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UrduA study conducted at the University of São Paulo suggests that tissues specializing in saliva production and secretion serve as reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2, magnifying its infectious potential.
Tag: Microbiology
Fecal transplant plus fibre improves insulin sensitivity in severely obese
Research provides further evidence the microbiome can benefit patients’ health, says researcher Karen Madsen.
More filling? Tastes great? How flies, and maybe people, choose their food
Flies have discriminating taste. Like a gourmet perusing a menu, they spend much of their time seeking sweet nutritious calories and avoiding bitter, potentially toxic food. But what happens in their brains when they make these food choices? Yale researchers…
Belowground microbial solutions to aboveground plant problems
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. Plants utilize…
Microbes in cow stomachs can break down plastic
Bacteria found in the rumen, one of the compartments that make up the cow stomach, can break down plastics, representing an eco-friendly way to reduce litter
How ethane-consuming archaea pick up their favorite dish
Scientists of Bremen sucessfully decoded the structure of the enzyme responsible for ethane fixation
Solving a long-standing mystery about the desert’s rock art canvas
Wander around a desert most anywhere in the world, and eventually you’ll notice dark-stained rocks, especially where the sun shines most brightly and water trickles down or dew gathers. In some spots, if you’re lucky, you might stumble upon ancient…
Liquid chalk highly effective in killing SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A viruses
Melbourne researchers have found that liquid chalk, commonly used in gyms to improve grip, acts as an antiseptic against highly infectious human viruses, completely killing both SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and influenza A viruses.
Unlocking the power of the microbiome
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 categorised these bacteria…
Scientists resurrect ‘forgotten’ genus of algae living in marine animals
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the late 1800s, scientists were stumped by the “yellow cells” they were observing within the tissues of certain temperate marine animals, including sea anemones, corals and jellyfish. Were these cells part of the animal or…
Mefloquine: A promising drug ‘soldier’ in the battle against COVID-19
Scientists propose the repurposing of anti-malarial drug mefloquine to fight the novel coronavirus
DOE Awards $45.5 Million for Projects to Advance Biotechnology Research
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today awarded $45.5 million for research projects geared towards understanding and harnessing nature’s biological processes to produce clean biofuels and bioproducts.
Microbes Use Ancient Metabolism to Cycle Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a building block of all living cells. Most phosphorous occurs in the form of phosphate, but ancient oceans and soils also contained another form, phosphite. Microbes gain energy by converting phosphite to phosphate via phosphorous reduction-oxidation (redox) cycling. A new study suggests that the ability to use phosphite in energy metabolism is surprisingly widespread in nature.
Kiwi disease study finds closely related bacterial strains display different behaviors
Over the last decade, severe outbreaks of bacterial canker have caused huge economic losses for kiwi growers, especially in Italy, New Zealand, and China, which are among the largest producers. Bacterial canker is caused by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae…
Molybdenum Limits Microbes’ Ability to Remove Harmful Nitrate from Soil
The Oak Ridge Reservation is contaminated with acidic, high-nitrate-and high-metal substances. Microbes in this environment can use molybdenum to remove nitrate, but the low concentration of molybdenum at Oak Ridge limits how much nitrate the microbes can remove. Two studies examine why molybdenum is limited and the mechanisms some microbes use to survive these conditions.
Nature article: Dieting and its effect on the gut microbiome
Bacterium associated with antibiotic-induced colitis plays a role in weight control
Compost improves apple orchard sustainability
As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what’s the key to growing a quality apple? Apple trees need access to important nutrients, which come from the soil. However, soil is quite different from orchard…
Application of new scientific techniques for corrosion protection
The overall growth of the Industry 4.0 and subsequent demand for new innovative materials opens a new field of mechanism to control premature degradation of the material. This book entitled ‘Corrosion Science-Modern Trends and Applications’ with twelve high-quality chapters provided…
Ramanome Database can help mining microalgal cell factories for reducing carbon emissions
Microalgae are “simple” organisms of single cells, yet they pack a mighty potential punch when it comes to helping humanity achieve carbon neutrality, according to researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy…
During COVID-19 pandemic, increased screen time correlates with mental distress
Washington, D.C. – June 20, 2021 – Increased screen time among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic correlated with a rise in pandemic-related distress, according to research led by investigators at the Saint James School of Medicine on the Caribbean…
New technique allows for identification of potential drugs to fight resistant bacteria
Washington, DC – June 20, 2021 – Researchers from the Miami University in Ohio have optimized a new technique that will allow scientists to evaluate how potential inhibitors work on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This technique, called native state mass spectrometry, provides…
Researchers explore microbial ecosystem in search of drugs to fight SARS-CoV-2
Washington, DC – June 20, 2021 – Researchers from Yonsei University in South Korea have found that certain commensal bacteria that reside in the human intestine produce compounds that inhibit SARS-CoV-2. The research will be presented on June 20 at…
Study evaluates potential causes of increased transmission in SARS-CoV-2 variants
Patients with B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 less likely to be asymptomatic, despite no increase in viral load
Mutant genes can promote genetic transfer across taxonomic kingdoms
Bacteria do not sexually reproduce, but that does not stop them from exchanging genetic information as it evolves and adapts. During conjugal transfer, a bacterium can connect to another bacterium to pass along DNA and proteins. Escherichia coli bacteria, commonly…
Longer duration of positive COVID-19 PCR test results in people with certain comorbidities
Boston – New study results indicate that different comorbid conditions affecting individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 may impact how long they continue to receive positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results. Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 who are aged 60+, have…
Study reveals recipe for even more powerful COVID-19 vaccines
NEIDL, Broad Institute scientists say next-generation vaccines could stimulate another arm of the immune system, imparting better protection against coronavirus variants
Yeast mating — more than meets the eye
Pheromones mediate asymmetric mating behavior in isogamous yeast
Harnessing the power of nature through productive microbial consortia in biotechnology
The deliberate control of complex microbiomes is notoriously difficult and current approaches are often guided by simple trial-and-error. The new Horizon 2020 project PROMICON – Harnessing the power of nature through PROductive MIcrobial CONsortia in biotechnology – measure, model, master…
Using microorganisms to monitor water quality within minutes
SUTD researchers have demonstrated a technology that allows users with camera phones to track the health of aquatic microorganisms — assessing water quality and drinkability in the process
GW4 takes a One Health approach to tackling the antimicrobial resistance pandemic
The World Health Organisation cites antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the most significant risks facing the world. AMR threatens global health and development as it impacts on human, animal and plant health and also our environment, water safety and…
When small epigenomic signals matter
A new study has compared broad-spectrum epigenetic signals in cell lines of humans and other primates and identified some specific regulatory elements in humans that are directly involved in neuronal functions in the brain
Keeping strawberries fresh using bioactive packaging
Films made of shellfish shells, essential oils, and nanoparticles to protect fruit from microbes
Reduced microbial stability linked to soil carbon loss in active layer under alpine permafrost degra
Chinese researchers have recently discovered links between reduction in microbial stability and soil carbon loss in the active layer of degraded alpine permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The researchers, headed by Prof. CHEN Shengyun from the Northwest Institute of…
Bacteria used to clean diesel-polluted soil in Greenland
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
About the beginning of life, bacteria in the gut and collective intelligence in bees
News from the life sciences
Novel calibration procedure for super-resolution brain imaging
A simple and robust procedure corrects a systematic error in microscopy, enabling precise imaging of biological tissue at greater depth
Fungal spores from 250-year-old collections given new lease of life
Echoing through history by reviving fungal specimens originally preserved and described a flabbergasting quarter of a millenium ago by the “Father of Modern Taxonomy” Carl Linnaeus, this study highlights the untapped potential of museum collections in modern research programmes. The…
Microscopic CCTV reveals secrets of malaria invasion
State-of-the-art video microscopy has enabled researchers at WEHI, Australia, to see the molecular details of how malaria parasites invade red blood cells – a key step in the disease. The researchers used a custom-built lattice light sheet microscope – the…
Sequencing of wastewater can help monitor SARS-COV-2 variants
Washington, D.C. – June 15, 2021 – Viral genome sequencing of wastewater can provide an early warning system of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants that is independent of investigations of identified clinical cases, according to a new study published in mSystems ,…
Antidepressant pollution alters crayfish behavior, with impacts to stream ecosystems
Increased foraging and reduced aggression have the potential to alter stream functioning
New health benefits of red seaweeds unveiled
Red seaweeds have been prevalent in the diets of Asian communities for thousands of years. In a new study, published in Marine Drugs , researchers have shown how these algae confer health benefits. “In the past, people have wondered why…
Persistence pays off in the human gut microbiome
The human gut microbiome is a complex community of trillions of microbes that are constantly interacting with each other and our bodies. It supports our wellbeing, immune system and mental health – but how is it sustained? Researchers in the…
Microbes in ocean play important role in moderating Earth’s temperature
Methane-eating microbes help regulate Earth’s temperatures with remarkably high metabolic rates within seafloor carbonate rocks
Human microbiome could shed light on higher morbidity rate in minoritized populations
The link between environmental inequities and disease may lie in the gut
The Inner Workings of the Root Microbiome
: The soil surrounding and including the roots of plants is a hotspot for bacteria that help plants resist infections, survive drought, and take up nutrients. However, scientists did not fully understand how bacteria assist plants. A new study provides new insights into the spots on roots where bacteria attach. This could help scientists understand and control how plants and bacteria interact.
AI Predicts How Patients with Viral Infections, Including COVID-19, Will Fare
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers discovered gene expression patterns associated with pandemic viral infections, providing a map to help define patients’ immune responses, measure disease severity, predict outcomes and test therapies — for current and future pandemics.
Hydrogen sulfide critical to innate ability of bacteria to survive antibiotics
Prototype drugs found to strengthen antibiotics by blocking bacterial H2S biogenesis
New dipping solution turns the whole fish into valuable food
When herring are filleted, more than half their weight becomes a low-value ‘side stream’ that never reaches our plates – despite being rich in protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Now, scientists from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed…
Ion and lipid transporters specialize for their niche
Cell viability require that a variety of functions at the cell membrane are maintained properly. P-type ATPases translocate substrates across the membrane, and they have evolved into different types taking care of specific substrates within a diverse range. Now, key…
Decoded genome of little-known disease offers hope for citrus
Benign infection can potentially send medicine into plants