Microbiology

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How Dying Bacteria Protect the Colony From Antibiotics

Bacteria can fight against antibiotics via an enzyme produced by dying cells.

17 Jul 2026

Sweeteners Shown to Slow Growth of Important Gut Bacteria in Lab Tests

Cambridge researchers have shown how commonly-used sweeteners slow the growth of certain gut bacteria.

16 Jul 2026

Why Rare E. coli Genes Rarely Create New Metabolic Functions

A study reveals that rare E. coli genes mainly reshape existing metabolic reactions, highlighting genetic diversity without expanding biochemical pathways.

16 Jul 2026

Fungal Resistance Requires Healthy Genetic Traits and Intact Natural Landscapes

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that a frog's resistance to a fungus that has decimated hundreds of amphibian species worldwide is due not only to its genes, but also to the beneficial bacteria living on its skin and to the organization of its surrounding landscape.

16 Jul 2026

Superbug Discovery Overturns Long-Held Public Health Beliefs

A new study published in Nature Communications reveals a hidden source of antibiotic resistance, providing an early warning sign for researchers and public health officials.

16 Jul 2026

UC Riverside Identifies How Tick Borne Viruses Evade Immunity

A study led by a University of California, Riverside biomedical scientist shows how a family of tick-borne viruses known as orthonairoviruses can evade immune defenses, offering important insights into emerging infectious disease threats and the potential pandemic risk posed by these viruses.

15 Jul 2026

New Microbiome Study Reveals Natural Defense Mechanism Restricting Candida Albicans

A metabolic byproduct formed when gut bacteria break down dietary fiber appears to protect against dangerous fungal infections common in immunocompromised patients, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows.

15 Jul 2026

Xiaowan Reservoir Study Shows Stable Functions Despite Microbial Community Shifts

Microbial communities in large reservoirs may change markedly from year to year, yet the essential processes they perform can remain surprisingly stable.

15 Jul 2026

Gut Bacteria Metabolites Successfully Boost Immune Response to Melanoma Tumors

A new study from a team including University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers is the first to show metabolites produced by certain bacteria in the gut can positively impact the body's immune response to cancer.

15 Jul 2026

Genetically Stable Bacteriophages Open New Frontiers for Fighting Crop Disease

Researchers have discovered that a group of viruses known to infect an agriculturally important plant pathogen has remained genetically stable for an astonishing four decades.

14 Jul 2026

Intermicrobial Antagonism Controls Essential Bacteria Populations in Human Guts

Mougous, John F. Enders Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), studies bacterial warfare, or how different microbes defend their ecological niches against other species.

14 Jul 2026

GLP-1 Drugs Show Promise Against Long COVID-Related Lung Scarring

GLP-1 agonists have gained widespread use for managing weight loss and type 2 diabetes, with recent research indicating additional health advantages.

13 Jul 2026

Next-Generation Biosensing Shows How Bacteriophages Revolutionize Bacterial Disease Detection

Pathogenic bacteria remain a persistent threat to public health, food supplies, and water systems, particularly as antimicrobial resistance makes infections increasingly difficult to treat.

11 Jul 2026

Winery Waste Becomes Stable Squalane for Greener Cosmetics

Researchers developed an eco-friendly workflow to recover squalene from wine lees using ultrasound-assisted extraction and convert it into more stable squalane using clay-supported palladium catalysts. The upcycled squalane showed improved oxidative stability and enhanced quercetin transport across an artificial membrane, supporting its potential as a sustainable cosmetic excipient.

9 Jul 2026

Using Bacteriophages to Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease

A research team at McMaster University has developed a targeted approach to treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using bacteriophages, viruses that infect specific bacteria, to disarm harmful microbes without disrupting the broader gut ecosystem.

9 Jul 2026

Gut Microbiome Signatures Correlate With Clinical Efficacy in Immunotherapy Outcomes

Cancer remains notoriously difficult to treat, partly because tumors co‑opt their surrounding environment, including the resident microbiota, to evade immune surveillance and resist conventional therapies.

9 Jul 2026

Two Antibiotics Outperform Single Drugs Against P. aeruginosa

Findings indicate that combining meropenem with ceftolozane-tazobactam significantly improves treatment outcomes against resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

8 Jul 2026

Dying Bacterial Communities Eject Cells Just Like Sci-Fi Escape Pods

Popular science fiction is no stranger to escape pod scenarios, typically featuring characters who narrowly avoid their demise by jettisoning from a spaceship - think R2-D2 and C-3PO shooting away from a rebel spaceship in the opening of Star Wars: A New Hope.

7 Jul 2026