Microbiology

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Isoflavone diet plus metabolizing gut bacteria may provide protection against MS

A new University of Iowa study suggests that metabolism of plant-based dietary substances by specific gut bacteria, which are lacking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), may provide protection against the disease.

14 Jul 2021

Study reveals the relationship between gut microbiome and neurodegenerative disorders

Eran Blacher bagged the NOSTER & Science Microbiome Prize 2021 for his work in highlighting the relationship between the microbiome and neurodegenerative diseases.

12 Jul 2021

Emerging variants of COVID-19 could be treated with a new anticoagulant drug

The capacity of the COVID-19 virus’s spikes to bind to human cells may be hampered by molecules from the same family as the anticoagulant medication heparin.

9 Jul 2021

Research reveals how plants allocate resources to their microbial partners

"Equal pay for equal work," a motto touted by many people, turns out to be relevant to the plant world as well. According to new research by Stanford University ecologists, plants allocate resources to their microbial partners in proportion to how much they benefit from that partnership.

8 Jul 2021

Study on memory T cells of COVID-19 convalescent patients could power effective vaccine strategies

Researchers have discovered that a majority of the COVID-19 convalescent patients develop and maintain T cell memory for more than 10 months.

7 Jul 2021

Combating drug-resistant pathogens using genetically modified immune cells

As part of the drive to support junior research groups in research into infectious diseases, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is to provide 2,162,188 euros in funding from 2021 to 2026 for the research project 'AGEnTS - Genetic Engineering of T-cells for Treating Infectious Diseases' at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).

7 Jul 2021

Study reveals connection between aboveground light and belowground microbial conditions

Land plants - plants that live primarily in terrestrial habitats and form vegetation on earth - are anchored to the ground through their roots, and their performance depends on both the belowground soil conditions and the aboveground climate.

6 Jul 2021

Microbes from cow’s rumen could be a sustainable means of plastic reduction

Researchers discovered that bacteria present in cow’s rumen could digest materials like plastic, which is especially tough to break down.

6 Jul 2021

Two new studies reveal the power of microbiome in plants

Hundreds of different bacterial species live in and on leaves and roots of plants. A research team led by Julia Vorholt from the Institute of Microbiology at ETH Zurich, together with colleagues in Germany, first inventoried and categorized these bacteria six years ago.

2 Jul 2021

Mutations on SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins create antibody-resistant variants

Researchers have identified how mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein separately create variants that are potentially resistant to antibodies.

1 Jul 2021

New MRSA superbug tactic could boost vaccine development

A new study has discovered a novel tactic used by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus to resist the immune response, boosting hopes that a vaccine to prevent lethal MRSA infections is closer than previously thought.

25 Jun 2021

Epstein-Barr virus reactivation likely to blame for long COVID symptoms

Long COVID symptoms, such as weariness, brain fog, and rashes, may be caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation because of the inflammatory response to coronavirus infection, which occurs in about 30% of individuals following recovery from initial COVID-19 infection.

25 Jun 2021

New nanobodies could fight against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Looking for a new strategy in the long-running battle against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers have developed nanobodies.

23 Jun 2021

Fluorescence microscopy and deep learning predict viral infections

Researchers have now used fluorescence images from live cells to train an artificial neural network to reliably detect cells that are infected by herpes viruses.

22 Jun 2021

Scientists explore the human gut to combat SARS-CoV-2 virus

Scientists have discovered that some commensal bacteria residing in the human gut release compounds that suppress the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

21 Jun 2021

New technique boosts the efficacy of future malaria vaccines

A new technique for obtaining pure malaria parasites from infected mosquitos could speed up the development of novel, more powerful malaria vaccinations.

21 Jun 2021

A new treatment approach against SARS-CoV-2

Scientists have come up with a new method to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection by fixing the cell damage instead of fighting the virus directly.

21 Jun 2021

Study finds link between reduced microbial stability and soil carbon loss

Researchers have recently identified a relationship between reduced microbial stability and soil carbon loss in the active layer of deteriorated alpine permafrost.

18 Jun 2021

Diesel-polluted soil can be remediated using soil bacteria

Diesel-polluted soil from now defunct military outposts in Greenland can be remediated using naturally occurring soil bacteria according to an extensive five-year experiment in Mestersvig, East Greenland, to which the University of Copenhagen has contributed.

17 Jun 2021

New packaging film can keep strawberries fresh for up to 12 days

Québec produces more strawberries than any other Canadian province. Strawberries are delicate and difficult to keep fresh. In response to this challenge, Monique Lacroix, a professor at at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), and her team have developed a packaging film that can keep strawberries fresh for up to 12 days.

16 Jun 2021