All Bacteria articles
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NewsAmino acid boosts last-resort antibiotic’s effectiveness
Colistin is a powerful, last-resort antibiotic for bacterial infections, but the number of colistin-resistant infections is growing. New research suggests that adding L-arginine, an amino acid, to colistin may overcome resistance. Lab and mouse studies show promising results, but more tests are needed before the strategy can help people.
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News40-year mystery solved: Common gut virus infects bacteria, not human cells
Ever since one denizen of the gut microbiome, known as picobirnavirus, was first spotted decades ago, researchers thought it directly infected human tissue and played a role in gastrointestinal illness. But researchers have just rewritten that story: This widespread virus infects gut bacteria, not human cells.
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NewsHow evolutionary changes in a key enzyme may have tuned the protein synthesis rate
Evolutionary changes in key protein synthesis enzyme, isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IleRS), may help bacteria fine-tune how quickly proteins are made, report researchers. Researchers traced the enzyme’s evolutionary history and identified three distinct IleRS clades.
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NewsSelective inhibitory effects of docosahexaenoic acid on oral bacteria
Researchers evaluated four polyunsaturated fatty acids against five common oral bacteria, in single-species and mixed-species cultures, and conducted an 8-day randomized, placebo-controlled human mouth-rinse intervention, analyzing saliva by metagenomic sequencing and qPCR.
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NewsScreening for putative essential genes in Brucella abortus strains A19 and S2308 using transposon mutagenesis
The categorization of functional genes in Brucella requires refinement. This knowledge gap was addressed by classifying gene essentiality through constructing a transposon mutant library. Mariner transposon mutant libraries were independently constructed for Brucella abortus A19 and S2308.
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NewsDead bacteria can keep making DNA with help from viruses
Researchers at Aarhus University have discovered that bacteria can continue producing DNA after they die. And they have found a way to control what gets produced. The discovery could eventually contribute to the development of new biological materials.
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OpinionShigella: A phenotypic genus in a genomic era
In an era where evolutionary relationships can be resolved down to the single-nucleotide level, Shigella stands out as a relic of phenotype-based classification: a label built on lost traits rather than shared ancestry. Yet the genus persists, defended by appeals to clinical utility, says Georgina Donovan.
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NewsDeep-sea corals in fossil fuel-producing region have distinct microbial communities
Researchers who carried out the first comprehensive study of the microbial communities living in symbiosis with deep-sea corals in one of Brazil’s most active oil- and gas-producing regions discovered that each species hosts a distinct, and sometimes highly specialised, community of microorganisms.
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NewsStudy reveals fungi as overlooked players in agricultural antibiotic resistance
Fungi may be helping antibiotic resistance genes survive during livestock manure composting. Researchers found that suppressing fungal activity weakened microbial networks and increased the removal of resistance genes, suggesting that fungi could play an overlooked role in the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsGene-regulatory pathway helps T cells tolerate gut bacteria and prevent inflammation
The immune system somehow tolerates trillions of gut bacteria without constantly attacking them. Researchers have now identified a gene-regulatory pathway that helps regulatory T cells maintain this peace, with defects in the pathway triggering severe inflammation and autoimmunity in mice.
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NewsHidden fungi may act as masterminds of the forest microbiome
Hidden beneath the forest floor, certain fungi may have an outsized influence on the microbial communities surrounding plant roots. By combining large-scale DNA data with ecological modelling, researchers identified endophytic fungi as potential keystone species capable of reshaping underground microbial networks.
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NewsMyxobacteria reveal hidden chemistry with anticancer potential
Researchers have uncovered a previously hidden family of natural products made by soil-dwelling myxobacteria and traced how the molecules are assembled. Follow-up work showed that one of these compounds binds to AKR1C3, a human protein linked to several cancers, highlighting the drug-discovery potential of previously silent microbial genes.
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NewsCommon cell-death inhibitor reveals an unexpected pathway in tuberculosis
A widely used cell-death inhibitor may be triggering macrophage death during mycobacterial infection through an unexpected off-target pathway. The findings reveal a caspase-8-independent route to necroptosis and could help explain how damaging necrotic granulomas form during tuberculosis.
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NewsScientists discover migration-mediated mechanism enabling bacteria-virus coexistence
A study shows how collective movement enables viruses to persist with migrating bacterial colonies while minimizing the risk of either complete viral takeover or bacterial escape.
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NewsOne strain, two jobs: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1 degrades wheat straw and suppresses aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1SQ1 functions as a dual-purpose biocatalyst for wheat straw biomass, breaking down cellulose while inhibiting fungal growth, thereby enhancing straw biotransformation, mitigating mycotoxin risk and supporting early crop growth.
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NewsArmored cells: A mineral shell lets whole-cell biocatalysts run 14 cycles for greener nicotinic acid
Scientists aiming to use whole-cell biocatalysis to manufacture niacin engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum to express a mutant nitrilase from Pseudomonas putida and then encapsulated the whole cells in a biomimetic hybrid shell.
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NewsNew hypothesis drills down into the contributions of phage receptor-binding proteins in recognising a bacterial cell
A new hypothesis reveals how different receptor-binding proteins may make distinct contributions when a bacteriophage recognizes a bacterial cell.
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NewsResearch to uncover hidden life cycle of bacteriophages
Some bacteriophages can quietly replicate inside bacteria for generations without killing their hosts, making these infections difficult to detect with standard methods. A new research project will investigate this hidden life cycle and explore whether understanding it could help scientists engineer more effective phage therapies against drug-resistant infections.
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NewsAdvanced air purification fails to reduce surgical infections
Cleaner operating-room air may not be enough to prevent surgical infections. In a study of more than 110,000 procedures, advanced air-purification systems did not reduce infections, complications or deaths, suggesting hospitals may gain more by targeting direct contamination of surgical wounds.
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NewsCranberry juice may be a boon for oral hygiene
Pure cranberry juice may do more than add a tart kick to the holiday table. In a small human study, it slowed dental plaque growth and reduced acid production, suggesting the fruit’s natural compounds could help protect tooth enamel.