All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 6
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NewsNew research reveals how bacteria export the building blocks of biofilms
Chemists examined how the polysaccharide “Pel” – a central component of many biofilms – is exported out of the cell by the pathogen P. aeruginosa and describe the structure of the so-called PelBC export complex, which represents the last station in the cell before “Pel” is released.
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NewsCultured mini-organs reveal the weapons of aggressive Shigella bacteria
Thanks to lab-grown miniature intestines, researchers have successfully mapped how aggressive Shigella bacteria infect the human gut. The study opens the door to using cultured human mini-organs to investigate a wide range of other serious infections.
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NewsSimultaneous knockout of multiple eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E genes confers durable and broad-spectrum resistance to potyviruses in tobacco
Resistant tobacco varieties carrying the va locus significantly reduced Potato virus Y (PVY) incidence and yield loss, according to a new study. However, prolonged cultivation of va-resistant varieties has led to the emergence of resistance-breaking (RB) PVY isolates.
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NewsHPV drives tumor development in rare nasal cancers
Human papillomavirus (HPV) can drive tumor development in some rare sinonasal squamous cell carcinomas (SNSCCs), according to a new comprehensive study of these tumors from investigators who also identified common mutations among these cancers and a potential combination treatment.
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NewsLove your Cavapoo? It’s one of the 6 dog breeds that are more likely to get diarrhoea
Approximately one in every 12 dogs in the UK will be diagnosed with diarrhoea each year, with some breeds more susceptible than others, according to a new study.
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NewsScholars take a new look at controversial Stateville prison malaria research 75 years ago
Medical ethicists are shining a light on a buried part of the malaria research conducted on inmates at Illinois’ Stateville Penitentiary 75 years ago.
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NewsGreen light activates this antibiotic only where it’s needed
To make a more efficient antibiotic treatment, researchers have modified penicillin so that it’s activated only by green light. In early tests, the approach precisely controlled bacterial growth and improved survival outcomes for infected insects.
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NewsGifts from the sea: Molecules derived from coral may help fight harmful bacteria
Pus, strep throat, and even tuberculosis—most infectious diseases are characterized by a cluster of pathogenic bacteria that can be stubborn and resistant to antibiotics. Researchers have found another method to combat these bacteria using naturally sourced molecules found in corals.
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NewsNew research reveals a deadly fungal pathogen’s vulnerabilities
Scientists have disovered how the lethal pathogenic fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans, thrives, allowing them to identify potential novel therapeutic targets for treatment.
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NewsA promising therapeutic agent for treating excessive inflammation due to COVID-19
Researchers show that iguratimod, a rheumatoid arthritis drug, reduces COVID-19-induced inflammation in mice without suppressing antiviral immunity.
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NewsA repurposed FDA-approved drug shows promise in killing antibiotic resistant bacteria
A study of Acinetobacter baumannii employed an entirely new strategy to identify weaknesses specific to resistant bacteria and then target these weaknesses with an alternate drug. They found that fendiline kills the bacterium by targeting the essential lipoprotein trafficking pathway, which is weakened in antibiotic resistant bacteria.
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NewsSHEA affirms trust in ACIP and supports science-based vaccine policy
Public health experts have commented on the removal by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the use of vaccines in the US.
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NewsSARS-CoV-2 protein found to spread between cells, triggering immune attack on healthy cells
A new study reveals that the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein can spread from infected to uninfected cells, triggering an immune response that mistakenly targets healthy cells.
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NewsScientists reveal gene pairs conferring resistance to wheat diseases
A research team led by Prof. Liu Zhiyong at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified two novel genetic mechanisms for disease resistance in wheat, offering promising strategies to enhance resilience against powdery mildew and stripe rust. The discoveries were published in ...
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NewsInstant AI-assisted test for viral infection
A non-DNA based test could identify viral infections in patients in minutes. Scientists designed a test that confirms the presence of live virus by pushing particles through a nanopore, one at a time, and measuring their electrical conductivity, which varies with size and surface charge as well as the unique molecular structure of the virus.
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NewsUrgent need to quantify role of fungal toxins in rising liver cancer rates in Ghana
There’s an urgent need to quantify the role of aflatoxins, found on agricultural crops, such as maize and peanuts, in the escalating rates of liver cancer in Ghana, as well as elsewhere in Africa and Asia, concludes a commentary.
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NewsPeople with COVID-like symptoms took up to nine months post-infection to regain mental well-being
New research finds that people with COVID-like symptoms returned to optimal physical well-being an average of three months after infection, but took up to nine months to return to top mental well-being.
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NewsWHO announces that mpox remains a public health emergency of international concern
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that the mpox upsurge continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) set forth in the International Health Regulations (IHR).
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NewsResearchers pinpoint fungal hotspots of ‘dark taxa’ across Earth’s underground ecosystems
A new study finds that 83% of ectomycorrhizal fungi are known only by their DNA sequences that can’t be linked to named or described species, posing problems for conservation.
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NewsGene pyramiding protects peppers from devastating viral diseases
Researchers demonstrates how combining two different resistance genes can make pepper plants remarkably more resilient against even the most virulent begomovirus combinations.