Microbiology News and Research

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Decreased viral infection severity in females linked to extra copy of epigenetic regulator

It has long been known that viral infections can be more severe in males than females, but the question as to why has remained a mystery – until possibly now.

20 Mar 2023

First molecular images of olfaction sets the stage to create novel smells

Breaking a longstanding impasse in our understanding of olfaction, scientists at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have created the first molecular-level, 3D picture of how an odor molecule activates a human odorant receptor, a crucial step in deciphering the sense of smell.

16 Mar 2023

Bile salt hydrolase cocktails may offer a new approach to inhibit C. diff colonization

Not all probiotics are created equal. In a new study, researchers found that certain enzymes within a class known as bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) can restrict Clostridioides difficile (C. diff.) colonization by both altering existing bile acids and by creating a new class of bile acids within the gut's microbial environment.

14 Mar 2023

Novel technology easily detects active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection antibodies

A team of faculty from Wayne State University has discovered new technology that will quickly and easily detect active Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection antibodies.

14 Mar 2023

Analyzing the antimicrobial resistance profile of the main agent of urinary tract infections

The human intestine is an environment inhabited by many bacteria and other microorganisms collectively known as the gut microbiome, gut microbiota or intestinal flora. In most people, it contributes to wellness. A healthy gut indicates a stronger immune system, improved metabolism, and a healthy brain and heart, among other functions.

14 Mar 2023

Developing new therapies that leverage the host immune system

Yersinia bacteria cause a variety of human and animal diseases, the most notorious being the plague, caused by Yersinia pestis. A relative, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, causes gastrointestinal illness and is less deadly but naturally infects both mice and humans, making it a useful model for studying its interactions with the immune system.

14 Mar 2023

Microorganisms can help tackle conflicts across the globe: Study

Microorganisms should be 'weaponized' to stave off conflicts across the globe, according to a team of eminent microbiologists.

13 Mar 2023

“Bacterial suicide squad” recruits and activates innate and adaptive antitumor immune responses

Combining discoveries in cancer immunology with sophisticated genetic engineering, Columbia University researchers have created a sort of "bacterial suicide squad" that targets tumors, attracting the host's own immune cells to the cancer to destroy it. The new work, published today in Science Advances, marks a major step forward in efforts to enlist non-pathogenic bacteria to combat cancer.

9 Mar 2023

Researchers discover how specific mutation in a bacterium results in phage resistance

As antibacterial resistance continues to render obsolete the use of some antibiotics, some have turned to bacteria-killing viruses to treat acute infections as well as some chronic illnesses.

7 Mar 2023

Nanosatellite paves the way for developing RNA-based medicines

Researchers from Aarhus University and Berkeley Laboratory have designed RNA molecules, that folds into nanoscale rectangles, cylinders, and satellites, and have studied their 3D structure and dynamics with advanced nanotechnological methods.

28 Feb 2023

Study shows how convalescent plasma can be used as effective treatment during future pandemics

Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, new variant outbreaks continue to fuel economic disruptions and hospitalizations across the globe.

22 Feb 2023

New host protease determinants facilitating the infection of SARS-CoV-2 identified

Researchers from Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has identified novel host protease determinants, that facilitate the infection of SARS-CoV-2, including the Omicron variant, which provided new targets for combating the pandemic.

22 Feb 2023

New biomarker helps identify biological age

Once considered to be incompetent in encoding proteins due to their simple monotonous DNA repetitions, tiny telomeres at the tips of human chromosomes now appear to have a powerful biological function that could help better understand cancer and aging.

21 Feb 2023

High diversity in T-cell receptor genes explains diverse response to infections

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have demonstrated that the genes that encode the T cell receptors change significantly between individuals and communities, which could help explain why people react differently to certain diseases.

17 Feb 2023

Blastocystis can promote or disrupt gut health, study finds

The gut microbiota contains trillions of bacteria that can promote health or cause disease under different conditions.

14 Feb 2023

Tissue inflammation altered by “natural killer” immune cells

The discovery of a previously unknown role of “natural killer” (NK) immune cells by Melbourne researchers has increased the current understanding of how the immune system is controlled to prevent disease.

13 Feb 2023

Analyzing the evolution of model organisms

A model organism used in laboratories for the past 100 years has evolved so extensively that it may no longer be fit for purpose.

8 Feb 2023

Protein that facilitates cancer-causing viruses dodge the immune system

Numerous cancers have been related to the viruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). For the first time, UNC School of Medicine researchers have shown that these viruses elude the innate immune response by using a human protein called barrier-to-autointegration factor 1, or BAF, which enables the viruses to propagate and cause disease.

7 Feb 2023

Researchers decipher how common environmental bacterium can digest complex waste

A common environmental bacterium, Comamonas testosteroni, could someday become nature's plastic recycling center.

7 Feb 2023

Chemosynthesis fuels ocean microbes in the darkest depths

A world first study reverses the idea that the bulk of life in the ocean is fuelled by photosynthesis via sunshine, revealing that many ocean microbes in fact get their energy from hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

7 Feb 2023

Microbiology News and Research

Decreased viral infection severity in females linked to extra copy of epigenetic regulator

First molecular images of olfaction sets the stage to create novel smells

Bile salt hydrolase cocktails may offer a new approach to inhibit C. diff colonization

Novel technology easily detects active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection antibodies

Analyzing the antimicrobial resistance profile of the main agent of urinary tract infections

Developing new therapies that leverage the host immune system

Microorganisms can help tackle conflicts across the globe: Study

“Bacterial suicide squad” recruits and activates innate and adaptive antitumor immune responses

Researchers discover how specific mutation in a bacterium results in phage resistance

Nanosatellite paves the way for developing RNA-based medicines

Study shows how convalescent plasma can be used as effective treatment during future pandemics

New host protease determinants facilitating the infection of SARS-CoV-2 identified

New biomarker helps identify biological age

High diversity in T-cell receptor genes explains diverse response to infections

Blastocystis can promote or disrupt gut health, study finds

Tissue inflammation altered by “natural killer” immune cells

Analyzing the evolution of model organisms

Protein that facilitates cancer-causing viruses dodge the immune system

Researchers decipher how common environmental bacterium can digest complex waste

Chemosynthesis fuels ocean microbes in the darkest depths

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