Microbiology News and Research

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Tracking arboviruses by nanopore sequencing of mosquitoes

The technology used to sequence SARS-CoV-2 at record speed early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been successfully tested as a technique to monitor arboviruses and diseases transmitted mainly by mosquitoes.

17 Apr 2024

Novel antibacterial discovery: Umbrella toxin particles secreted by Streptomyces

Researchers have discovered toxic protein particles, shaped like umbrellas, that soil bacteria known as Streptomyces secrete to squelch competitors, especially others of their own species.

17 Apr 2024

Study highlights how age affects nasal cell response to SARS-CoV-2

Researchers reveal age-related differences in nasal epithelial cell responses to SARS-CoV-2, showing variations in cell types and viral dynamics across pediatric, adult, and older adult groups.

16 Apr 2024

Study reveals human gut plasmid with biomarker potential

A component of the human intestinal flora that has been little studied to date is the focus of a new study.

16 Apr 2024

Novel vaccine approach effective against all virus strains

Scientists at UC Riverside have demonstrated a new, RNA-based vaccine strategy that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by babies or the immunocompromised.

15 Apr 2024

Study reveals age-specific differences in nasal cells' response to SARS-CoV-2

Important differences in how the nasal cells of young and elderly people respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, could explain why children typically experience milder COVID-19 symptoms, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

15 Apr 2024

KAIST researchers propose microbial food production from sustainable raw materials

The global food crisis is increasing due to rapid population growth and declining food productivity to climate change.

13 Apr 2024

Unraveling the mysteries of gastro-esophageal junction development

The transition from the esophagus to the stomach is a delicate region from a medical point of view, often associated with pathological disorders leading to cancer.

13 Apr 2024

Hospital sinks fuel antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control reports the infection prevention steps taken to control a months-long multispecies outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales that occurred in a pediatric ward at the Toho University Omori Medical Center in Tokyo in 2017.

12 Apr 2024

Unveiling the key role of RNA modification in HIV-1 survival and replication

A chemical modification in the HIV-1 RNA genome whose function has been a matter of scientific debate is now confirmed to be key to the virus's ability to survive and thrive after infecting host cells, a new study has found.

12 Apr 2024

Study reveals how DNA gyrase resolves DNA entanglements

Picture in your mind a traditional "landline" telephone with a coiled cord connecting the handset to the phone.

12 Apr 2024

Study reveals unexpected vulnerability of lung immune cells to SARS-CoV-2

The lung-cell type that's most susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is not the one previously assumed to be most vulnerable.

10 Apr 2024

Novel immune cell therapy may be a promising strategy for combating HBV infection

Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes progressive liver problems, and eradication of the virus remains a formidable challenge.

10 Apr 2024

Baylor study reveals role of newly inherited DNA variants in recessive diseases

You have your mother's eyes and your father's smile, but genetics is much more than just what's on the surface.

10 Apr 2024

Denmark's pertussis epidemic reveals the power of maternal vaccination

A study published in Eurosurveillance details the 2023 pertussis epidemic in Denmark, emphasizing the age-specific incidence, the role of maternal vaccination in reducing infant hospitalizations, and the impact of vaccination strategies on managing the outbreak.

8 Apr 2024

Wound warriors: How microbes influence healing and infection risks

Study explores how wound microbiota affect skin repair and infection risk by altering host immune responses, underscoring the complexity of microbial interactions in wound healing.

7 Apr 2024

New protein-based micromaterials developed for targeted cancer therapy

Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), in collaboration with the Sant Pau Research Institute and the CIBER-BBN, have developed micromaterials made up only of proteins, capable of delivering over an extended period of time nanoparticles that attack specific cancer cells and destroy them.

5 Apr 2024

UC San Diego researchers discover genetic connections to alcohol consumption

A research group centered at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has drilled deep into a dataset of over 3 million individuals compiled by the direct-to-consumer genetics company 23andMe, Inc., and found intriguing connections between genetic factors influencing alcohol consumption and their relationship with other disorders.

5 Apr 2024

Rapid action on climate change could protect people from immune-mediated diseases

Our environment is damaged by rising pollution and falling diversity: these dysregulate our immune systems, while climate change caused by greenhouse gases causes health issues that weakened immune systems can’t protect us against.

4 Apr 2024

Study identifies microbiota signatures associated with KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer patients

For about 40% of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC), the tumor carries a mutation in a gene called KRAS. Many of those mutations have been linked to shorter survival and more aggressive forms of disease.

4 Apr 2024