All Research News articles – Page 13
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NewsBiochar from peanut shells boosts soil health and crop quality over the long term
A long-term field study across major agricultural regions in China has revealed that biochar made from peanut shells can significantly improve soil fertility and enhance crop quality by reshaping soil microbial communities.
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NewsGetting a glimpse of viral dances in the dark in the Sargasso Sea
In a new study of viral abundance over a short time frame in the Sargasso Sea, researchers found that almost all viruses with cyclical changes in abundance were most active at night – a somewhat surprising find.
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NewsBoth diseased and healthy lungs contain genes associated with antibiotic resistance
Researchers examined patients with COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and sarcoidosis, and compared them with healthy individuals. The results show that antibiotic resistance genes were present in all groups.
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NewsNipah virus hijacks host protein NSUN2 to fuel replication
Researchers have decoded a critical survival strategy of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV), identifying a key host protein hijacked by the pathogen and translating this discovery into a promising new treatment approach.
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NewsResearch cracks genetic code of growing bacterial threat
Scientists have discovered that a fast‑rising strep bacterium comes in more forms than expected, including ones that may lead to life-threatening infections. Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) was originally considered rare and was believed to mostly infect people who already had other health issues.
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NewsA natural molecule present in the human body protects against the flu
A research team has demonstrated that dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide produced constitutively by the human body, also exhibits antiviral activity against the influenza virus. People who do not develop flu-like symptoms have higher baseline levels of this molecule.
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NewsCopper-loaded starch nanoparticles can target bacteria in microbial communities
Researchers have developed copper-loaded starch nanoparticles that can be broken down by specific bacteria to release antibacterial copper molecules. They hope that these nanoparticles can be used to target biofilms, which account for 50-70% of healthcare-associated infections.
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NewsHow bacteria outsmart the immune system: Two-pronged strategy revealed
A team has uncovered how a common bacterial pathogen uses a single protein to quietly undermine the human immune system, by both shutting down key warning signals and blocking the cell’s ability to restore them.
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NewsSoil bacteria break down toxic chemicals in the environment
Soil bacteria can help to break toxic aromatic compounds down. For one of these, Rhodococcus opacus 1CP, researchers have analyzed the genome and identified many potential metabolic pathways that the bacterium can employ to act as a ‘clean-up specialist’.
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NewsScientists solve 40-year-old biological mystery behind sleeping sickness
Scientists have cracked a 40-year-old biological cold case by revealing how the parasite that causes sleeping sickness stays one step ahead of the human immune system.
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NewsNew vaccine strategy could help extend immunity against evolving viruses
Researchers have identified a possible way to make longer lasting vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
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NewsTides supercharge biochar’s carbon capture power in coastal wetlands
A new field study suggests that adding biochar to costal wetlands could significantly boost their carbon storage capacity, with tidal forces playing a surprisingly beneficial role.
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NewsEarly pregnancy probiotics may help prevent spontaneous preterm delivery
A new study suggests that probiotics supplementation during early pregnancy may help reduce the risk of recurrent spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD). Pregnant women who consumed probiotics containing Clostridium butyricum showed lower recurrence rates of sPTD compared with national averages.
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NewsVitamin D linked to immune response to gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease
Vitamin D supplementation may help shape how the immune system responds to gut bacteria in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a new study.
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NewsWhen algae stop growing, bacteria start swarming
A new study describes how a recently identified species of marine bacteria targets diatoms based on growth phase and nutrient availability.
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NewsStudy reveals how a live bacterial therapy reshapes the vaginal microbiome and identifies predictors of treatment success
A new study provides the most detailed picture yet of how a promising bacterial therapy works to prevent recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV) and why it works better for some women than others.
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NewsDegraded soils can regain microbial diversity with soil microbiome transplants
Scientists have discovered that degraded soils can regain their microbial diversity by combining soil microbiome transplants with artificial humic acid amendments.
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NewsSpecific patterns of CD39 expression on T-cells of HIV/HCV coinfected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy
Researchers demonstrated that CD4+ T-cells act as the main regulators of purinergic signals in HIV/HCV coinfected and healthy individuals. At the same time, the proportion of CD4+ T-cells involved in the control of purinergic signaling was increased in HIV/HCV coinfected patients compared with healthy subjects.
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NewsAging lung cells could be why COVID and flu are so dangerous to the elderly
Older adults are much more likely to become seriously ill from flu or COVID because aging lung cells can drive excessive immune responses, according to a new study led by researchers.
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NewsNew flu drug discovery could help fight future pandemics
Scientists say that new laboratory tests have revealed a new way to stop flu viruses, which could lead to better treatments and improved pandemic preparedness. The international team has developed experimental compounds that appear to block the virus more effectively than current medicines.