All Research News articles
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NewsHigh-fat diets cause gut bacteria to enter brain, study finds
A new study, performed using mouse models, establishes that live bacteria from an imbalanced gut microbiome can enter the brain via the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve connects the brainstem to the heart, lungs, and major abdominal organs, including the stomach, intestines, liver and more.
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NewsShell game: How oysters enlist help from microbes
Researchers have discovered that oyster microbes might help with the “heavy lifting” of calcification that forms oyster shells. These microbes and the oysters co-express – or coordinate – the expression of certain genes that hint at a chemical “dialogue” between the host and these microbes.
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NewsNew gel-based system allows bacteria to act as bioelectrical sensors
Researchers have developed a safe bioelectronic sensor that allows for effective electronic communication even in liquid environments. The system uses the naturally occurring polymer chitosan, acting as a kind of shell to keep the bacteria from escaping.
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NewsWhat factors influence likelihood and severity of Ebola outbreaks?
Two new papers looked at factors that contribute to how Ebola outbreaks begin and how severe they become. This Q&A looks at how the results could inform public health interventions to prevent pathogen emergence or slow the spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases.
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NewsSurface treatment of wood may keep harmful bacteria at bay
A recent study suggests that bacteria thrive more readily on untreated than treated wood surfaces. The finding has implications for hygiene in both homes and public spaces.
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NewsTargeting two flu proteins sharply reduces airborne spread
A study in ferrets — which have remarkably similar respiratory systems to humans — suggests that immunity to two proteins in the H1N1 influenza virus sharply reduces transmission.
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NewsFreshwater alga captures far-red light for photosynthesis by rearranging ordinary chlorophyll
To survive in areas where it is difficult to photosynthesize, some organisms adopt unique strategies. Researchers have found that a freshwater alga captures far-red light as an additional energy source by arranging ordinary chlorophyll in an extraordinary way.
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NewsPenicillin–streptomycin influences macrophage mechanical properties and microenvironment mechano-sensation
A foundational finding in mechanobiology reveals that penicillin-streptomycin (pen-strep), the antibiotic mixture universally added to mammalian cell culture media, is not a biologically inert antimicrobial agent.
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NewsCorpses leave microbial fingerprints behind in the soil long after they’re gone
Researchers have found that trace elements of a cadaver linger at an original dump site even after an extensive amount of time. These elements can provide insights into postmortem processes, helping forensic investigators uncover clandestine burials and relocate the remains of murder victims.
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NewsTrial finds vitamin D supplements don’t reduce Covid severity but could reduce long COVID risk
In a large, randomized trial, researchers have found that high-dose vitamin D3 did not reduce COVID-19 infection severity, but may impact long COVID outcomes.
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NewsMothers' exposure to microbes protect their newborn babies against infection
A study dives into new depths to explore why only some babies develop severe infection to common bacteria. The research revealed that the babies that became most severely ill from E. coli infections also had markedly lower levels of germ-fighting antibodies transferred from their mothers.
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NewsStill standing but mostly dead: Recovery of dying coral reef in Moorea stalls
In 2019, a marine heat wave struck a coral reef on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, killing much of the coral and the beneficial algae that colonized it. A long-term study of the area is challenging scientists’ understanding of the cycles of destruction and repair that can occur on a coral reef.
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NewsMedicinal plants with anti-entamoeba histolytica activity: phytochemistry, efficacy, and clinical potential
Reported adverse effects associated with the current first-line treatment for amoebiasis, coupled with the evolution of resistance to it, call for the need to search for plant-based alternatives. This study systematically reviews medicinal plants with activity against Entamoeba histolytica.
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NewsScientists reveal how deadly Marburg virus enters human cells, identify therapeutic vulnerability
Researchers found that the Marburg virus, one of the world’s deadliest pathogens, is unusually efficient at getting inside human cells. They also showed that the virus’s entry protein contains structural features that explain this efficiency and point to a strategy for blocking infection.
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NewsHow one flu virus can hamper the immune response to another
Prior exposure to one strain of influenza virus may weaken children’s ability to mount an effective antibody response against their subsequent exposure to a different flu strain, according to a study.
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NewsThe gut can drive age-associated memory loss
Scientists have discovered that the aging gastrointestinal tract produces specific molecules that blunt the activity of a key gut-brain neuronal pathway, leading to age-related cognitive decline in mice.
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NewsResearch guides response to unprecedented 2023 E. coli outbreak affecting Calgary kids
Protocols developed by scientists informed care when hundreds of children were sick due to a severe strain of E. coli. Overall, 40 children were hospitalized, 21 developed HUS and nine required dialysis. The number of children who developed HUS was less than half of what would typically occur in an outbreak of this size.
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NewsSevere COVID-19 and flu facilitate lung cancer months or years later, new research shows
Severe COVID-19 and influenza infections prime the lungs for cancer and can accelerate the disease’s development, but vaccination heads off those harmful effects, new research indicates.
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NewsScientists design metal-enhanced biochar to boost clean hydrogen production from agricultural waste
A new study reports that specially engineered biochar made from agricultural waste could significantly increase biohydrogen production by improving the way microbes transfer electrons during fermentation.
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NewsResearchers uncover how bacteria suppress immune defences in stubborn wound infections
A common bacterium can suppress the body’s early warning system in wounds, causing infections to persist and create an environment that allows other bacteria to take hold. Enterococcus faecalis releases large amounts of lactic acid in the wound, which lowers pH, weakens immune cells and prevents them from fighting an infection.