Pathogen News and Research

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Unveiling How a Respiratory Bacterium Obtains Lipids and Targets Fatty Tissues

A multidisciplinary team has uncovered a key mechanism that allows the human bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae-responsible for atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections-to obtain cholesterol and other essential lipids directly from the human body.

16 Jan 2026

Giant Virus with A Massive Genome and Unusual Infection Strategy

Ushikuvirus, a newly identified giant virus, showcases unique cytopathic effects and structural features, enhancing knowledge of viral evolution and diversity.

14 Jan 2026

New Technique Measures How Effectively Antibiotics Kill Bacteria

Drugs that act against bacteria are mainly assessed based on how well they inhibit bacterial growth under laboratory conditions.

12 Jan 2026

USU Researchers Discover CRISPR Cas12a3's Potential for Viral Protein Inhibition

Across all domains of life, immune defenses foil invading viruses by making it impossible for the viruses to replicate. Most known CRISPR systems target invading pathogens' DNA and chop it up to disable and modify genes, heading off infections at the (cellular) pass.

8 Jan 2026

Single-Donor Lung-on-Chip Enables Personalized TB Research

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and AlveoliX have developed the first human 'lung-on-chip' model using stem cells taken from only one person.

2 Jan 2026

Loss of Vitamin C Synthesis Protects Animals From Schistosomiasis

Researchers at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have found an advantage to vitamin C deficiency: defense against a significant parasitic disease.

31 Dec 2025

Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Crisis Threatening Modern Medicine's Future

Once a medical miracle, antibiotics are now losing their power. Across the world, common infections are becoming harder-and sometimes impossible-to treat. This new review paints a sobering picture of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR), tracing how bacteria and fungi are evolving faster than medicine can respond.

24 Dec 2025

Researchers Map Gene Activation in Lethal Fungal Outbreaks

Scientists have discovered a genetic process which could unlock new ways to treat mysterious and deadly fungal infection which has shut down multiple hospital intensive care units.

22 Dec 2025

Unlocking the Salutogenic Potential of Microbes

Viruses and bacteria get a bad rap around the world but now Flinders University experts are identifying the positive 'upside' of powerful benefits that microbes have on human health.

18 Dec 2025

Four Hour UTI Test Outperforms Hospital Cultures on Speed and Accuracy

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11 Dec 2025

New Label-Free Breakthrough for Studying Bacterial Shape Diversity

Scientists have long known that bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but understanding what those differences mean has remained a major challenge, especially for species that can't be grown in the lab.

2 Dec 2025

CRISPR Technologies Transform On-Site Detection of Animal Pathogens

The rapid spread of animal diseases and pathogen evolution have long posed significant threats to the healthy development of animal husbandry.

28 Nov 2025

Biotin Competition in the Nasal Cavity

Research reveals biotin competition in the nasal cavity affects Staphylococcus aureus growth, highlighting potential strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.

26 Nov 2025

Scientists Build a Genetic Map to Predict Bacterial Resistance Mechanisms

The bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a haunting presence in many hospitals in the United States, where more than one in 100 patients are treated for A. baumannii infections.

10 Nov 2025

New Genomic Method Unlocks Diagnoses for Rare Conditions

A new genomic method has enabled multiple people with rare conditions to receive diagnoses that were previously unattainable by identifying complex structural genetic changes that are often missed by standard tests.

4 Nov 2025

Researchers Discover Novel Clubroot Resistance Gene Crr5 in Chinese Cabbage

Clubroot disease, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is a devastating soil-borne pathogen that severely threatens global production of cruciferous crops.

28 Oct 2025

Discovery of Hidden Antibiotic Offers Hope in the Fight Against Superbugs

Chemists from the University of Warwick and Monash University have discovered a promising new antibiotic that shows activity against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, including MRSA and VRE.

28 Oct 2025

Study Reveals How TR4 Fungus Silences Banana Defense Genes

Bananas rank among the world's most valuable staple crops, yet their production faces severe losses from Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4).

24 Oct 2025

RNA-Based Molecular Switch Enhances Disease Resistance in Pears

In recent years, scientists have uncovered the remarkable regulatory power of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) - RNA molecules once dismissed as "genetic dark matter."

24 Oct 2025

Synthetic Biology Unlocks New Ways to Engineer Plant–Microbe Interactions

By integrating engineering principles with plant biology, this review highlights how redesigned genetic pathways and plant-based biosensors can deepen understanding of plant responses to both harmful and beneficial microbes.

17 Oct 2025