species promotes resistance to antibiotics: Study

Ear infections caused by more than one species of bacteria could be more persistent and antibiotic-resistant because one pathogen may be communicating with the other, encouraging it to bolster its defenses. Interrupting or removing that communication could be key to curing these infections. Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center publish their findings today in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

7 Jul 2010

Pathogen News and Research

Life Technologies launches new assay to detect deadly strain of E. coli

White button mushrooms can keep the immune system healthy: Study

Advanced Life Sciences enters agreement with UBC to develop antimicrobial peptides

Scientists study Legionella's reprogramming on cells for survival, propagation

Researchers discover fundamental entry mechanism of fungal microbes into plant and human host cells

Smoking cessation effectively alter subgingival microbiome in patients on periodontal therapy: Study

Preventative measures to avoid Lyme disease

Phase II data on Genetic Immunity's DermaVir vaccine to be presented at XVIII International AIDS Conference

Study on how cellular defence systems keep themselves in check from damaging cells themselves

New findings on macrophage activation can facilitate development of early diagnosis tools

NIH awards MacroGenics $9.8 million grant for three projects

Researchers investigate oral cancer, periodontal disease relationship

Aggressive infection control measures stop spread of Acinetobacter baumannii at Dallas hospital

Fresh salsa and guacamole may be important vehicles of foodborne infection, says ORISE researcher

Wall Street Journal essay examines historical efforts to control malaria

Lectures on DermaVir to be presented at International Conference on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

IRIC scientists identify vitamin B3 as potential antifungal treatment

Biomagnetics, LANL collaborate to develop device for tuberculosis diagnosis

Communication between bacterial species promotes resistance to antibiotics: Study

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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