All Microbial Genetics articles
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NewsAnti-CRISPR stops the protein assembly line in bacteria
Bacteria fend off invading viruses with molecular scissors that slice up viral DNA, but viruses can fight back with a molecular trick that stops the scissors from ever being made. A viral “anti-CRISPR” protein sits on the ribosome and jams it as a CRISPR protein named Cas12 begins to form.
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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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NewsMalaria’s mRNA: Messages that mess with the immune system
A new study uncovers the malaria parasite’s RNA strategies – mechanisms that could inspire unexpected applications for RNA-based tools in multiple areas of medicine.
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NewsGene-sharing myth challenged as bacteria shown to police DNA exchange
A new study reveals that bacteria can actively limit the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, using a newly characterized mechanism that blocks DNA transfer between cells. It focuses on how bacteria exchange genetic material through tiny intercellular bridges known as nanotubes.
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NewsTiny switch controls rare rotary machine in bacteria - and can even reverse direction of spin
Researchers have discovered a tiny molecular switch that can control and reverse the direction of a rare rotary machine linked to motility, surface colonization and protein secretion in bacteria.
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NewsNew insights into how bacteria manage DNA
New analytical methods have enabled researchers to uncover how the sequence, physical shape and flexibility of bacterial DNA guide the activity of an enzyme called DNA gyrase, which previously got all the credit for managing DNA.
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NewsAntibiotic resistance genes found in newborns within hours of birth, study shows
Antibiotic resistance genes can be present in newborns within the first hours of life. The study analysed meconium samples from 105 infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within the first 72 hours of life between July 2024 and July 2025.
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NewsHow soil microbes adapt to life in lakes
Researchers have analyzed the genome of bacteria living in Lake Zurich to conclude that microbes employ two different strategies to colonize new habitats. Some acquire new traits – but others reduce the size of their genome and lose some functions in order to successfully move to a new home.
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NewsGene sheds light on how parasites exit host cells
Researchers have elucidated the parasite exit process - known as egress - after identifying an essential gene, MIC11. To clearly explain egress, the behaviors of Toxoplasma gondii were assessed.
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NewsNew bite-sized CRISPR molecule may open doors for therapeutic genome editing
The safest, most accurate gene-editing tools don’t fit inside viral delivery mechanisms that could target them to specific cell types or tissues inside the human body. Researchers have developed a smaller pair of “molecular scissors” for gene editing that could make site-specific delivery within the body possible.
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NewsUnexpected potential bacterial symbiosis found in fungus that causes angular leaf spot
Scientists have uncovered an unexpected microbial relationship that could help explain differences in the severity of a major disease affecting common beans. The discovery sheds light on how the pathogen evolves and may point to new strategies.
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NewsA single gene, a dramatic change: CRISPR unlocks white strawberries
Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to selectively edit a single dominant gene copy controlling fruit color in the commercial octoploid strawberry cultivar ‘Florida Brilliance’. By targeting the MYB10-1B gene, they successfully converted red strawberries into stable white-fruited plants.
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NewsMicroplastics in soil may reshape microbial genes and threaten ecosystem stability
A new review highlights how microscopic plastic particles accumulating in soils can alter microbial genes that control essential ecosystem functions, potentially affecting food production, climate processes, and environmental health.
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NewsA yeast enzyme helps human cells overcome mitochondrial defects
An international team has experimentally uncoupled nucleotide synthesis from mitochondrial activity using ScURA, a yeast-derived genetic tool now available to the research community that will enable new explorations of cellular metabolism.
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NewsScientists’ chemical breakthrough sheds light on origins of life
Researchers have discovered a tiny RNA molecule that could explain how life on Earth began. The findings reveal the team has identified a remarkably small ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule, named QT45, that can copy itself and its complementary strand.
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NewsGenetic system makes worker cells more resilient producers of nanostructures
Researchers report the development of a new genetic regulatory system to improve cell viability during the production of gas vesicles.
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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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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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News3′UTR-derived small RNA couples acid resistance to metabolic reprogramming in Salmonella within macrophages
Salmonella expresses the arginine decarboxylase AdiA, which confers acid resistance by catalyzing an H+-consuming reaction. Researchers have discovered that the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of adiA mRNA is processed by RNase E into a regulatory small RNA, AdiZ.
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NewsAncient DNA pushes back record of treponemal disease-causing bacteria by 3,000 years
Scientists have recovered a genome of Treponema pallidum from 5,500-year-old human remains in Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia. The research expands knowledge about the history of this infectious disease and its occurrence in human populations.