Microbiology News and Research

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New Method Reveals How Hepatitis C Virus Evades Immune System

With a new method for examining virus samples researchers from the University of Copenhagen have solved an old riddle about how Hepatitis C virus avoids the human body's immune defenses.

6 Jul 2023

Gut Microbes Could Be Harnessed to Block Mercury Absorption

New research by a team at Pennsylvania State University suggests that microbes in the human gut could be harnessed to block absorption of toxic metals like mercury and help the body absorb useful nutritional ones, like iron.

5 Jul 2023

Understanding How Malaria Parasite Modulates Apicoplast Gene Expression

A recent study supported by Tokyo Tech’s World Research Hub Initiative discovered that gene expression within the apicoplast, an organelle in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, is controlled by melatonin (the circadian signaling hormone) in host blood and intrinsic parasite cues via a factor called ApSigma.

5 Jul 2023

The Influence of Streptomyces on Soil Microorganisms

Chemical substances called arginoketides, which are produced by bacteria of the genus Streptomyces, cause a variety of reactions in other microorganisms: Algae group together to form aggregates, fungi produce signaling molecules that they would not otherwise produce, and bacteria develop biofilms that cause other organisms to respond differently.

28 Jun 2023

Novel Drug Slows Development of Antibiotic Resistance

At the Baylor College of Medicine, a research group is gaining ground in its quest for solutions to the global concern of bacterial antibiotic resistance, which was accountable for almost 1.3 million deaths in 2019.

26 Jun 2023

Influenza A Viruses Use "Tactical Strikes" to Hijack Host Cells

Influenza A is one of two influenza viruses that fuel costly annual flu seasons and is a near constant threat to humans and many other animals. It’s also responsible for occasional pandemics that, like the one in 1918, leave millions dead and wreak havoc on health systems and wider society.

23 Jun 2023

Using Enzyme Inhibitors to Assess the Potential for Antimicrobial Resistance

Early tests revealed that MK-3402, an experimental metallo-beta-lactamase inhibitor, was well tolerated after administration to healthy individuals.

19 Jun 2023

A New Class of Molecular Sensor Prevents Parasite Replication and Transmission

Malaria continues to be a serious public health issue, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, with almost 250 million cases per year and 621,000 fatalities.

19 Jun 2023

Microglial Cells Serve as a Stable Viral Reservoir for Latent HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) introduces a copy of its DNA into human immune cells as part of its life cycle. Some of these newly infected immune cells can subsequently enter an inactive, latent state for an extended length of time, which is known as HIV latency.

19 Jun 2023

Fragments of RNA Viruses Discovered in Coral Partners’ Genomes

The DNA of symbiotic creatures living within reef-building corals has been found to contain the remains of ancient RNA viruses by an international team of marine researchers.

2 Jun 2023

Salmonella Employs Unique Tactics to Escape Cellular Defense

Salmonella enterica, a disease-causing bacterium, employs a variety of strategies to evade the human body’s defense mechanisms, much like thieves.

29 May 2023

Promising Gene Editing Tool Could Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance

A new instrument that has the potential to help minimize the spread of antimicrobial resistance is revealing early potential, by using a bacterial immune system as a gene-editing tool.

26 May 2023

Molecular Method Reveals Whether or Not Bacteria Respond to Antibiotics Within Minutes

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a molecular method able to detect whether or not bacteria respond to antibiotics within minutes.

23 May 2023

Microorganisms Mitigate Climate Warming: Study Finds

A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the ability of microorganisms to adapt to climate warming will slow down global warming by storing carbon in soil.

23 May 2023

Compound Found in Magnolia Tree Bark Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication in Several Cell Types

A compound called honokiol, which is found in the bark of multiple species of magnolia tree, inhibits replication of SARS-CoV-2 virus in several types of cells, according to a team of researchers in the Netherlands.

23 May 2023

Novel Gene-Editing Strategy Harnesses Unusual Protective Ability to Eliminate HIV-1 Infection

Genetic alterations that give rise to a rare, fatal disorder known as MOGS-CDG paradoxically also protect cells against infection by viruses.

22 May 2023

Researchers Use the Bionanoprobe to Explore Role of Zinc in Follicle Development

The discovery that zinc is involved in the fertilization process earlier than initially thought was made with the help of the Bionanoprobe, a cutting-edge instrument at Argonne.

18 May 2023

Heat-Loving Marine Bacteria can Help Reduce Asbestos' Toxicity

Asbestos materials were once widely used in homes, buildings, automobile brakes and many other built materials due to their strength and resistance to heat and fire, as well as to their low electrical conductivity.

16 May 2023

Infections with the Fungus Candida auris on the Rise in Germany

Candida auris is an extremely new species among yeasts from the Candida genus that cause infections in humans: it was only reported in 2009, and no evidence has been found prior to the 1990s.

16 May 2023

Expanding Soil Microbiology from the Laboratory to Ecosystems

Soil microbiology research greatly relies on big data. This suggests that experiments will no longer be conducted primarily in the laboratory but will instead be conducted in the field.

16 May 2023