Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to common antibiotics. Often, resistance is mediated by resistance genes, which can simply jump from one bacterial population to the next. It’s a common assumption that the resistance genes spread primarily when antibiotics are used,…
Tag: Microbiology
WVU researcher studies differences in the immune systems of men and women
Females are less susceptible to infection but are 10 times more likely than males to develop an autoimmune disorder, such as hypothyroidism or rheumatoid arthritis. The female immune system is “a double-edged sword” in that way, said Jennifer Franko ,…
Scientists who raced to study Kilauea’s lava as it fueled rare phytoplankton bloom find surprise
Results from a rapid-response oceanographic expedition in the North Pacific reveal a surprise about how lava from the K?lauea Volcano, which erupted on the island of Hawai’i during the summer of 2018, triggered a vast phytoplankton bloom. The study –…
The paradox of different house flies with few genetic differences
UH evolutionary biologist publishes findings on sex determinates of house flies
Kilauea eruption fosters algae bloom in North Pacific Ocean
The massive 2018 eruption set off an unusual effect: An algae super bloom that stretched for miles a
New study tracks sulfur-based metabolism in the open ocean
One of the planet’s most active ecosystems is one most people rarely encounter and scientists are only starting to explore. The open ocean contains tiny organisms — phytoplankton — that perform half the photosynthesis on Earth, helping generate oxygen for…
80% cut in antibiotics entering Thames is needed to avoid surge in superbugs
Modelling study estimates extent of river’s exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
The argument for sexual selection in bacteria
The evolutionary pressure to pass on DNA can produce behavior that otherwise makes no sense in a struggle to survive. Rams bash heads in fights over females; peacocks grow elaborate tail feathers that attract mates and predators alike. Sexual selection…
Texas Biomed hires new primate center researcher
Professor studies the impact of cannabinoids on HIV infection and inflammation
Transport proteins provide key to improve infant formula
Researchers identify and functionally describe key transport proteins, which contribute to creating
Why transporters really matter for cell factories
Scientists discover the secret behind some protein transporters’ superiority
Genome mining reveals novel production pathway for promising malaria treatment
Microbes are well-known among biologists as master engineers of useful small molecules, and there are many tricks of their trade. When researchers at the University of Illinois took a closer look at how a known microbe makes a known so-called…
Novel approach leads to potential sepsis prevention in burn patients
Study demonstrates possibility of treating antibiotic-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa
Corals take control of nitrogen recycling
Corals are shown to recycle their own waste ammonium using a surprising source of glucose–a finding that reveals more about the relationship between corals and their symbiotic algae. Symbiosis between corals and algae provides the backbone for building coral reefs,…
Enzyme known for promoting cancer found to also protect healthy cells
UMD researchers discovered that telomerase, which ‘immortalizes’ cancer cells, also prevents tumors
Scientists uncover key new molecules that could help to tackle tooth loss and regeneration
New research published in the Journal of Dental Research has shed light on the science behind the fo
Study of bile acids links individual’s genetics and microbial gut community
Gene identified in mice affects both size of a bacterial population and bile acid levels in blood
NSF Awards ‘Dream Team’ $1.1 Million for Blind Mexican Cavefish Research
How is it that a fish that lived in difficult to access caves in rural Mexico is becoming a leading model to study diabetes, insomnia, and obesity? It’s all about this tiny, translucent, cave-dwelling fish that lost its eyes to…
Extreme mangrove corals found on the Great Barrier Reef
The first documented discovery of ‘extreme corals’ in mangrove lagoons around Australia’s Great Barr
Clostridium difficile infections may have a friend in fungi
Washington, DC – August 28, 2019 – The pathogen Clostridium difficile , which causes one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in the United States, may have accomplices that until now have gone largely unnoticed. This week in mSphere ,…
Using a smartphone to detect norovirus
University of Arizona researchers strike the balance between sensitivity and affordability with a ne
How bees live with bacteria
An apple plantation in spring. The trees are in full bloom. But to ensure that they also yield in autumn, workers have to do a real fluff job for weeks: each individual flower is manually pollinated with brushes – because…
Gold nanoparticles shown to be safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer
Biocompatible gold nanoparticles designed to convert near-infrared light to heat have been shown to safely and effectively ablate low- to intermediate-grade tumors within the prostate, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine and published in the…
Gold nanoparticles shown to be safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer
Biocompatible gold nanoparticles designed to convert near-infrared light to heat have been shown to safely and effectively ablate low- to intermediate-grade tumors within the prostate, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine and published in the…
New information on regulation of sense of smell with the help of nematodes
PIM kinases are enzymes that are evolutionarily well conserved in both humans and nematodes. Led by Dr Päivi Koskinen, a research group from the Department of Biology of the University of Turku in Finland has previously proven that PIM kinases…
New information on regulation of sense of smell with the help of nematodes
PIM kinases are enzymes that are evolutionarily well conserved in both humans and nematodes. Led by Dr Päivi Koskinen, a research group from the Department of Biology of the University of Turku in Finland has previously proven that PIM kinases…
The flavor of chocolate is developed during the processing of the cocoa beans
Can you manipulate the taste of noble cocoas in different directions to create exciting new flavors
Runaway mitochondria cause telomere damage in cells
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 26, 2019 – Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center provide the first concrete evidence for the long-held belief that sick mitochondria pollute the cells they’re supposed to be supplying with power. The paper, published this week in the…
How the herring adapted to the light environment in the Baltic Sea
The evolutionary process that occurs when a species colonizes a new environment provides an opportunity to explore the mechanisms underlying genetic adaptation, which is essential knowledge for understanding evolution and the maintenance of biodiversity. An international team of scientists, led…
Remodeling unhealthful gut microbiomes to fight disease
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 26, 2019 — You are what you eat — right down to the microbiome living in your gut. Diet can affect which microbes are in the intestinal tract, and research has shown that harmful gut microbiome changes…
An innovative new diagnostic for Lyme disease
When researchers examined the mitochondrial DNA of Ötzi, a man entombed in ice high in the Tyrolean Alps some 5,300 years ago, they made a startling discovery. Secreted within the tangles of the ice man’s genetic code was evidence he’d…
Breath! Respiring microbes generate more energy
Researchers have now shed light on how bacteria and baker’s yeast generate and use their energy to g
Researchers advance organ-on-chip technology to advance drug development
Designing self-rolling 3D sensors that wrap around heart cell spheroids
Novel paradigm in drug development
Understanding resistance mechanisms to targeted protein degradation
Dartmouth receives $12.5 million grant to establish Center for Quantitative Biology
Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine has been awarded a 5-year, $12.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a Center for Quantitative Biology (CQB) that will bring together and enhance initiatives in computational biology, bioinformatics, and…
Improved sewage treatment has increased biodiversity over past 30 years
Study of long-term data for river shows increase in freshwater invertebrates
Genetic census of the human microbiome
In a first, scientists map the genetic diversity of microbes residing in the human gut and mouth
Fishing leads to investigation of environmental changes in waterways
A fisherman’s curiosity led to identification of the correlation between microbial communities in recreational freshwater locales and seasonal environmental changes, according to a team of researchers from Penn State. Zachary Weagly, a 2018 graduate of Penn State Berks and an…
Rapid evolution: New findings on its molecular mechanisms
The mechanisms by which new species arise are still not fully understood. What are the evolutionary processes that drive the evolution of new species? Evolutionary biologists traditionally assumed that geographical barriers between animal populations play a decisive role (allopatric speciation):…
Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists Announces 2019 National Laureates
An ecologist from Stony Brook University, a theoretical physicist from University of Colorado Boulder and a chemical biologist from Harvard University Three female scientists have been named Laureates of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists, each receiving $250,000, the…
The Key to Unlock Bacterial Fusion
Researchers identify how a Chlamydia-produced protein helps bacterial compartments fuse together, thus increasing pathogenicity. PHILADELPHIA – Most people know Chlamydia as the venereal disease that can cause infertility if left untreated. But for researchers studying the causative agent, Chlamydia trachomatis,…