All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 15
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NewsSilent enemies, smart weapons - switching off phage contamination using nanoparticles
Bacteriophages represent a serious threat to laboratories and industries that rely on bacterial cultures for production. Researchers have demonstrated an innovative solution that enables targeting the surface of bacteriophage through electrostatic interactions.
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NewsRich medieval Danes bought graves ‘closer to God’ despite leprosy stigma, archaeologists find
Researchers used gravesites to investigate social exclusion based on illness, by studying whether people with leprosy or tuberculosis were kept out of the higher-status areas. Unexpectedly, they found that people who were ill with stigmatized diseases were buried just as prominently as their peers.
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NewsNo association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and autism in children, new research shows
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is not associated with autism or other neurodevelopmental problems in children whose mothers received the vaccine immediately before or during pregnancy, according to new research.
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NewsLiving material makes harmful UV light visible – Functional coating made from proteins and bacteria
Researchers have developed a T-shirt coating - using proteins and bacteria - that reliably detects contact with UV-A radiation, is bio‑based, and could open the door to a wide range of new materials that draw on the biological functions of cells.
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NewsFire-footed rope squirrels identified as a natural reservoir for monkeypox virus
A cross-species transmission event documented in Côte d’Ivoire provides new insights into the spread of mpox in the wild.
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NewsOne strategy to block both drug-resistant bacteria and influenza: new broad-spectrum infection prevention approach validated
A new paper moves beyond traditional infection control strategies reliant on antibiotics and vaccines by introducing a new approach that primes the immune system before infection occurs.
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NewsProposals for exploring viruses and skin as the next experimental quantum frontiers share US$30,000 science award
Viruses exist at the boundary between living and non-living matter, while skin is a living interface between physics and biology, making them perfect—but until now overlooked—arenas for testing the interplay between quantum physics, biology and life.
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NewsHIV antibody opens up new approaches for vaccine development and combination therapies
An international research team has identified a novel HIV antibody that targets the virus at a particularly vulnerable site and overcomes previous limitations of known antibodies. The study opens up new perspectives for the development of vaccines and therapeutics against HIV-1.
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NewsHow the joint defence mechanism of two bacteria works
Back in 2021, researchers showed that bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas and Paenibacillus join forces to protect themselves from their predator, an amoeba. Now, they have been able to show exactly how this defense mechanism works.
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NewsEleven genetic variants affect the gut microbiome
In two new studies on 28,000 individuals, researchers are able to show that genetic variants in 11 regions of the human genome have a clear influence on which bacteria are in the gut and what they do there. Only two genetic regions were previously known.
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NewsRecycling strategies of fungi can affect how forests store carbon
Some fungi are wasteful, while others recycle – and this can determine how much carbon is stored in a forest. Researchers have revealed how fungi manage their mycelium, the network that builds the structure of fungus. The results could provide new insights into the carbon cycle and climate.
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NewsBasic research on Listeria bacteria leads to unique cancer therapy
After nearly 40 years of research on how Listeria bacteria manipulate our cells and battle our immune system to cause listeriosis, researchers have discovered a way to turn the bacteria into a potent booster of the immune system — and a potential weapon against cancer.
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NewsChildren with Crohn’s have distinct gut bacteria from kids with other digestive disorders
Researchers have found a “microbial signature” of pediatric Crohn’s disease that differs from the makeup of gut bacteria in children with other gastrointestinal conditions, with Crohn’s patients harboring more pro-inflammatory bacteria and less protective bacteria.
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NewsManagement practices can enhance soil microbiome functions in plant defense
Researchers analyzed surveys and soil samples from 85 organic farmers in New York to investigate the interaction between beliefs, management practices, and soil microbiome functions.
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NewsBack from blight: Genomics offers a faster path to restoring the American chestnut
After more than a century of devastation from deadly blight, the iconic American chestnut tree could be brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to novel genomic tools and carefully bred hybrids, a new study finds.
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NewsWhat drives a mysterious sodium pump?
The enzyme Na⁺-NQR is a sodium pump that drives the respiration of many marine and pathogenic bacteria, powering the transportation of sodium ions across the membrane. A new study found that the sodium pump changes its structure in response to electron transfer inside the protein.
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NewsHPV cancer vaccine slows tumor growth, extends survival in preclinical model
Scientists discovered that systematically changing the orientation and placement of a single cancer-targeting peptide can lead to formulations that supercharge the immune system’s ability to attack HPV-driven tumors.
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NewsSeashells and coconut char: A coastal recipe for super-compost
Researchers have developed a calcium-modified biochar that speeds up waste recycling and creates nutrient-rich soil, boosting specialized microbial communities that break down tough materials like lignin and convert them into stable humus.
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NewsStiff gels slow germs: New study maps hydrogel properties that control bacterial growth
Scientists has found that firmer, lower water content hydrogels limit bacterial growth, with implications for designing antibacterial coatings, infection models, and advanced medical materials.
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NewsResearchers develop new inhalable treatment for TB
Researchers have developed an inhalable, immunomodulating, biocompatible nanoparticle system encapsulating rifampin, one of the most important TB drugs.