All Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research articles
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NewsScientists unveil novel anti-CRISPR protein mechanism
Apart from their counter-defensive function, anti-CRISPR proteins hold great promise for enabling more precise control over CRISPR technologies. Researchers have now further elucidated the function of an important yet so far uncharacterized anti-CRISPR protein.
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NewsDecoding HIV genomic tactics in viral replication
Research on HIV-1 unravels the viral and host translational regulations during viral replications through the identification of RNA structures and previously unrecognized genetic elements - this could bring potential therapeutic interventions to counter the viral manipulations.
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NewsResearchers uncover control mechanisms of polysaccharide utilization in gut bacterium
Polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) complexes enable bacteria to bind, break down, and import specific polysaccharides, contributing to successful gut colonization. A new study explores how PULs are regulated post-transcriptionally to adapt to environmental changes.
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NewsChemical trick activates antibiotic directly at the pathogen
Scientists have seen promising results after experimenting with a click-to-release approach that deploys a masked form of colistin to the site of an infection so that it is no longer as damaging to the kidneys while maintaining its high antibiotic efficacy.
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NewsSymbiosis between bacteria and toxic bird yields discovery of new antimicrobials
A research team has identified two new classes of active substances with antimicrobial properties from bacteria that live in symbiosis with a toxic bird.
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NewsSmall RNA plays a crucial role in gut microbiome colonization
Scientists studying the transcriptome of gut bacterium Segatella copri came across a tiny snippet of RNA that plays an essential role in the reproduction and spread of the bacterium.
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NewsWastewater could yield thousands of novel viruses, study reveals
Deep metagenomic sequencing of wastewater in Berlin over 17 months shows this technique could help forecast disease outbreaks and monitor the spread of human pathogens. It can also reveal thousands of novel viruses, a new study reveals.
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NewsTwo ways that members of the microbiome fight salmonella infections
Researchers have identified two mechanisms through which Klebsiella bacteria combat the spread of salmonella in the gut.
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NewsBiodiversity of gut bacteria is associated with sexual behavior
Researchers demonstrated a significantly higher biodiversity of the gut microbiome in men who had sex with men.
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NewsPirola variant of Covid rediscovers entry pathway into lung cells
Researchers have discovered that the Pirola variant enters lung cells with high efficiency and uses the cellular enzyme TMPRSS2 for entry, thereby exhibiting parallels to variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.
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NewsNeutralizing antibodies target resistant bacteria
Scientists have discovered antibodies that could lead to a highly potent treatment option of acute and chronic infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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NewsTracking batch culture pinpoints moment when ‘silent’ biosynthetic gene clusters kick in
A team of scientists has mapped the times during a batch culture when core biosynthetic genes surged into action, showing that bursts of biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) transcriptional activity correlated with surges in net production rates per cell of known natural compounds.
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NewsCRISPR self-destruct protein may yield new tests for many viruses
A recently discovered protein has been found to act as a kind of multipurpose self-destruct system for bacteria, capable of degrading single-stranded RNA, single-stranded DNA and double-stranded DNA and holding potential for the development of at-home diagnostic tests for a wide range of infectious diseases.