All plasmids articles
-
NewsMapping the hidden gene highways of wastewater biofilms
A new study uncovers the hidden microbial connections within wastewater biofilms by combining Hi-C sequencing with multi-omics to directly map which phages and plasmids are associated with which microbial hosts.
-
NewsBacterial hitchhikers can give their hosts super strength
Molecular hitchhikers living within bacteria can make their hosts extra resistant to medical treatment by corralling them into tightly packed groups. The study introduces a previously unknown avenue through which bacterial infections can become more difficult to treat.
-
NewsNext generation genetics technology developed to counter the rise of antibiotic resistance
The new Pro-Active Genetics (Pro-AG) tool called pPro-MobV is a second-generation technology that uses an approach similar to gene drives to disable drug resistance in populations of bacteria.
-
NewsResearchers develop novel tracking method to reveal spread of antibiotic resistance across Hong Kong’s environment
Researchers have harnessed citywide genetic data and developed a novel genome-resolved tracking method to uncover precisely how antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes move across Hong Kong’s environment.
-
NewsResearchers subvert plasmids to combat antibiotic resistance
Scientists have devised a way to track the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance in individual bacteria by measuring competition among plasmids. Plasmids evolve independently but also help drive bacterial evolution, including the development of resistance to antimicrobial compounds. They are the primary way that resistance can jump from one type of bacteria to another.
-
NewsGenetic culprits IDed in capture of 100 years of antibiotic resistance evolution
The genetic culprits responsible for the spread of multidrug resistance (MDR) in bacteria have been identified by new research mapping 100 years of bacterial evolution.
-
NewsStudy identifies gene clusters in rhizobia linked to robust legume growth
A new study identified clusters of rhizobial genes that appear to move rapidly through bacterial populations and drive greater plant biomass in host plants. Understanding the interplay of host and bacterial genomes will help to optimize plant growth by improving the rhizosphere.
-
NewsResearch advances on ‘displacing’ antibiotic resistance gene from bacteria
Scientists have identified essential genetic code for a method called plasmid curing, which aims to ‘displace’ antibiotic resistance genes from bacteria.
-
NewsPrecision medicine could be possible in the fight against antibiotic resistance
The first-of-its-kind in-depth bacterial evolutionary map could pave the way for the development of precision treatments for certain antibiotic-resistant infections, such as urinary tract infections.
-
NewsDeadly antibiotic-resistant ‘superbug’ bacteria spreading in Malaysian hospital
A virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbug’ that causes severe disease has been found circulating in a Malaysian hospital - posing significant challenges to global public health, a new study reveals.
-
NewsRice research team creates universal RNA barcoding system for tracking gene transfer in bacteria
An interdisciplinary group of researchers at Rice University has developed an innovative RNA “barcoding” method to track gene transfer in microbial communities, providing new insights into how genes move across species.
-
NewsCuriosity-driven experiment helps unravel antibiotic-resistance mystery
An international collaboration has achieved an important breakthrough in understanding the genetic mechanisms that allow bacteria to build resistance to drugs.
-
NewsResearchers have uncovered how foreign DNA can evade bacterial defense systems and neutralize them
A new study reveals how bacterial defense mechanisms can be neutralized, enabling the efficient transfer of genetic material between bacteria.
-
NewsSymbiotic bacterium affects reproduction of biological control insect
Researchers have revealed that the symbiotic bacterium Rickettsia induces strong cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in the predatory mirid bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis, which preys on agricultural pests such as whiteflies and thrips.
-
NewsIn lab tests, dietary zinc inhibits AMR gene transmission
Genes responsible for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can spread from microbe to microbe through plasmids, and this lateral transfer occurs in the gut - but transmission of some AMR plasmids may be inhibited by dietary zinc supplements.
-
NewsTIny microbe rewired to upcycle excess carbon dioxide
Researchers have rewired a microbe to help tackle greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: It takes in carbon dioxide (CO2) gas and produces mevalonate, a useful building block for pharmaceuticals.
-
NewsResearchers uncover two new mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance
Two newly discovered mechanisms in bacteria have been identified that can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. Source: Uppsala University Helen Wang, Senior Lecturer and Docent at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University Changing the number of copies of resistance genes in bacteria ...
-
NewsResearchers develop an efficient host-vector system for a model archaeon by solving CRISPR-based host-plasmid conflict
The replicase gene of pRN1, an archaeal cryotic plasmid, carries a DNA segment to be targeted by the host I‐A CRISPR system, and the CRISPR-based host-plasmid conflict is responsible for instability of pRN1‐derived vectors in the archaeon Saccharolobus islandicus REY15A.
-
OpinionIs climate change driving an increase in cases of anthrax?
The anthrax outbreak in Africa could be a harbinger of more to come, with climate change creating opportunities for the emergence of more cross-over strains capable of causing anthrax-like infections.
-
NewsGenes fuelling antibiotic resistance in Yemen cholera outbreak uncovered
Widespread antibiotic resistance among cholera-causing bacteria causing the outbreak in Yemen since 2018 explained by gene mixing.