All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 3
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NewsHead impacts associated with altered gut microbiome in football players
Non-concussive head impacts—hits to the head that don’t cause clinically detectable symptoms—are correlated with subsequent changes to the gut microbiome in a small sample of US collegiate football players, according to a new study.
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News Researchers unveil new AI-driven system set to transform coral reef restoration
Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind bespoke AI system designed to assess coral health and detect early stress. BlueBiome is reimagining coral reef care by applying the same principles of preventive, precision health commonly used in human gut health.
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NewsMembrane complex aids rock-eating microbes in converting carbon dioxide to biomass
So-called rock-eating microorganisms obtain their energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from inorganic sources. Using electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy, researchers investigated the structure of DAB2 in the sulfur bacterium Halothiobacillus neapolitanus.
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NewsScientists use ultrasound to destroy influenza A and COVID-19 viruses without damaging human cells
Researchers have discovered that high-frequency ultrasound waves similar to those used in medical exams can eliminate viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 without damaging human cells. Acoustic resonance causes structural changes in viral particles until they rupture and become inactivated.
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News‘Not just hot water’: marine heatwaves can create toxic relationship between seagrasses and microbes
Heat stress from marine heatwaves can create a toxic relationship between seagrasses and a hidden ecosystem of bacteria, transforming a previously beneficial co-existence between marine plants and microbes into a harmful one, a study has found.
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NewsNew kind of CRISPR could treat viral infection and cancer by shredding sick cells’ DNA
A new technology uses a relative of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to kill target cells. When activated by a specific, programmable genetic target, the Cas12a2 protein rips a cell’s genome apart. Researchers programmed Cas12a2 to kill virus-infected cells or cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.
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NewsDNA analyses uncover what is hiding under the cap plaguing the white button mushroom industry
Researchers have uncovered that bacterial blotch is not caused by a single disease-causing bacteria or pathogen as originally learned, but by a complex of pathogenic bacterial species that thrive in the indoor controlled, humid environments where they are grown.
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NewsStudy uncovers new kind of cold sensor
Investigators studying a bacterial protein have identified a new mechanism of sensing cold temperatures. The finding points to the possibility that this same type of mechanism exists in other organisms, including humans, and may have relevance for disorders involving faulty temperature regulation.
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NewsKey magic mushroom ingredient makes fish less aggressive and lazier
Psilocybin, the chemical compound in magic mushrooms, may reduce energetically costly social behaviors like aggressive swimming bursts, shows a study demonstrating the first evidence of a calming effect in fish.
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NewsDeath-defying protein found in tardigrades preserves synthetic cells
Researchers have shown how a tardigrade protein protects cell membranes, using the proteins to preserve synthetic cells that were dried out and rehydrated in the lab. The finding could lead to a way to store and transport “microfactories” for producing medicines and other biological products.
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NewsScientists discover how HIV hijacks a cellular ‘gateway’ to infect resting immune cells
New research reveals that when HIV spreads directly between T-cells it triggers a molecular signalling chain that temporarily ‘unlocks’ the nuclear pore complex, allowing the HIV virus and capsid to enter and integrate into the host’s DNA.
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NewsResearchers flip the CRISPR script to develop world’s first DNA-guided gene editing tool for precise infectious disease diagnosis
A research team has successfully developed the world’s first DNA-guided CRISPR-Cas system capable of programmable RNA targeting and cleavage. This breakthrough overturns the conventional CRISPR paradigm, which uses RNA as a guide to target DNA.
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NewsEvolutionary processes shape bacterial populations in the human gut
Researchers used the ‘reverse ecology’ analytical approach to demonstrate that many known gut bacterial species consist of several evolutionarily distinct groups that have adapted to different conditions in the gut.
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NewsReview finds no direct link between aluminium adjuvanted vaccines and serious or long term health conditions
Current evidence does not support direct (causal) associations between aluminium adjuvanted vaccines and serious or long term health outcomes, including autism, diabetes and asthma, finds a review of the latest data.
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NewsGenetic ‘bonus material’ makes the gut bacterium Segatella copri oxygen-tolerant
Researchers have found that some strains of the gut bacterium Segatella copri possess bonus material that makes them more oxygen tolerant. The presence of the molecular regulator OxyR is crucial for this. The team discovered that strains carrying OxyR are particularly prevalent in industrialized regions of the world.
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NewsResearchers uncover hidden health risks from urban airborne microbes
Researchers have discovered that seemingly insignificant microbial components in the air, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and cellular debris, pose a long-overlooked health hazard. Bacterial endotoxins can trigger inflammatory responses in the human respiratory system in nearly 20% of cases.
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NewsResearchers identify potential new route for antimalarial drug design
Researchers have uncovered a promising new potential target for drug discovery. The team focused on an enzyme called aminopeptidase P (PfAPP) from Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria in humans.
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CareersQ&A: Meet Letters in Applied Microbiology junior editor Verônica Ortiz Alvarenga
We caught up with Verônica Ortiz Alvarenga, a food engineer and Professor at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil, who is one of the newest Junior Editors with Letters in Applied Microbiology.
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NewsFungi utilize ancient antimicrobial proteins to attack hosts and their microbiomes
An international research team has discovered the surprising evolutionary origin of fungal effector proteins: molecules that pathogens use today to infect their hosts appear to have evolved from ancient antimicrobial proteins.
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NewsPolymer ‘bristles’ could help repel proteins — and germs — from surfaces in medical settings
A non-toxic coating made of polydimethylsiloxane prevents proteins from sticking to surfaces — potentially offering a new tool in the fight against hospital-acquired infections.