Microbiology

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Gut microbiome’s influence on how lifestyle affects dementia risk

A recent Baycrest study points to the possibility that the gut microbiome influences how nutrition and exercise impact brain health and dementia risk. Physicians and researchers could be able to improve dementia prevention efforts with the use of this knowledge.

13 Oct 2022

New technique identifies tumor-associated microbes

Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health investigated the microbiome of pancreatic tumors and discovered certain microbes linked to inflammation and poor survival.

From Rutgers University 12 Oct 2022

Discovery and characterization of a new antifungal compound

Antimicrobial resistance has prompted scientists to search for novel compounds everywhere. A multinational group of European scientists reports the discovery of solanimycin, a novel antifungal antibiotic.

12 Oct 2022

The role of bacteria in preserving marine phytoplankton

Heterotrophic bacteria, according to a study from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), may be to blame for the phytoplankton’s continued survival.

10 Oct 2022

Spores integrate environmental signals over time

When exposed to starvation and stress, certain bacteria enter a dormant state in which life functions cease. These cells, known as spores, can resist punishing extremes of heat, pressure, and even the extreme conditions of outer space by entering a profound hibernation.

7 Oct 2022

Microbiome manipulation to prevent and cure diseases

Tagbo Niepa, assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, is inspired by this possibility in his research. His work on using the microbiome to enhance human health was recognized with a $2 million New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health, which funds “exceptionally creative scientists proposing high-risk, high-impact research.”

From University of Pittsburgh 5 Oct 2022

Marine phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria may have an inseparable close relationship

A phytoplankton almost as old as Earth -; about 3 billion years compared to the planet's 4.5 billion years -; still holds secrets, including how it can survive starvation in the most nutrient-deficient oceans.

3 Oct 2022

Newly isolated Bacteroides likely to be present in mammals beyond mice

In the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1182 “Origin and Function of Metaorganisms,” scientists from Kiel University and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön (MPI-EB) are investigating the evolutionary history and function of Bacteroides.

From The Max Planck Institute 30 Sep 2022

Crucial steps taken to produce sustainable chemicals in living microfactories

Professor Stefan Mecking from the University of Konstanz’s Department of Chemistry and Doctoral Candidate Natalie Schunck have now discovered a means to significantly increase the efficiency of the process of upgrading sustainable raw materials.

30 Sep 2022

Highly effective and safe Zika vaccine technology

Scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered a Zika vaccine technology that is very safe and effective in preclinical mouse models.

29 Sep 2022

Fungus can be used for biological control of banana borers and Fusarium wilt

The banana borer Cosmopolites sordidus and the disease Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum, are among the most harmful pests that threaten the livelihoods of banana growers, who face major challenges in attempting to control them.

29 Sep 2022

Cryo-EM solves the decades-old mystery of bacterial movement

Scientists from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and their colleagues have discovered a decades-old mystery regarding how E. coli and other bacteria move.

28 Sep 2022

The exchange of nutrients between the mother and fetus mirrored by ‘placenta-on-a-chip’

Plasmodium falciparum infections can result in placental malaria, which can have serious consequences for both mother and child. Nearly 200,000 newborn fatalities annually from placental malaria, primarily as a result of low birth weight, as well as 10,000 maternal deaths.

27 Sep 2022

The master regulator behind the fungal infection of wheat identified

The most damaging fungal disease of wheat farmed in temperate regions worldwide, Septoria tritici blotch, is brought on by the fungus Zymoseptoria tritici.

From University of Exeter 27 Sep 2022

Tiny DNA strand net in a low-cost test platform traps COVID-19 virus

According to a new study, tiny nets made of DNA strands can capture the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, illuminating it for a quick yet accurate diagnostic test and preventing it from infecting cells, suggesting a new potential path to antiviral treatment.

26 Sep 2022

Carp virus provides significant insights into immunology

In an article published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, the team led by Prof. Alain Vanderplasschen, a virologist and immunologist at the University of Liège, describes 10 years of research on how a carp virus uses a protein domain called Zalpha (Zα) to inhibit the host cell’s defense mechanisms.

26 Sep 2022

Novel means to prevent and treat gonorrhea

According to scientists from the Georgia State University’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences, producing a mutation that impedes the way the bacterial pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae transmits gonorrhea might provide a novel means to prevent and treat the disease.

26 Sep 2022

Study shows how gut bacteria feed on carbohydrate attached to plant proteins

A carbohydrate commonly found attached to plant proteins is a food source for the bacteria in our gut, new research suggests.

23 Sep 2022

New imaging technologies to evade immune responses of Candida albicans

Researchers from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute have demonstrated how the common fungus Candida albicans evades immune responses using newly discovered imaging technologies. The researchers claim that this involves a fungus that can shape-shift in an “alien-like” manner to escape immune cells.

21 Sep 2022

Soil viruses contribute auxiliary functions to their hosts

There are billions of fungi, bacteria, and viruses, in a handful of soil, all working to support the cycle of life. Comprehending the interaction of these microbes with one another aids researchers evaluate soil carbon and nutrient cycling, soil health, and also the means through which dead insects decompose.

21 Sep 2022