All Biofilms articles
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NewsAcid rain may be training soil bacteria to become more deadly
Acid rain from fossil fuel pollution may be quietly training soil bacteria to become longer-lived, more transmissible, and more deadly, according to a new study that tracks how a notorious foodborne pathogen rapidly evolved under simulated acid deposition.
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NewsMicroplastics pose a human health risk in more ways than one
A new study shows that microplastics in the natural environment are colonised by pathogenic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The study team calls for urgent action for waste management and strongly recommends wearing gloves when taking part in beach cleans.
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NewsNew nanogel technology destroys drug-resistant bacteria in hours
A novel technology shows over 99.9% effectiveness against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). It centres on a heteromultivalent nanogel: a flexible particle made by crosslinking polymers and adding sugar residues (galactose and fucose) alongside antimicrobial peptides.
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NewsBacteriophage characterization provides platform for rational design
Researchers have described the bacteriophage Bas63 in unprecedented detail, supporting new mechanistic understanding of how these viruses function.
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NewsSecrets of microbial motion: How bacteria swash, glide and shift gears to survive
Two new studies reveal surprising ways microbes move, with implications for human health and disease. The first shows that salmonella and E. coli can ’swash’ across moist surfaces even when their flagella are disabled, while the second probes the T9SS gearbox in flavobacteria.
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NewsHarnessing solar energy for environmental cleanup: Iron mineral-bacterial biofilms degrade pollutants
Researchers offer a sustainable, efficient, and scalable method for addressing soil and groundwater pollution, opening new possibilities for clean-up strategies in diverse ecosystems. This process significantly enhances the degradation of antibiotics like tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and chloramphenicol (CPL).
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NewsData-guided bioelectrodes pave way for greener remediation
There is an urgent need to develop data-driven strategies that can accelerate and scale up microbial dechlorination for contaminated environments. Researchers report a new machine learning framework that integrates experimental features with microbial biofilm data to optimize bioelectrodechlorination.
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NewsPoultry growers: Have you checked your water lines lately?
Water quality could impact the kind of microbial populations in poultry drinking water lines and lead to the buildup of a biofilm that can harbor pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella, according to a new study.
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NewsSoil bacteria and minerals form a natural ‘battery’ that breaks down antibiotics in the dark
Researchers have unveiled a surprising new way that soil microbes can use sunlight energy. The team developed a “bio-photovoltage soil-microbe battery” that can capture, store, and release solar energy to power the breakdown of antibiotic pollutants in the dark.
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NewsResearchers wake up microbes trapped in permafrost for thousands of years
In a new study, a team of geologists and biologists resurrected ancient microbes that had been trapped in ice—in some cases for around 40,000 years.
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CareersSummer studentship: Amelia investigates how Streptococci aggregate with other oral bacteria
Amelia Rohim reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which focused on the investigation of inter-species aggregation between oral bacteria at the University of Michigan with Dr. Alexander Rickard.
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NewsPlant-derived compound has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects against periodontal disease
Morin-based powder, extracted from guava leaves, apple peel, and figs, can be slowly released with the help of polymers and serve as an alternative to antibiotics.
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NewsCan the ‘good’ bacteria in your mouth act as probiotic cavity fighters?
Discovery of clumping molecules made by gene clusters in the oral microbiome may lead to ways to reengineer the microbes in plaque, a new study shows.
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NewsChronic wound infection model is much closer to real life - and cuts back on animal testing
Thousands of lab animals are used every year to test wound treatments. But one lab in Wales is pointing the way towards a more humane model of research, with the work it is carrying out on in vitro/animal replacement models.
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NewsMyocardial infarction may be an infectious disease
A pioneering study has demonstrated for the first time that myocardial infarction may be an infectious disease. This discovery challenges the conventional understanding of the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction and opens new avenues for treatment.
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NewsLaser therapy enhances treatment of fungus resistant to conventional medication
Researchers have managed to reduce Candida albicans’ resistance to fungicides by incorporating photodynamic inactivation techniques into the treatment. The technology can be used in both human healthcare and the prevention of food contamination.
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NewsMaple compound offers new way to fight tooth decay
A new study highlights the potential of using a natural compound from maple to combat the bacteria responsible for tooth decay: Streptococcus mutans. Epicatechin gallate is a powerful and safe alternative to traditional plaque-fighting agents.
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NewsNew imaging approach transforms study of bacterial biofilms
Scientists have reimagined the capabilities of atomic force microscopy, transforming it into a tool that captures large-scale biological architecture. This advance offers an unprecedented view of biofilm organization.
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NewsBacterial signaling molecule that choreographs flip between biofilm and motility could transform biotechnology and medical applications
A bacterial signaling molecule involved in flipping the switch between sessile and motile forms could offer huge potential in improving probiotics, boosting wastewater treatment and producing therapeutic compounds.
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NewsHow bacteria use a protein associated with Alzheimer’s to fight off threats
Amyloids are perhaps best known as a key driver of Alzheimer’s disease. According to new research, these oft-maligned proteins also serve a critical role for bacteria in our environment, enabling them to fight off other “predatory bacteria.”