More news from The Americas – Page 11
-
NewsObese pregnant women infected by zika virus have impaired immune response
Researchers have shown for the first time that gestational obesity associated with infection by zika virus influences the placenta’s antiviral response, weakening the organ’s capacity to attack the pathogen and protect the foetus.
-
NewsResearchers cultivate microalgae for biofuel production
Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil have grown microalgae under controlled conditions in a laboratory in order to use their metabolites, especially lipids, with the prime purpose of producing biofuel. Source: Bianca Ramos Estevam Cultivation of microalga B. terribilis and extraction of hydrocarbons ...
-
NewsToddler diagnosed with rare Mycobacterium marinum infection following iguana bite
A 3-year-old girl was infected with an unusual Mycobacterium marinum infection, that developed following an iguana bite, report the doctors who treated her at this year’s ECCMID in April.
-
NewsExpedition to search out invisible life in Galápagos
An international research team led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is to search for invisible life in the Galápagos Islands. The Galápagos Microbiome Project - a group of scientists from the Netherlands, Ecuador, Spain and Brazil - intends to probe the uniqueness and diversity of microbial life on ...
-
NewsZika virus may combat prostate cancer - but study highlights possible side-effect
When researchers analyzed zika’s effects on normal and cancer cells, they discovered that while the virus can be used to treat the disease, it may trigger a harmful inflammatory process and damage the male reproductive system.
-
NewsYeast used in production of cachaça can prevent asthma, study shows
A daily dose of a strain of brewer’s yeast used to produce cachaça - distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice - can act as a preventive against asthma, according to a Brazilian study involving male mice.
-
NewsFirst global evaluation carried out of prokaryotic diversity in saline lake immortalised in Star Wars
Scientists have carried out the first global evaluation of the prokaryotic diversity of the biggest saline lake on Earth, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, which doubled as the salt planet in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
-
NewsBiogas produced from apple juice waste can minimize use of fossil fuels in industry
A new study shows that the use of bioenergy from apple pomace avoids greenhouse gas emissions, while the bioreactor can also convert the waste vinto organic fertilizer.
-
NewsDose of antibiotic during labour can cut sepsis risk in developing countries
New findings suggest that a single dose of azithromycin given to women planning a vaginal delivery significantly reduces the risk of maternal death or sepsis.
-
NewsResearchers create tool to map Mexico’s dengue fever hotspots
Researchers have analyzed data from Mexico’s Ministry of Health to identify dengue fever hotspots, calculating environmental and socioeconomic risk factors and mapping areas where severe outbreaks occur.
-
NewsHundreds of newly discovered microbes could be used as natural fertilizer for poor soil
The discovery of hundreds of previously unknown microbes in a Brazilian ecosystem could potentially form a basis for the development of biological substitutes for the chemical fertilizers used by farmers, especially those containing phosphorus.
-
NewsFull ICUS and abuse of meds sparked post-pandemic outbreak of drug-resistant fungus in Brazil
Researchers in Brazil have reported the largest outbreak to date of COVID-associated candidemia caused by the same drug-resistant strain of Candida parapsilosis, a fungus that invades the bloodstream and can lead to death.
-
NewsSARS-CoV-2 alters functioning of RNA in infected cells
Researchers have shown that infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, changes the functioning of host cell RNA.