All dormancy articles
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NewsResearchers discover method to combat antibiotic treatment failure
Researchers explored ways to alter our own immune cells to help antibiotics work more effectively. They identified a small molecule that alters the body’s immune cells, forcing them to ’wake up’ dormant bacteria and make them more vulnerable to antibiotic treatment.
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NewsRare bacterium ‘plays dead’ to evade detection in NASA clean rooms
A rare novel bacterium found in an unexpected environment may be evading detection by “playing dead”. Discovered in NASA spacecraft assembly clean rooms, Tersicoccus phoenicis could have major implications for planetary protection and clean room sterilization practices.
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NewsResearchers uncover HIV mystery that could unlock the path to a cure
Researchers have identified for the first time how HIV enters a dormant state in infected cells that allows the virus to “hide” from the immune system and current treatments. HIV orchestrates its own survival by reprogramming host cells to create the perfect hiding place.
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NewsStartling images show how antibiotic pierces bacteria’s armor
Researchers have shown for the first time how life-saving antibiotics called polymyxins pierce the armour of harmful bacteria. They showed how Polymyxin B rapidly caused bumps and bulges to break out on the surface of an E. coli cell, followed by the bacterium shedding its outer armour.
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NewsNew breakthrough uncovers how to kill ‘zombie’ TB cells resistant to antibiotics
Researchers exposed a library of over 500,000 genetically modified tuberculosis bacteria to two commonly used antibiotics. By analysing the survivors, they pinpointed genes whose disruption significantly reduced the number of surviving persisters.
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NewsResearchers discover large dormant virus can be reactivated in model green alga
Scientists have not only found a virus in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii but discovered the largest one ever recorded with a latent infection cycle, meaning it goes dormant in the host before being reactivated to cause disease.
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NewsCause of post-COVID inflammatory shock in children identified
MIS-C is a serious inflammatory shock that affects children and can occur several weeks after a COVID infection. Researchers have found that reactivation of a pre-existing, dormant infection with the Epstein-Barr virus triggers an excessive inflammatory response.
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NewsGenes combined with immune response to Epstein-Barr virus increase MS risk
In multiple sclerosis (MS), antibodies to the common Epstein-Barr virus can accidentally attack a protein in the brain and spinal cord. New research shows that the combination of certain viral antibodies and genetic risk factors can be linked to a greatly increased risk of MS.
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NewsCold sore discovery IDs unknown trigger for those annoying flare-ups
Scientists have a new target to prevent cold sores after researchers discovered an unexpected way that the herpes virus re-activates in the body. The finding could also have important implications for genital herpes caused by the same virus.
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NewsNew study uncovers mechanisms of bacterial dormancy involving protein aggregation
Researchers have revealed a mechanism involving protein aggregation that allows bacteria to enter a dormant state, a phenomenon that is associated with the persistence of infections and the challenge of antibiotic resistance.
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NewsClimate impacts on European soils predicted by scientists
New research has revealed how tiny soil microbes are impacted by extreme weather events, offering new insights into the risks posed by climate change.
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NewsIn beer yeast, scientists find potential path to starving cancer
The discovery of a surprising way yeast used to brew beer can survive starvation could open the door to new treatments for cancer. The never-before-seen adaptation helps yeast cells go dormant when nutrients are scarce.
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NewsResearchers unravel mystery of dormancy in food pathogens for more effective elimination
The detection tests commonly used to check for the absence of microbes in hospitals or the agri-food industry are based on microbial growth, i.e. the laboratory cultivation of microorganisms from a sample to be checked. If no micro-organisms appear during culturing, the sample is considered safe. Source: INRAE ...
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NewsDormancy defence systems show us why phages may not be the answer to everything
Toxin/antitoxin defence systems in bacteria need to be better understood if the potential of phage therapy is to be realised, a new review in Sustainable Microbiology suggests.
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NewsStudy reveals new approach for combatting “resting” bacteria
Blocking long phosphate molecules could eventually help treat chronic infections in which slow-growing bacteria evade typical antibiotics.
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NewsSingle gene could be crucial for persistence in TB bacteria
Researchers have uncovered an important mechanism that allows the tuberculosis (TB) bacterium to persist in the human host for decades.
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OpinionIs climate change driving an increase in cases of anthrax?
The anthrax outbreak in Africa could be a harbinger of more to come, with climate change creating opportunities for the emergence of more cross-over strains capable of causing anthrax-like infections.
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NewsDormant bacterial spores offer key insights into evolutionary survival strategies
A new study illuminates the mechanism through which dormant bacterial spores uphold and activate an enduring transcriptional program upon revival, showcasing an extraordinary genetic memory system.
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NewsSensor controls how dormant bacteria reawaken
Researchers have discovered a new kind of cellular sensor that allows spores to detect the presence of nutrients in their environment and quickly spring back to life.
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NewsSpores emit potassium ions to monitor their environment while in deep lethargy
A team of scientists have discovered how cells in deep lethargy decide while they sleep whether or not to return to life.