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Human monoclonal antibodies can act as biological substitute for chemical antibiotics

In the course of a new and groundbreaking study, led by Dr, Natalia Freund and the doctoral candidate Avia Waston at the Sackler Medical Faculty, the research group succeeded in isolating monoclonal antibodies, which hindered the growth of tuberculosis germs in laboratory mice.

23 Feb 2021

Hidden genes in bacteriophages may be key to the development of new antibiotics

A study from the Center for Phage Technology, part of Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, shows how the "hidden" genes in bacteriophages -- types of viruses that infect and destroy bacteria -- may be key to the development of a new class of antibiotics for human health.

8 Feb 2021

Researchers study the formation of reinforced, patterned cell walls during proto-xylem development

Trees are by far the tallest organisms on Earth. Height growth is made possible by a specialized vascular system that conducts water from the roots to the leaves with high efficiency, while simultaneously providing stability.

3 Feb 2021

Scientists discover new class of compounds for combating antimicrobial resistance

Wistar Institute scientists have discovered a new class of compounds that uniquely combine direct antibiotic killing of pan drug-resistant bacterial pathogens with a simultaneous rapid immune response for combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These finding were published today in Nature.

24 Dec 2020

Vibrational motions of spike proteins correlate with infectivity, lethality of SARS-CoV-2 virus

When someone struggles to open a lock with a key that doesn't quite seem to work, sometimes jiggling the key a bit will help. Now, new research from MIT suggests that coronaviruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, may use a similar method to trick cells into letting the viruses inside.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 20 Nov 2020

Researcher creates “leaf profile” of components involved in CO2 journey

During the process of photosynthesis, leaves trap the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it into organic compounds.

4 Nov 2020

Scientists discern molecular mechanisms underlying plant parasitism and cross-species grafting

Using the model Orobanchaceae parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum, scientists from Nagoya University and other research institutes from Japan have discerned the molecular mechanisms underlying plant parasitism and cross-species grafting, pinpointing enzyme β-1,4-glucanase (GH9B3) as an important contributor to both phenomena.

12 Oct 2020

Gut bacterium is linked to increased risk of stomach cancer

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is linked to increased risk of stomach cancer, and is genetically highly variable. A new study by researchers of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich explores the role played by this diversity in the early phase of infection in adult humans.

3 Sep 2020

Metastatic cancer cells reshape, destroy or integrate into blood vessels

In laboratory studies, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins University researchers observed a key step in how cancer cells may spread from a primary tumor to a distant site within the body, a process known as metastasis.

2 Sep 2020

Researchers uncover a novel biochemical mechanism fundamental to plant life

University of Adelaide researchers as part of a multidisciplinary, international team, have uncovered a new biochemical mechanism fundamental to plant life.

19 Aug 2020

Scientists discover bacteria's secret weapon to evade immune responses

Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute scientists have discovered a previously unknown method used by bacteria to evade immune responses.

18 Aug 2020

Light impulses can be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants

Optogenetics denotes the manipulation of cellular processes by light-based biological techniques. An international research team led by the Würzburg plant scientists Rainer Hedrich, Georg Nagel and Dirk Becker has succeeded in applying this method to higher plants: Light impulses can now be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants.

11 Aug 2020

Synthetic peptide makes multidrug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a synthetic peptide that can make multidrug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics again when used together with traditional antibiotics, offering hope for the prospect of a combination treatment strategy to tackle certain antibiotic-tolerant infections.

7 Aug 2020

Study shows genetic mutations allow MRSA to develop antibiotic resistance

Researchers have discovered that genetic mutations that occur in MRSA enable it to evolve and turn out to be more resistant to antibiotics like penicillin.

27 Jul 2020

New technology can speed up drug development for tuberculosis

A novel technology that integrates machine learning and high-throughput imaging could accelerate drug discovery to fight tuberculosis (TB).

27 Jul 2020

Study shows flotillin proteins have direct influence on cell membrane structure

Similar to all cells, bacteria have a membrane that protects them from the outside just like skin.

20 Jul 2020

Early exposure to vaccine-derived antigens can have dramatic effect on antibody diversity

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have added fresh evidence that early exposure to vaccine-, bacterial- or microbiota-derived antigens has a dramatic effect on the diversity of antibodies an adult mammal will have to fight future infections by pathogens.

14 Jul 2020