University researchers have found a naturally occurring compound, known as hydroquinine, has bacterial killing activity against several microorganisms.
Tag: Bacteria
NSF-funded engineering research to combat medical device infections
For her most recent project, “Mechanical Mechanisms of Biofilm Survival on Implant Surfaces,” Dr. Martha Grady, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kentucky, is the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.
Charlotte researchers part of NSF-supported center investigating ‘healthier’ buildings
Could the design of a hospital or a school affect the germs that can spread within it? UNC Charlotte bioinformatics professor Anthony Fodor is part of a team seeking to find out. He is among the group of researchers undertaking an effort to better understand and improve the microbial communities of where people live, work and play.
It’s Only Natural: Separation And Purification Of Rare-Earth Elements By Microorganisms
Using naturally occurring and engineered proteins and bacteria, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators will separate and purify rare-earth elements so they can be used in the defense sector.
With Roommates, It’s All About Chemistry, Molecularly Speaking
UC San Diego researchers describe how the microbiomes of people and the homes they live in interact and change each other.
Giant Bacteria Found in Guadeloupe Mangroves Challenge Traditional Concepts
In Science, researchers describe a “’macro’ microbe” – a giant filamentous bacterium composed of a single cell discovered in the mangroves of Guadeloupe. Using various microscopy techniques, the team also observed novel, membrane-bound compartments that contain DNA clusters dubbed “pepins.”
Low levels of high-risk salmonella evade traditional methods of detection
Poultry is responsible for more than one out of every five cases of salmonella infection in the U.S. But traditional methods of testing the chicken you grab off the grocery shelf may not be enough to detect all strains of the bacteria, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
Mystery mechanism in small peptide shows big promise for fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Using neutrons, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory pieced together the molecular mechanics behind a peptide’s ability to deal significant damage to bacterial cells. Their findings could inform new therapeutic strategies for treating bacterial infections where antibiotics have fallen short.
Combating Antibiotic Resistance
As bacterial infections impervious to drugs rise, so does the need to develop better antibiotics
Hand washing and sanitizing not enough: close that toilet lid after flushing!
Leaving toilet lids open after flushing can disperse contaminated droplets beyond a metre and remain in the air for 30 minutes. This is one of the findings revealed in a global review of the risks of bacterial and viral transmission in public bathrooms, undertaken by the ANU and University of South Australia.
New bacteria ID will help apple juice producers avoid spoilage
Apple juice lovers won’t be left with a bad taste, thanks to a new Cornell University study that identifies three new bacteria species, one of which fouls up the flavor.
What if just one airborne particle was enough to infect you?
For some diseases, people exposed to just a single airborne particle containing infectious virus, bacteria or fungi can be infected. When this happens, understanding and predicting airborne disease spread can be a whole lot easier. That’s the result of a new study by a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist who developed a new theory of airborne infectious disease spread.
Bacteria could learn to predict the future
Using computer simulations and a simple theoretical model, a new paper shows how bacteria could adapt to a fluctuating environment by learning its statistical regularities — for example, which nutrients tend to be correlated — and do so faster than evolutionary trial-and-error would normally allow.
Study: Dental implant surfaces play major role in tissue attachment, warding off unwanted bacteria
The surface of implants, as well as other medical devices, plays a significant role in the adsorption of oral proteins and the colonization by unwanted microorganisms (a process known as biofouling), according to a new study led by the University at Buffalo and the University of Regensburg.
Geographic differences in gut microbiota boost immunity
Gut reaction: Cornell researchers “humanized” mice with microbiota from three global populations and found that microbial differences alone can impact immune responses.
Cell-analysis technique could combat tuberculosis
Researchers at Cornell have developed a way to analyze how individual immune cells react to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. It could pave the way for new vaccine strategies and provide insights into fighting other infectious diseases.
2 in 1 Face Mask Against Dust and Virus – Chula Health Innovation in the New Normal
Chula’s Faculty of Engineering joins hands with PTT to develop a 2 in1 face mask, an innovation that protects against PM2.5 dust particles and COVID-19 virus that can be reused more than 15 times, helps reduce waste, is pollution-free, and will be available for sale soon.
New enzyme breaks down waste for less expensive biofuels, bioproducts
In a step toward increasing the cost-effectiveness of renewable biofuels and bioproducts, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered a microbial enzyme that degrades tough-to-break bonds in lignin, a waste product of biorefineries.
New study shows a few common bacteria account for majority of carbon use in soil
Just a few bacterial taxa found in ecosystems across the planet are responsible for more than half of carbon cycling in soils, according to new findingsfrom researchers at Northern Arizona University.
Trained Viruses Prove More Effective at Fighting Antibiotic Resistance
Research reveals that phage viruses that undergo special evolutionary training increase their capacity to subdue bacteria. The results provide hope for the antibiotic resistance crisis, a rising threat as deadly bacteria continue to evolve to render many modern drugs ineffective.
A ‘jolt’ for ocean carbon sequestration
Global oceans absorb about 25% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Electricity-eating bacteria known as photoferrotrophs could provide a boost to this essential process, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis.Scientists led by Arpita Bose, assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, found that bacteria found in brackish sediments can “eat” electricity and, in the process, absorb and lock away climate-warming carbon dioxide.
‘Good’ Bacteria Show Promise for Clinical Treatment of Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis
A new study published in Nature Communications demonstrates that a consortium of bacteria designed to complement missing or underrepresented functions in the imbalanced microbiome of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, prevented and treated chronic immune-mediated colitis in humanized mouse models.
Silver Attacks Bacteria, Gets ‘Consumed’
As antibiotic-resistant bacteria become more prevalent, silver has seen steep growth in its use in things like antibacterial coatings. Still, a better understanding can provide clues on how to best apply it. In Chemical Physics Reviews, researchers monitored the interaction of silver nanoparticles with a nearby E. coli culture and found the silver undergoes several dramatic changes. Most notably, the E. coli cells caused substantial transformations in the size and shape of the silver particles.
Microscopic fossils record ancient climate conditions
Researchers report the climate clues that can be found by analyzing magnetic fossil particles, or magnetofossils.
We’ve Got the Dirt on Soil Protists
The diverse collection of microbes known as protists are understudied, but their impact on ecosystems and agriculture could be huge.
Scientists discover five new species of listeria, improving food safety
While examining the prevalence of listeria in agricultural soil throughout the U.S., Cornell University food scientists have stumbled upon five previously unknown and novel relatives of the bacteria.
Researchers find target to fight antibiotic resistance
New research from the University of Georgia suggests a component of bacteria’s cell walls may hold the key to crushing the antibiotic-resistant microbes.
Successful DNA replication in cyanobacteria depends on the circadian clock
A new study from the University of Chicago has found that the photosynthetic bacterium Synechococcus elongatus uses a circadian clock to precisely time DNA replication, and that interrupting this circadian rhythm prevents replication from completing and leaves chromosomes unfinished overnight.
How Legionella Makes Itself At Home
DALLAS – May 10, 2021 – Scientists at UT Southwestern have discovered a key protein that helps the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease to set up house in the cells of humans and other hosts. The findings, published in Science, could offer insights into how other bacteria are able to survive inside cells, knowledge that could lead to new treatments for a wide variety of infections.
Calculating “Run and Tumble” Behavior of Bacteria in Groundwater
Bacteria in groundwater move in surprising ways. They can passively ride flowing groundwater and can actively move on their own in what scientists call “run and tumble” behavior. Scientists studied two kinds of microorganisms to improve the mathematical models that describe how bacterial run and tumble when transported by groundwater.
Cannabis use disorder linked to increased complications after spinal surgery
Dragonfly wings, lotus leaves, cicada wings — thanks to millennia of evolution, nature has optimized the ways these surfaces and others behave to offer antibacterial functionality. An international, interdisciplinary team of researchers is trying to find the best way to translate these features to create nature-inspired bactericidal surfaces for use in medical implants. They discuss the surface structures and chemical compositions for an ideal implant material in the journal Applied Physics Reviews.
Weizmann Scientists Find That Bacteria May Aid Anti-Cancer Immune Response
The Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Yardena Samuels, Prof. Eran Segal, and Dr. Ravid Straussman, with partners at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the NCI, and elsewhere, have discovered that the bacteria living inside cancer cells can be harnessed to provoke an immune reaction against the tumor. The work could also help explain findings showing that the microbiome affects the success of immunotherapy.
Bacteria know how to exploit quantum mechanics, UChicago study finds
Photosynthetic organisms harvest light from the sun to produce the energy they need to survive. A new paper published by University of Chicago researchers reveals their secret: exploiting quantum mechanics.
Antibiotic-Resistant Strains of Staph Bacteria May Be Spreading Between Pigs Raised in Factory Farms and People in North Carolina
DNA sequencing of bacteria found in pigs and humans in rural eastern North Carolina, an area with concentrated industrial-scale pig-farming, suggests that multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains are spreading between pigs, farmworkers, their families and community residents, and represents an emerging public health threat, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Bacteria and Algae Get Rides in Clouds
Human health and ecosystems could be affected by microbes including cyanobacteria and algae that hitch rides in clouds and enter soil, lakes, oceans and other environments when it rains, according to a Rutgers co-authored study.
What happens in the mouth … doesn’t stay in the mouth
The healthy human oral microbiome consists of not just clean teeth and firm gums, but also bacteria living in an environment where they constantly communicate with the immune system. A growing body of evidence has shown that this system is highly influential on, and influenced by, our overall health.
3D-printed microbes open door to enhanced performance of biomaterials
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have developed a new method for 3D printing living microbes in controlled patterns, expanding the potential for using engineered bacteria to recover rare-earth metals, clean wastewater, detect uranium and more.
Ludwig Cancer Research Study Reveals How Certain Gut Bacteria Compromise Radiotherapy
A study led by Ludwig Chicago Co-director Ralph Weichselbaum and Yang-Xin Fu of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has shown how bacteria in the gut can dull the efficacy of radiotherapy, a treatment received by about half of all cancer patients.
Alzheimer’s microbe hypothesis gets major NIH funding
After years of paltry funding, research on the possible role of microbes in the causation of Alzheimer’s disease will now get a major infusion of grants from the NIH’s National Institute on Aging
Greenland Melting Likely Increased by Bacteria in Sediment
Bacteria are likely triggering greater melting on the Greenland ice sheet, possibly increasing the island’s contribution to sea-level rise, according to Rutgers scientists. That’s because the microbes cause sunlight-absorbing sediment to clump together and accumulate in the meltwater streams, according to a Rutgers-led study – the first of its kind – in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The findings can be incorporated in climate models, leading to more accurate predictions of melting, scientists say.
How ‘Iron Man’ bacteria could help protect the environment
Researchers show that microbes are capable of an incredible feat that could help reclaim a valuable natural resource and soak up toxic pollutants.
Antibiotics for C-sections Effective After Umbilical Cord Clamped
Antibiotics for cesarean section births are just as effective when they’re given after the umbilical cord is clamped as before clamping – the current practice – and could benefit newborns’ developing microbiomes, according to Rutgers co-authored research. The study, by far the largest of its kind and published in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, challenges current recommendations for antibiotic use. Administering antibiotics after clamping does not increase the risk of infection at the site of C-section incisions, the study concludes.
Scientists develop hydrophobic coating to prevent infections
Published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, the study examined how an innovative coating UGA scientists developed can prevent liquids like water and blood from sticking onto surfaces. The researchers also found that the liquid-repellant coating can kill bacteria and halt blood clot formation on an object’s surface.
Microbes in dental plaque look more like relatives in soil than those on the tongue
A new study out of UChicago and the Marine Biological Laboratory used state-of-the-art sequencing technology to deep-screen the genomes of microbes known as TM7 present in the mouth. This approach determined that TM7 species living on the tongue more closely resembled those found in the GI tract, while TM7 species in dental plaque more closely resembled environmental species, providing a hint at how plaque may have played a role in microbial colonization of the body.
Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas From Johns Hopkins Medicine
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Tuesday.
Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles from Poultry Farm Dust Causes Lung Inflammation in Mice
Article title: Bacterial extracellular vesicles isolated from organic dust induce neutrophilic inflammation in the lung Authors: Velmurugan Meganathan, Regina Moyana, Kartiga Natarajan, Weshely Kujur, Shilpa Kusampudi, Sachin Mulik, Vijay Boggaram From the authors: “In summary, our studies have found that…
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Science and Benefits of Handwashing in COVID-19 Era
New Brunswick, N.J. (Nov. 23, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner, a food microbiologist who has also studied handwashing for more than 20 years, is available for interviews on the science and benefits of handwashing during the COVID-19 pandemic and overall.…
Gut Microbiome Manipulation Could Result from Virus Discovery
Scientists have discovered how a common virus in the human gut infects and takes over bacterial cells – a finding that could be used to control the composition of the gut microbiome, which is important for human health. The Rutgers co-authored research, which could aid efforts to engineer beneficial bacteria that produce medicines and fuels and clean up pollutants, is published in the journal Nature.
ANTIVIRAL DEFENSE FROM THE GUT
Study demonstrates how a subset of common gut bacteria renders mice resistant to viral infections.
Glowing Progress in Pathogen Discovery
OmniScreen is an end-to-end pipeline for quickly and effectively distinguishing a plethora of pathogenic cells in a microbial community. The system extracts, probes, and screens thousands of cells to pick out pathogens in a matter of days.