All Microbiological Methods articles
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NewsResearchers find a more precise way to edit the genome
A genome-editing technique known as prime editing holds potential for treating many diseases. However, the process carries a small chance of inserting errors that could be harmful - but researchers have now found a way to dramatically lower the error rate.
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NewsAI-powered CRISPR could lead to faster gene therapies, study finds
A new AI tool can help scientists better plan gene-editing experiments. CRISPR-GPT acts as a gene-editing “copilot” supported by AI to help researchers — even those unfamiliar with gene editing — generate designs, analyze data and troubleshoot design flaws.
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NewsMethod probing dark matter uncovers hundreds of new bacteria, and two potential antibiotics
A new approach to exploring untapped soil resources circumvents the need to grow bacteria in the lab by extracting very large DNA fragments directly from soil to piece together the genomes of previously hidden microbes, and then mines resulting genomes for bioactive molecules.
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NewsScientists report the first use of CRISPR activation to treat a cardiac disease in mice
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that CRISPR-based gene activation (CRISPRa) can be used to treat genetic heart disease in vivo. The study paves the way for novel targeted therapies for patients with genetic cardiac disorders.
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NewsResearchers capture new antibiotic resistance mechanisms with trace amounts of DNA
Scientists have developed a method to isolate genes from amounts of microbial DNA so tiny that it would take 20,000 samples to weigh as much as a single grain of sugar.
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NewsResearchers develop first-of-its-kind RNA tool to advance cancer and infectious disease research and treatment
Scientists have developed a powerful tool capable of scanning thousands of biological samples to detect transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) modifications — tiny chemical changes to RNA molecules that help control how cells grow, adapt to stress and respond to diseases such as cancer and antibiotic‑resistant infections.
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NewsChronic wound infection model is much closer to real life - and cuts back on animal testing
Thousands of lab animals are used every year to test wound treatments. But one lab in Wales is pointing the way towards a more humane model of research, with the work it is carrying out on in vitro/animal replacement models.
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NewsGut bacteria can reveal colorectal cancer
Researchers identified all human gut bacteria to a level of detail that uncovers the physiological importance of the different microbial subgroups. This inventory was then used to detect the presence of colorectal cancer according to the bacteria present in simple stool samples.
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NewsPortable spectroscopy enables detection of vaginal microbes
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can rapidly and noninvasively detect specific bacterial species in vaginal fluid, enabling early identification of microbiome imbalances.
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NewsDisarming a hidden killer: Predicting – and preventing – C. diff before it strikes
Researchers have developed a powerful, personalized modeling framework to predict whether Clostridioides difficile is likely to colonize an individual’s gut, and to test whether specific probiotic therapies might prevent and/or reverse that colonization.
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NewsNew imaging approach transforms study of bacterial biofilms
Scientists have reimagined the capabilities of atomic force microscopy, transforming it into a tool that captures large-scale biological architecture. This advance offers an unprecedented view of biofilm organization.
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NewsOrganized scientific fraud is growing at an alarming rate, study reveals
Although concerns around scientific misconduct typically focus on lone individuals, a study of scientific fraud has uncovered sophisticated global networks of individuals and entities, which systematically work together to undermine the integrity of academic publishing.
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NewsEvaluating the effect of liquid-handling speed on yeast growth using robots
A new experiment indicated that the fastest pipetting speed on cells can be set without relying on thumb rules or guesswork, which is an important guideline for increasing the efficiency and reproducibility of robot-based experiments.
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NewsIlluminated sugars show how microbes eat the ocean’s carbon
A team of scientists have designed a molecular probe that lights up when a sugar is consumed. They described how the probe helps to study the microscopic tug-of-war between algae and microbial degraders in the ocean.
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NewsNovel open-source diagnostic tool offers affordable, reliable pathogen detection for resource-limited settings
Researchers have developed an open-source reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay that is lyophilized for heat stability and uses non-proprietary components, making it an affordable tool for pathogen detection in diverse settings.
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NewsTiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design
By analyzing just a drop of blood, this microchip gives researchers quicker-than-ever insight into how a person’s antibodies are interacting with a virus or other pathogen.
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NewsStructure of tick-borne virus revealed at atomic resolution for the first time
One emerging tick-borne virus in North America is the Powassan virus (POWV), which can cause encephalitis, seizures, paralysis and coma. Rates of POWV infections have increased in recent years and currently, there are no treatments available.
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NewsResearchers develop superstrong, eco-friendly materials from bacteria
Scientists have developed a scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. Their biosynthesis technique aligns bacterial cellulose fibers in real-time, resulting in robust biopolymer sheets with exceptional mechanical properties.
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NewsDrones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching
New research has revealed alarming coral mortality rates of 92 per cent after last year’s bleaching event at Lizard Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, marking one of the highest coral mortality rates ever documented globally.
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NewsAI revives classic microscopy for on-farm soil health testing
The classic microscope is getting a modern twist - US researchers are developing an AI-powered microscope system that could make soil health testing faster, cheaper, and more accessible to farmers and land managers around the world.