All Research News articles – Page 55
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NewsResearchers discover how a respiratory bacterium obtains essential lipids from the human body and targets fat-rich tissues
A multidisciplinary team has uncovered a key mechanism that allows the human bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae—responsible for atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections—to obtain cholesterol and other essential lipids directly from the human body.
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NewsBat virome evolution reveals cross-species origins of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and regional surveillance gaps
A study has unveiled the Indochina Peninsula’s bat virome diversity, offering key insights into the origins of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and critical surveillance priorities.
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NewsExploring metabolic noise opens new paths to better biomanufacturing
Engineers investigating fluctuating metabolic activity in microorganisms have developed tools to keep every microbial cell at peak productivity during biomanufacturing.
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NewsLiquorice root could be effective against upper respiratory tract infections - while protecting ‘good’ microbes
Lozenges supplemented with liquorice root extract could be an effective remedy against upper respiratory tract infections while protecting microbes that are beneficial to the body, reveals a study presented at MLS Future Forum, which is supported by Applied Microbiology International.
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NewsScientists explore how gut bacteria alter the flavor of Black Ivory coffee beans
Coffee beans that pass through the digestive tracts of animals get their unique flavors from the activity of gut microbes, report researchers. Bacterial activity that reduces the pectin content of Black Ivory coffee could be the source of its smoother, chocolaty, and less bitter flavor.
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NewsCommercial water dispenser machines may contain more contamination than tap water
Water dispenser machines in commercial spaces may contain higher levels of microbial contamination if they aren’t cleaned regularly compared to the tap water sources supplying them that contain residual chlorine, according to a new study.
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NewsInfant gut bacteria may be the key to preventing asthma and allergies
A study shows that children are less likely to develop allergies and asthma if, as infants, they are colonized with certain bifidobacteria that produce a substance in the gut - a so-called metabolite - that dampens immune responses to allergens.
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NewsA bacterial toxin can counteract colorectal cancer growth
A toxin secreted by cholera bacteria can inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer without causing any measurable damage to the body. Systemic administration of the purified bacterial substance changes the immune microenvironment in tumours.
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NewsShould younger and older people receive different treatments for the same infection?
Scientists find the mechanisms young mice use to fight sepsis become disadvantageous in older age, suggesting age-specific treatments may be necessary in ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis.
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NewsGut bacteria molecule boosts lung cancer treatment response
Researchers have discovered a small compound produced naturally by gut bacteria that doubled the response to lung cancer immunotherapy treatment in mice and can now be made into a drug for testing in humans.
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NewsPlant discovery could lead to new ways of producing medicines
Scientists studying a plant called Flueggea suffruticosa, which produces a particularly powerful alkaloid known as securinine, investigated how this chemical is made - and discovered that the process is driven by a gene that looks more like it comes from bacteria than from a plant.
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NewsNew study explores therapeutic potential of CRISPRCas3 genome-editing system
Scientists working on the genetic disease transthyretin amyloidosis evaluated the efficacy of the CRISPR–Cas3 system in safely achieving a permanent reduction of transthyretin (TTR) production through genome editing of the TTR gene.
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NewsSame moves, different terrain: How bacteria navigate complex environments without changing their playbook
New research shows that a diverse group of bacteria has learned how to use the same basic movements to move through a wide range of environments no matter how complex, from unconstrained fluids to densely packed soil and tissues.
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NewsMaternal microbiome compound may hold key to preventing liver disease
Children born to mothers who consume a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding face a higher risk of developing fatty liver disease later in life. New research suggests that risk may be reduced by supplementing with a naturally occurring compound produced by healthy gut bacteria.
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NewsA new study reveals how cholera virulence is activated
A new study provides a long-sought structural explanation of the regulatory cascade that allows Vibrio cholerae to colonize the human gut and produce the cholera toxin that causes life-threatening diarrhea.
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NewsTB and HIV treatments are not enough for a full recovery
Existing treatments control TB and HIV, but the immune system does not revert to normal, helping explain why people living with HIV remain susceptible to infections and underscoring the need for immunotherapies.
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NewsAboard the International Space Station, viruses and bacteria show atypical interplay
In a new study, terrestrial bacteria-infecting viruses were still able to infect their E. coli hosts in near-weightless “microgravity” conditions aboard the International Space Station, but the dynamics of virus-bacteria interactions differed from those observed on Earth.
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NewsWhy don’t antibiotic-making bacteria self-destruct?
Scientists discovered a promising new antibiotic in a soil sample. The molecule, lariocidin, is produced by the microbe Paenibacillus and shows broad activity against pathogenic bacteria. Now, the researchers report how Paenibacillus avoids harm by its own antibiotic.
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NewsScientists observe infections by cancer-causing retroviruses in koalas as they occur
Scientists analysed the ongoing colonization by two retroviruses of the germline of koalas and resulting deaths from cancer in multi-generational pedigrees of over 100 koalas in US and European zoos. They calculated genetic risk scores (GRS) that can help guide koala breeding programs.
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NewsWhen a virus releases the immune brake: New evidence on the onset of multiple sclerosis
A study investigating the links between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis shows that EBV can interfere with the control of B cells. One viral protein mimics a crucial “approval” signal that B cells usually require from other immune cells. Self-reactive B cells can then survive even when they should be shut down.