Microbiology

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Scientific experts discuss the definition of fermented foods and beverages

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics has brought together a group of experts to address the state of knowledge on fermented foods.

8 Jan 2021

Disease-induced microbial shifts indicate new management strategies for crops

While humans are facing the raging COVID-19 pandemic, the citrus industry is attempting to control its own pernicious disease, Huanglongbing (HLB), which is also called citrus greening disease.

8 Jan 2021

Study may lead to new treatments for autoimmune diseases

According to a research team, headed by Decio L. Eizirik, MD, PhD, a Scientific Director from the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute Diabetes Center, new treatments for autoimmune disorders can be identified by studying both target tissues and the immune system together.

7 Jan 2021

Study explores why Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections are so dangerous

E. coli food poisoning is one of the worst food poisonings, causing bloody diarrhea and kidney damage. But all the carnage might be just an unintended side effect, researchers from UConn Health report in the 27 November issue of Science Immunology. Their findings might lead to more effective treatments for this potentially deadly disease.

7 Jan 2021

Microbe found in the colon may promote breast cancers

A microbe found in the colon and commonly associated with the development of colitis and colon cancer also may play a role in the development of some breast cancers, according to new research from investigators with the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

7 Jan 2021

Bacteriophage can play important role in microbial control

Crop plants and animals can be infected by bacterial pathogens that reduce yield, cause food wastage, and carry human pathogens that spread disease on consumption.

5 Jan 2021

Scientists modify toxic pesticide to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A significant class of heterocyclic compounds, called N-Aryl-C-nitroazoles, is used as fungicides and pesticides. But these substances could be harmful to human beings and cause mutations.

4 Jan 2021

Research highlights how bacteria can work together to improve plant growth

Certain bacteria, known as plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), can improve plant health or protect them from pathogens and are used commercially to help crops. To further improve agricultural yields, it is helpful to identify factors that can improve PGPB behavior.

29 Dec 2020

Gut cells raise alarm during parasite invasion

To effectively combat an infection, the body first has to sense it's been invaded, then the affected tissue must send out signals to corral resources to fight the intruder.

29 Dec 2020

Scientists discover new class of compounds for combating antimicrobial resistance

Wistar Institute scientists have discovered a new class of compounds that uniquely combine direct antibiotic killing of pan drug-resistant bacterial pathogens with a simultaneous rapid immune response for combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These finding were published today in Nature.

24 Dec 2020

Scientists identify new weapon to fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

As scientists around the globe wage war against a novel, deadly virus, one University of Colorado Boulder lab is working on new weapons to battle a different microbial threat: a rising tide of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which, if left unchecked, could kill an estimated 10 million people annually by 2050.

24 Dec 2020

Study reveals lower transfer of protective SARS-CoV-2 antibodies via the placenta

Recent analyses indicate that pregnant women and newborns may face elevated risks of developing more severe cases of COVID-19 following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

24 Dec 2020

Researchers use different colors of light to control gut bacteria genes

Baylor College of Medicine researcher Meng Wang had already shown that bacteria that make a metabolite called colanic acid (CA) could extend the lifespan of worms in her lab by as much as 50%, but her collaboration with Rice University synthetic biologist Jeffrey Tabor is providing tools to answer the bigger question of how the metabolite imparts longer life.

23 Dec 2020

Inhaling wildfire smoke's microbial content can increase risk of infection

Wildfire smoke contains microbes, a fact that's often ignored, but one that may have important health repercussions.

From The University of California, Davis 21 Dec 2020

Researchers investigate microbiome-mediated therapies for aging and health span

Texas Biomedical Research Institute Associate Professor Corinna Ross, PhD, is a principal investigator on a $3.38 million National Institutes of Health multi-investigator grant to study "microbiome-mediated therapies for aging and healthspan" in marmosets, which are small monkeys native to South America and are becoming increasingly more important in aging and infectious disease research.

18 Dec 2020