All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 3
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NewsInstitut Pasteur issues statement on U.S. administration’s attacks against biomedical research, global public health action and vaccination
For several months now, the current U.S. administration has consistently attacked and endeavored to weaken biomedical research and public health action in the United States and worldwide with unparalleled vigor, the Institut Pasteur has said in a new statement.
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NewsNew tool shows how to enter and change pneumocystis fungi
Researchers have reported success in genetically modifying the fungal pathogen Pneumocystis murina. Their approach uses extracellular vesicles from mouse lungs to deliver gene-modifying molecules inside the fungal cells. The modified fungus expressed the introduced genomic modifications.
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NewsMineral dust accelerating melting of Greenland ice sheet
Scientists have found that airborne mineral dust and other aerosols are directly connected to how much algae grows on the ice. The algae interfere with albedo, or the reflection of the sun’s rays, exacerbating melting.
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NewsGlowing bacterial sensors detect gut illness in mice before symptoms emerge
Researchers have engineered gut bacteria that dim their fluorescent glow in the presence of illness. Their findings could improve how we diagnose problems in the gut by using bacteria that already live there.
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NewsHow genes influence the microbes in our mouths
A new study has found human genetic factors that influence the oral microbiome and may increase risk of cavities and tooth loss in some people. Analysis of the now largest collection of oral microbiome profiles reveals interactions between human and bacterial DNA.
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NewsEmbedding critical thinking from a young age will help solve world problems, microbiologists say
Scientists from around the world have called for a radical refocus of school curricula from early years to high school to include more critical thinking and learning skills to empower students to ‘think outside the box’.
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NewsFecal microbiota transplantation improves response to immunotherapy in advanced kidney cancer
A new study provides compelling evidence that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).
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NewsScientists say these two viruses may become the next public health threats
Two emerging pathogens with animal origins — influenza D virus and canine coronavirus — have so far been quietly flying under the radar, but researchers warn conditions are ripe for the viruses to spread more widely among humans.
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NewsPesticides significantly affect soil life and biodiversity
Seventy per cent of soils in Europe are contaminated with pesticides. A Europe-wide study shows that their effects on soil life are substantial, as pesticides suppress various beneficial soil organisms. To protect soil biodiversity, the findings should be taken into account in current pesticide regulations.
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NewsIn rare cases, autoantibodies can cause severe reactions to a live-attenuated virus Chikungunya vaccine that has been discontinued in the U.S.
A new study shows that preexisting autoantibodies in a small subset of the population can allow weakened vaccine viruses to escape control, explaining some adverse events tied to one kind of Chikungunya vaccine, which is no longer available in the U.S.
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NewsScientists use AI to uncover the secret lives of fungi
Scientists have developed an automated workflow that assesses scientific abstracts and accurately identifies whether a fungus has a single lifestyle or a dual, flexible one. Understanding this flexibility is vital for predicting how forests and farms will react to climate change.
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NewsNew platform could develop vaccines faster than ever before
Scientists are optimizing a vaccine-development platform created to accelerate how quickly life-saving vaccines can be designed and deployed during infectious-disease outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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NewsInnovative ‘poop pills’ show promising results in clinical trials for multiple types of cancer
Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), can dramatically improve cancer treatment. One study shows that the toxic side effects of drugs to treat kidney cancer could be eliminated with FMT. A second suggests FMT is effective in improving the response to immunotherapy in patients with lung cancer and melanoma.
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NewsPreparedness for future pandemics: MERS vaccine candidate shows long-lasting immune response
A new study has shown for the first time that an experimental vaccine against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) induces a stable and functional immune response in humans that persists for at least two years after a booster vaccination.
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NewsSerum interleukin-8 can tell pulmonary aspergillosis from bacterial pneumonia in patients with liver failure
Scientists found serum interleukin-8 can be used to differentiate invasive pulmonary aspergillosis from bacterial pneumonia in patients with HBV-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure.
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NewsScientists find hidden diversity inside common brain parasite
Scientists have found that Toxoplasma gondii is far more complex than previously believed. Until now, cysts were believed to contain a single, uniform type of parasite lying dormant until reactivated, but have now been found to contain multiple distinct subtypes of parasites, each with different biological roles.
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NewsFungus unlocks hidden phosphorus from massive industrial waste
Researchers have shown that Aspergillus niger can extract large amounts of residual phosphorus from phosphogypsum, a byproduct of phosphoric acid production that is generated in enormous quantities worldwide. More than 40 per cent of the phosphorus locked inside this waste material can be recovered.
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NewsResearchers demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 virus inactivation/destruction using focused sound waves
A team of researchers has successfully demonstrated the destruction of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles through exposure to high-frequency sound waves, marking a promising advance in non-pharmacological antiviral strategies.
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NewsIn polar regions, microbes are influencing climate change as frozen ecosystems thaw, review finds
Microbes across Earth’s coldest regions are becoming more active as glaciers, permafrost and sea ice thaw, accelerating carbon release and potentially amplifying climate change, according to a new international review.
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NewsCOVID-19 viral fragments shown to target and kill specific immune cells
New research shows that after the body’s defenses kill the virus behind COVID-19, leftover digested chunks of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can target specific immune cells based on their shape. It could explain why certain populations of cells that detect and fight infection are depleted in patients with severe COVID-19.