Microbiology News and Research

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Researchers Create DNA Editing Technique to Improve Lactobacillus Strains

A Kobe University team was able to edit the DNA of Lactobacillus strains directly without a template from other organisms.

24 Apr 2025

Cyber Vulnerabilities in Next-Gen DNA Sequencing

Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS), a technology driving personalized medicine, cancer diagnosis, infectious disease tracking, and genetic research, is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

17 Apr 2025

New Antibiotic Compound Matches Current Treatment for MRSA

The development of new antibiotics to treat superbugs and other bacterial infections is a global priority, with the rate of infections that cannot be treated with current antibiotics rising and presenting one of the biggest threats to human health.

15 Apr 2025

Spinning Into Resistance: The Flagella’s Hidden Role

A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that bacterial movement plays a central role in the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. The research team discovered that the rotation of flagella in Bacillus subtilis acts as a mechanical signal that activates key conjugation genes.

8 Apr 2025

New Compound Fights Superbug Gonorrhea via Toxin-Antitoxin System

In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently raised alarms regarding the rise of antibiotic-resistant microbes.

3 Apr 2025

Novel Protein Analysis Technique Offers Fresh Insights into Immune System Disorders

A study conducted by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University has revealed a novel mechanism by which proteins can be modified within cells. This finding may have significant implications for the understanding of immune system functionality.

1 Apr 2025

Novel Synthetic Antibiotics Against Drug-Resistant Pathogens

Frogs have flourished for hundreds of millions of years, occupying nearly every habitat on Earth, from tropical rainforests to subarctic woodlands.

26 Mar 2025

How Drug-Resistant Bacteria Use Antimicrobial Tools to Outcompete Others

A drug-resistant type of bacteria that has adapted to health care settings evolved in the past several years to weaponize an antimicrobial genetic tool, eliminating its cousins and replacing them as the dominate strain.

24 Mar 2025

Unraveling the Evolutionary Link to Eukaryotic Cells

A decade ago, the existence of Asgard archaea was unknown. However, in 2015, researchers analyzing deep-sea sediments uncovered gene fragments that suggested the presence of a new, previously unidentified group of microbes.

24 Mar 2025

Research Unveils Mechanism Behind Evolution of Organelles from Bacteria

Organelles in cells were originally often independent cells, which were incorporated by host cells and lost their independence in the course of evolution.

20 Mar 2025

Study Reveals How Tuberculosis Bacteria Survive Airborne Journey

Tuberculosis bacteria rely on a family of genes that help them survive the challenging journey from one person's lungs to another person's during coughing, sneezing or talking, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

12 Mar 2025

Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Play Key Role in Global Carbon Breakdown

Sulfate-reducing bacteria break down a large proportion of the organic carbon in oxygen-free zones of the Earth, and in the seabed in particular.

10 Mar 2025

$30 Million Grant Supports AI-Powered Antibody Therapy Development

An ambitious project led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators aims to use artificial intelligence technologies to generate antibody therapies against any antigen target of interest.

10 Mar 2025

Study Shows How Transposons Exploit Telomeres in Bacteria

Transposons, or "jumping genes" – DNA segments that can move from one part of the genome to another – are key to bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance.

8 Mar 2025

New CRISPR Method Enhances Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance in Wastewater

Antibiotic resistance is a global concern that threatens our ability to prevent and treat bacterial infections in humans and animals.

4 Mar 2025

Mapping Bacterial Responses to Reactive Nitrogen and Oxygen Species

A study in Microbiological Research explored the impact of varying ratios of Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) on pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

28 Feb 2025

Study Unveils Phage-Bacteria Dynamics in the Early Life Gut Microbiome

A world of microbes resides within the gut of every human being. This vast microbial community, the microbiome, which includes bacteria and viruses, has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to actively contribute to both health and disease.

26 Feb 2025

Researchers Develop Mycobacteria Strains with Kill Switches for Safer TB Vaccines

Working toward more effective tuberculosis (TB) vaccines, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have developed two strains of mycobacteria with "kill switches" that can be triggered to stop the bacteria after they activate an immune response.

26 Feb 2025

Dysfunctional Memory B Cells Identified as Key Cancer Therapy Target

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center scientists have discovered a novel subset of cancer-fighting immune cells that reside outside of their normal neighborhood – known as the tertiary lymphoid structure – where they become frustratingly dysfunctional when in close contact with tumors.

20 Feb 2025

Hospital Sink Drains: A Hidden Bacteria Hotspot Despite Cleaning

Researchers from Spain conducted a study on sink drains across various wards in a contemporary university hospital that follows advanced cleaning protocols.

17 Feb 2025