All articles by Basil Fok – Page 6
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NewsProfessor Cristobal Uauy appointed as Director of the John Innes Centre
Following an international search, Professor Cristóbal Uauy has been appointed as the next Director of the John Innes Centre.
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NewsFungus ‘hacks’ natural immune system causing neurodegeneration in fruit flies
A fungus, called Beauveria bassiana, is found to manipulate the innate immunity of the fruit flies to attack their own brain cells, causing the penetration into the blood-brain barriers and eventually neurodegeneration.
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NewsMpox: a better understanding of tecovirimat resistance
Through biochemical and structural studies, researchers managed to find out how the mutation of an enzyme could affect the interactions between it and the antiviral drug against mpox virus, tecovirimat, hence leading to a better understanding in developing new therapeutic approach against all mpox strains.
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NewsSymbiotic bacteria ride along with marine cells in ocean’s upper layer
Symbiotic bacteria often accompany single-celled protists in the ocean’s upper layer. Some of these symbionts, scientists have discovered, are close relatives of bacteria pathogenic to animals, including humans.
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NewsProtein shuttling mechanism helps bacteria pump out antibiotics
By a joint-university effort, the mechanism of a bacterial efflux pump complex to remove molecules, including antibiotics, has been determined and the extent of bacterial toxin resistance by the complex has also been evaluated with a cutting-edge device.
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NewsUnravelling the complex role of climate in dengue dynamics
A research recently shows that specific climates of the region could greatly influence the change in disease dynamics of dengue fever and other climate-related infectious diseases, through analyzing the casual relationships between both.
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NewsReemergence of dengue serotype 3 may increase severity of outbreaks of the disease in Brazil
From the genomic and epidemiological surveillance of the circulating dengue virus strains, a more severe dengue epidemic may occur in Brazil, due to the re-establishment of dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3) and persists alongside with the serotype 1 and 2 (DENV-1 and DENV-2).
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NewsNew study sheds light on the causes of fevers of unknown origin in sub-Saharan Africa
By conducting a retrospective observational study, the causes of fevers of unknown origin (FUO) in sub-Saharan Africa were investigated using conventional diagnostic methods, highlighting the appropriate needs of point-of-care testing in the regions.
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NewsBiosensing platform simultaneously detects vitamin C and SARS-CoV-2
A portable and sensitive biosensing device has been developed by engineering researchers to detect both SAR-CoV-2 and vitamin C simultaneously, to monitor and boost health for the general public.
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NewsOutokumpu’s bedrock reveals a smelly surprise
In a borehole in Finland, volatile organic compounds (VOC) are detected in the bedrock and groundwater due to the presence of a highly diverse underground microbial community, which reflects the composition of VOC and thus the bedrock characteristics.
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NewsMicrobiome as a potential key to better treatment: Clinical study on new therapy for Crohn’s disease
A joint research project has found that a combination of dietary therapy and fecal microbiome transfer (FMT) greatly alleviate intestinal inflammation in mice. A clinical trial on this new therapeutic approach is under way to potentially treat Crohn’s disease.
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NewsFlexible and resilient: remarkable cell functions of newly discovered algae species
A new species of algae, demonstrating its incredible resilience to extreme environmental conditions including cold and light, is identified in the Baltic Sea and Arctic tundra. Its unique property could be applied to potential cosmetic product manufacturing.
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NewsBlood test eases diagnosis of invasive mold disease
A newly developed blood test, as a non-invasive alternative, could be used to provide a rapid and safe diagnosis for invasive mold infections of the immunocompromised. It can also be applied for other infectious diseases, e.g. tuberculosis.
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NewsA realistic ‘micro-gut’ model reflects the relationship between gut microbes and human diseases
An innovative and more physiologically relevant 3D micro-gut model, known as Gut-Microbiome on a chip (GMoC), provides an in-depth understanding of the complex interactions between the microbial community within the gut microbiome and their impacts on human gut health.
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NewsUncovering two rare infectious diseases which might be responsible for COVID-19
A study has adopted a more-advanced AI technique that revealed two rare infectious diseases might be involved in causing the emergence of COVID-19. The machine learning technique is also important to be used for other biomarker studies.
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NewsWhy some kids get sicker: The hidden power of nose bacteria
A scoping review unravels how bacterial colonization in the respiratory tract impacts both the severity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections and long-term respiratory health in children.
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NewsBat genome signposts new potential pathway to fight viruses with genomic characterization
A promising discovery has been made from a study that deciphers how bats are more resistant to viral infections than human using genome annotations of transposable elements in bats to pave a way for adapting the bats’ immunity against future viral outbreaks.
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NewsAI accelerates the search for new tuberculosis drug targets
A novel biotechnology was developed to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) as a high-throughput way to identify more effective antimicrobial candidates to treat the multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and understand their underlying modes of action.
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NewsImpact of rapid urbanization on the emergence of zoonotic diseases
A study has looked into the rapid urbanization into the wildland-urban interface (WUI) causing the spillover of zoonotic diseases, which would help mapping for disease transmission risks.
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NewsMouth bacteria may hold insight into your future brain function
A study revealed that the types of bacteria in our mouths may have direct impacts to brain health, which would link mental illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.