Microbiology

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Researchers Uncover Role of OpgH in Bacterial Cell Shape

In what they labeled a "surprising" finding, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial cell's "envelope" or enclosure is key to its survival, the finding could advance the search for new and better antibiotics.

16 Aug 2024

Flavivirus Hijacks Importin-7 for Nuclear Transport and Replication

Viruses of the family Flaviviridae, including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Tick-borne encephalitis virus, are significant arthropod-borne pathogens.

15 Aug 2024

A Breakthrough in the Synthesis of Potent Bioactive Molecules

There are many chemical compounds with amazing medical capabilities found in the natural world. One famous example is penicillin, which was unintentionally found in the Penicillium mold. This discovery demonstrated the potential of natural substances in medicine and transformed the treatment of bacterial illnesses.

12 Aug 2024

Microbes Shape the Taste of France's PDO Cheeses

Around 46 regional cheeses in France are designated as having protected designation of origin (PDO) status. The terroirs, or diverse regional landscapes, of France influence the microbiological diversity of PDO cheeses, creating their distinct flavors.

12 Aug 2024

Bacterial Defense Mechanism Revealed Through RNA-Derived Gene Synthesis

Researchers have uncovered a surprising way bacteria defend themselves: when a bacterium is infected, bacterial enzymes that copy genetic information from RNA into DNA synthesize genes whose protein products help shut down cell growth.

12 Aug 2024

Discovery of Largest Protein Sheds Light on Toxin Production in Marine Algae

While seeking to unravel how marine algae create their chemically complex toxins, scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography have discovered the largest protein yet identified in biology.

12 Aug 2024

Discovery of Free-Floating Genes in Bacteria Challenges Genetic Code Assumptions

Since the genetic code was first deciphered in the 1960s, our genes seemed like an open book. By reading and decoding our chromosomes as linear strings of letters, like sentences in a novel, we can identify the genes in our genome and learn why changes in a gene's code affect health.

12 Aug 2024

Scientists Develop AI-Powered Tool to Optimize Gene Delivery

Gene therapy could potentially cure genetic diseases but it remains a challenge to package and deliver new genes to specific cells safely and effectively. Existing methods of engineering one of the most commonly used gene-delivery vehicles, adeno-associated viruses (AAV), are often slow and inefficient.

9 Aug 2024

Study Reveals 70 Million Years of Host-Parasite Genetic Arms Race

Hosts and their parasites are in constant competition. Through genetic diversity, the host can change in such a way that infection is no longer possible.

8 Aug 2024

Genetic Analysis of Potato and Phytophthora infestans During and After the Irish Potato Famine

In an examination of the genetic material found in historic potato leaves, North Carolina State University researchers reveal more about the tit-for-tat evolutionary changes occurring in both potato plants and the pathogen that caused the 1840s Irish potato famine.

6 Aug 2024

Cyclo(L-Pro-L-Tyr): A Promising Tyrosinase Inhibitor Derived from Skin Bacteria

Melanin protects the skin-;the body's largest organ and a vital component of the immune system-;from the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

6 Aug 2024

Megamonas Bacteria Identified as Potential Obesity Culprit

A recent study from Cell Host & Microbe identifies Megamonas as a possible bacteria linked to obesity based on a large-scale cohort of obese Chinese people. This study demonstrates how the bacterium increases lipid absorption, breaks down intestinal myo-inositol, and causes obesity, which may lead to future approaches for managing obesity.

5 Aug 2024

Researchers Uncover How Phage Infection Dynamics Affect Viral Entry at Single-Cell Level

The process by which phages-;viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria-;enter cells has been studied for over 50 years.

5 Aug 2024

Multispecies Transmission of Avian Flu Virus Includes Dairy Cattle, Cats, and Raccoons

A viral spillover of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus belonging to the hemagglutinin 5 neuraminidase 1 (H5N1) 2.3.4.4b clade among herds of dairy cattle.

5 Aug 2024

Geographic Origin Plays Key Role in Tuberculosis Infection, Harvard Study Finds

For some forms of tuberculosis, the chances that an exposed person will get infected depend on whether the individual and the bacteria share a hometown, according to a new study comparing how different strains move through mixed populations in cosmopolitan cities.

2 Aug 2024