Microbiology News and Research

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LSTM Research Identifies 91 RNA Viruses in Parasitic Worms

New research shows that parasitic nematodes, responsible for infecting more than a billion people globally, carry viruses that may solve the puzzle of why some cause serious diseases.

5 Sep 2024

Bacteria's Ability to Sense Chemical Changes Across Their Cell Bodies Uncovered

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered a new sensory capability in bacteria that could transform treatments for bacterial infections.

4 Sep 2024

Transforming Waste into Culinary Delights with Neurospora

Chef-turned-chemist Vayu Hill-Maini has a passion: to turn food waste into culinary treats using fungi.

30 Aug 2024

Cryo-EM Study Sheds Light on HSV Drug Resistance Mechanisms Through Protein Movement

All organisms -; from fungi to mammals -; have the capacity to evolve and adapt to their environments. But viruses are master shapeshifters with an ability to mutate greater than any other organism. As a result, they can evade treatments or acquire resistance to once-effective antiviral medications.

28 Aug 2024

New Screening Methods Uncover Antivirulence Compounds from Arctic Actinobacteria

Antibiotics are the linchpin of modern medicine: without them, anyone with open wounds or needing to undergo surgery would be at constant risk of dangerous infections.

27 Aug 2024

Engineering Purple Bacteria for Enhanced Bioplastic Synthesis

In a world overrun by petroleum-based plastics, scientists are searching for alternatives that are more sustainable, more biodegradable and far less toxic to the environment.

27 Aug 2024

Bad Bacteria Use Electric Signals to Find Entry Points in the Gut

How do bad bacteria find entry points in the body to cause infection? This question is fundamental for infectious disease experts and people who study bacteria.

21 Aug 2024

Harnessing the Power of Gut Bacteria to Combat Drug Resistance

There are approximately 100 trillion microbes in the human gut on average, and many of them are always vying for scarce resources.

20 Aug 2024

Fungal Pathogen Behind Banana Wipeout Identified

The fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4) is the source of the disease Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), which is threatening to functionally wipe out the bananas in the supermarket and consumed as breakfast.

19 Aug 2024

New Insights into Cell Communication During Inflammation

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have made significant progress in understanding how cells communicate during inflammation.

16 Aug 2024

Flavivirus Hijacks Importin-7 for Nuclear Transport and Replication

Viruses of the family Flaviviridae, including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Tick-borne encephalitis virus, are significant arthropod-borne pathogens.

15 Aug 2024

Cyclo(L-Pro-L-Tyr): A Promising Tyrosinase Inhibitor Derived from Skin Bacteria

Melanin protects the skin-;the body's largest organ and a vital component of the immune system-;from the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

6 Aug 2024

Geographic Origin Plays Key Role in Tuberculosis Infection, Harvard Study Finds

For some forms of tuberculosis, the chances that an exposed person will get infected depend on whether the individual and the bacteria share a hometown, according to a new study comparing how different strains move through mixed populations in cosmopolitan cities.

2 Aug 2024

Gut Microbiome Influences Cancer Risk Through Carcinogen Metabolism

At any given time, over 10 trillion microbes call our guts their home. From breaking down nutrients in our food to strengthening our immunity against pathogens, these microbes play an essential role in how we interact with the world.

1 Aug 2024

IL-22BP Protein's Influence on Gut Microbiota and Infection Response Revealed

A study reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows how the presence of a specific protein called IL-22BP affects the composition of the gut microbiota and the body's response to bacterial infection.

30 Jul 2024

New Study Reveals Microbial Succession Patterns in Shibazuke Fermentation Process

Shibazuke is a traditional Japanese eggplant pickle produced by the process of fermentation using lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

29 Jul 2024

Researchers Discover Link Between Neolithic Farming and Brucellosis

Scientists believe the bacterial infection brucellosis, which affects millions of people every year and causes significant harm to the welfare of livestock, may have evolved along with the development of farming. They came to this conclusion after performing analyses of ancient DNA extracted from an 8,000-year-old sheep bone, in which the Brucella melitensis pathogen was detected.

29 Jul 2024