Pathogen News and Research

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Mapping T Cell Targets to Fight Coronaviruses and Beyond

Most vaccines are designed to provide immunity against just one pathogen. Vaccines for chicken pox (caused by varicella-zoster virus) were only developed to fight that one disease, for example.

8 Aug 2025

Genetic Mapping Uncovers Six New Species of Glasswing Butterflies

Some butterflies can smell others of the same species, allowing them to identify each other in areas where multiple species all look the same, new research finds.

30 Jul 2025

Small Viral Protein ORF3a Reveals Big Role in SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity

In a recent study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Chicago discovered that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses a small but powerful protein, ORF3a, to assemble the infectious particles, making it more efficient at spreading the disease.

29 Jul 2025

AgriLife Research Scientist Helps Crack Genome of a Soft Tick

Scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Baylor College of Medicine have sequenced the genome of the disease-spreading soft tick.

23 Jul 2025

New Microchip Maps Antibody Responses Using Just a Drop of Blood

A new microchip invented by Scripps Research scientists can reveal how a person's antibodies interact with viruses-using just a drop of blood.

14 Jul 2025

Mediterranean Bacteria Offer New Weapon Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Mosquito-borne diseases kill more than 700,000 people every year, according to the World Health Organization, and the mosquitos that spread the disease are difficult to control.

8 Jul 2025

New Multi Omics Database Advances Chrysanthemum Research and Breeding

The Asteraceae family boasts more than 25,000 species, with chrysanthemums ranking among its most iconic and economically valuable members. Having been cultivated for over three millennia in China and beyond, these plants hold deep cultural, medicinal, and horticultural significance.

4 Jul 2025

Bacteria Hijack Cellular Processes in Ticks to Survive and Spread

Washington State University researchers have discovered how the bacteria that cause anaplasmosis and Lyme disease hijack cellular processes in ticks to ensure their survival and spread to new hosts, including humans.

1 Jul 2025

Collagen and Chitin Amendments Support Soil Microbes to Control Nematode Infections

Collagen and chitin shift soil microbial communities and reduce root-knot nematode infections in tomato plants while improving plant growth and chlorophyll content.

23 Jun 2025

Organotypic Model of the Human Gut Epithelium Demonstrates Genetic Determinants of Shigella Colonization

A study in Nature Genetics uses organotypic gut models to reveal genome-wide genetic determinants of Shigella colonization, spotlighting type III secretion system effectors as crucial for early infection.

20 Jun 2025

Targeting the Chagas Parasite by Interrupting Its Lifecycle

Chagas disease is often called a silent killer because many people don't realize they have it until complications from the infection kill them.

9 Jun 2025

Chitin Facilitates Gene Transfer Across Species Through Natural Transformation Among Vibrio cholerae

A study in PNAS reveals that chitin promotes gene transfer in marine environments by binding environmental DNA and enhancing natural transformation in Vibrio cholerae, with implications for microbial evolution and ecosystem diversity.

6 Jun 2025

New Diagnostic Tool Enhances Early Detection of Viruses with Powerful Bioluminescence

Mass General Brigham researchers are shining a powerful new light into the viral darkness with the development of Luminescence CAscade-based Sensor (LUCAS), a rapid, portable, highly-sensitive diagnostic tool for processing complex biological samples.

2 Jun 2025

Zika Virus Hijacks Cellular Cleanup to Suppress Immune Response

A new study reveals the biological secret to the Zika virus's infectious success: Zika uses host cells' own "self-care" system of clearing away useless molecules to suppress the host proteins that the virus has employed to get into those cells in the first place.

28 May 2025

Exploring the Flexible Structure of Sulfite Reductase Enzyme

Visualization of sulfite reductase's structure offers insights into sulfur chemistry, aiding in drug development and understanding bacterial energy sources.

28 May 2025

Broad Spectrum Pathogen Detection Achieved Through Metagenomic Sequencing

A recent study on the application of Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) found that mNGS can achieve early detection of pathogens and accelerate the development of targeted anti-infection treatment plans, thereby improving treatment outcomes and patient prognosis.

24 May 2025

RNA Editing and Transcriptional Switching Shape Fungal Antiviral Response

The expression of symptoms of viral infections is a byproduct of complex virus-host molecular pathways. These remain largely unknown, especially in the case of fungus-virus pathogen systems.

24 May 2025

Gene Loss and Gain Shaped the Evolution of Relapsing Fever Bacteria

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process.

24 May 2025

Uncovering How Cholera Evaded Phages For Epidemic Success

Cholera bacteria engage in microscopic battles with phages, influencing pandemic dynamics and highlighting the role of viral defenses in outbreak management.

23 May 2025

New Bacterial Consortium can Inhibit Bacterial Pathogens in Aquaculture

A new study by Danish researchers has demonstrated that it is possible to develop a consortium of bacteria that can inhibit bacterial pathogens in aquaculture.

22 May 2025