Microbiology News and Research

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How Bacteria Take Action to Break Out of Dormancy

Solving a riddle that has confounded biologists since bacterial spores -; inert, sleeping bacteria -; were first described more than 150 years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered a new kind of cellular sensor that allows spores to detect the presence of nutrients in their environment and quickly spring back to life.

2 May 2023

The Pivotal Role of Combinatorial CRISPR Gene Editing in the Elimination of HIV-1 Infection

Recent research from Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center demonstrates that gene-editing therapy aimed at two targets - HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS, and CCR5, the co-receptor that aids the virus getting into cells—can effectively eliminate HIV infection.

2 May 2023

Previously Unknown Group of Bacteria Plays Key Role in the Ocean's Energy Cycle

A team of international researchers led by Federico Baltar of the University of Vienna and José M González of the University of La Laguna has identified a previously unknown group of bacteria, called UBA868, as key players in the energy cycle of the deep ocean.

26 Apr 2023

Antibacterial Biologic Agent Effective Against Staphylococcus Aureus Infections in Early Tests

Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Janssen Biotech, Inc. have shown in early tests that a bioengineered drug candidate can counter infection with Staphylococcus aureus – a bacterial species widely resistant to antibiotics and a major cause of death in hospitalized patients.

25 Apr 2023

Cellophane Bees Found to be Brew Masters of the Insect World

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have made a remarkable discovery about cellophane bees – their microbiomes are some of the most fermentative known from the insect world.

21 Apr 2023

Quebec Scientists Isolate Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Virus from Hospital Air Samples

Quebec scientists have succeeded in isolating infectious particles of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from air samples collected from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients and kept frozen for more than a year, a new study shows.

20 Apr 2023

Ambrosia Beetles can Distinguish Between Different Species of Fungi by Their Scents

Certain ambrosia beetles species engage in active agriculture. As social communities, they breed and care for food fungi in the wood of trees and ensure that so-called weed fungi spread less.

17 Apr 2023

Research Identifies Protective Drugs that may Lessen the Collateral Damage Caused by Antibiotics

Antibiotics help to fight bacterial infections, but they can also harm the helpful microbes living in the gut, which can have long-lasting health consequences.

17 Apr 2023

Study Tracks How the Gut Microbiota Changes During First Three Months of Life

Details of how the gut microbiota changes during the first three months of life will be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark (15-18 April).

17 Apr 2023

40% of Supermarket Meat Samples Contain Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Multidrug-resistant E. coli were found in 40% of supermarket meat samples tested in a Spanish study.

17 Apr 2023

Rapid Metagenomics: A Powerful Tool for the Diagnosis of Pathogenic Organisms

According to recent research presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark, metagenomic sequencing can also provide quick and actionable antimicrobial resistance predictions to treat bloodstream infections much faster than traditional laboratory tests and has the potential to save lives and help manage antibiotic use (15–18 April 2023).

17 Apr 2023

Microbial Drought Resistance Could Result in Soil Carbon Losses

Soil stores more carbon than plants and the atmosphere combined, and soil microbes are largely responsible for putting it there.

13 Apr 2023

Exceptional Number of Unknown Viruses Found in the Infants' Feces

Viruses are usually associated with illness. But our bodies are full of both bacteria and viruses that constantly proliferate and interact with each other in our gastrointestinal tract.

12 Apr 2023

Trinity Scientists Discover New Mechanisms Involved in Establishing Cellular Identity

A team of scientists led by those in Trinity College Dublin has discovered new mechanisms involved in establishing cellular identity, a process that ensures the billions of different cells in our bodies do the correct job.

10 Apr 2023

Viruses Interact with a Far More Diverse Set of Hosts than was Previously Thought

Viruses are the most abundant and diverse biological entities on Earth, living in every type of habitat. In the ocean alone viruses are ten times more abundant than microbes.

7 Apr 2023

Evolutionary Encounter of Two Protein Components Could Occur Entirely by Chance

Proteins are the key players for virtually all molecular processes within the cell. To fulfil their diverse functions, they have to interact with other proteins.

7 Apr 2023

The “Hangry” Stage of Bacteria Cells

The word “hangry” describes individuals who become angry due to hunger. According to a recent study by Adam Rosenthal, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology and immunology, some bacteria cells experience hangry and release toxic substances into the body when they are denied certain nutrients.

5 Apr 2023