One health
Communicable diseases remain one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. There are disparities in the numbers of individuals affected by disease between low-and-middle-income countries and those in developed nations. Microbes will play in important role in drug discovery: producing anticancer drugs and antimicrobials. Applying One Health principles, to understand the interaction of pathogens and the human host, development of diagnostics, treatments, and disease prevention, applied microbiologists can shape global health and wellbeing outcomes.
News
Earthworms turn manure into a powerful tool against antibiotic resistance
Earthworms could become unexpected allies in the global fight against antibiotic resistance, by helping farmers turn manure into safer, high-value organic fertilizer through vermicomposting. Researchers report it can remove antibiotic resistance genes far more consistently than conventional composting.
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NewsA tug-of-war explains a decades-old question about how bacteria swim
Whether a bacterium’s tail spins clockwise or counterclockwise was previously thought to depend on a ‘domino effect’ among proteins inside the tail. However, new research proposes that a tug-of-war is the deciding factor.
NewsHow Mtb safeguards itself from foreign DNA
Researchers have discovered how a key protein in the tuberculosis bacterium helps protect it from the influence of foreign DNA inserted into its genome. Understanding how this protein – called Lsr2 – functions could help develop drugs that target it, thereby aiding in the fight against TB.
NewsThe secret room a giant virus creates inside its host amoeba
Researchers examined Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus-infected amoeba cells using a combination of sequencing methods, including Ribosome profiling to estimate the frequency of translation pausing and tRNA sequencing to determine tRNA composition.
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News
New test shows which antibiotics actually work
Drugs that act against bacteria are mainly assessed based on how well they inhibit bacterial growth under laboratory conditions. A critical factor is whether the active substances actually kill the pathogens in the body. Researchers have presented a new method for measuring how effectively antibiotics kill bacteria.
NewsTB harnesses part of immune defense system to cause infection
Scientists have made a discovery that helps explain why humans and animals are so susceptible to contracting tuberculosis – and it involves the bacteria harnessing part of the immune system meant to protect against infection. They team discovered that MTB survives within the cells of its host by targeting Dectin-1.
NewsBiodegradable and conventional plastics shape very different antibiotic resistance risks in river microbiomes
Biodegradable plastics are not always safer for rivers and oceans, according to a new study that tracked how different plastics change the risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria over time in a real river.
NewsMelting glaciers may release hidden antibiotic resistance into vital water sources
Researchers report that glaciers act as long-term reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes. Once released by glacier melt, these genes can enter rivers, lakes, and ecosystems that supply drinking water and support wildlife in polar and high-altitude regions.
NewsWhat causes some people’s gut microbes to produce high alcohol levels?
A study of people with a rare condition known as auto-brewery syndrome has found a link between gut microbes and symptoms of intoxication, pointing to new treatment strategies.
NewsPlastic particles can increase intestinal inflammation
Researchers investigating a possible link between the rising number of people with chronic inflammatory bowel disease and the increasing exposure to micro- and nanoplastics show that plastic particles influence the immune cells and the intestinal microbiome and can thus increase inflammation.
NewsVictoria’s Secret grant backs cutting-edge ovarian cancer research
Promising ovarian cancer research by Melanie Rutkowski, PhD, at the University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center has won $700,000 in support from the Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers in partnership with Pelotonia and AACR, the American Association for Cancer Research.
NewsA high-protein diet can defeat cholera infection
A new study has found that diets high in casein, the main protein in milk and cheese, as well as wheat gluten, could make a dramatic difference in the amount of cholera bacteria able to infect the gut.
NewsStudy: How can we stop the spread of flu?
Researchers wanted to find out how the flu spreads, so they put college students already sick with the flu into a hotel room with healthy middle-aged adult volunteers. The result? No one caught the flu.
NewsA new ally against tooth decay: Arginine offers sweet relief
A new human clinical trial finds arginine can prevent caries due to bacterial plaques by reducing the acidity, altering the plaque structure and reducing harmful bacteria in the plaques.
NewsMicrobes in breast milk help populate infant gut microbiomes
A new study provides one of the most detailed portraits yet of how different combinations of bacteria in human milk contribute to the assembly of infants’ gut microbiomes.
NewsNewly discovered gut microbial molecules in infancy may influence the risk of type 1 diabetes
An international research team has uncovered compelling evidence that gut-microbe-derived molecules may play an important role in shaping the developing immune system during early childhood.
NewsBeyond gene scissors: New CRISPR mechanism discovered
Two studies describe how researchers found a novel CRISPR mechanism, Cas12a2, in a family of nucleases that exclusively cleave DNA. In contrast, Cas12a2 was able to broadly cleave both RNA and DNA.
NewsWhooping cough vaccination for pregnant women strengthens babies’ immune system
Vaccinating women during pregnancy leads to the transfer of antibodies to their newborns. These antibodies were detected not only in blood, but also in the nasal mucosa, the site where whooping cough bacteria enter the body.
NewsCommon brain parasite can infect your immune cells. Here’s why that’s probably OK
Researchers have determined how our immune systems fight back against the parasite Toxoplasma gondii when it makes it inside the CD8+ T cells meant to destroy it.
NewsNew research decodes the bacterial “zip code” of colorectal cancer for prediction and survival
A recent study shows that bacteria living inside colorectal tumors form distinct ecosystems that are closely linked to how the disease progression and patient outcomes.
NewsCholera vaccine completes phase 1 trial
A clinical trial shows promising results for PanChol, a single-dose oral vaccine aimed at the up to 4 million annual cholera cases worldwide.
NewsSub-lethal water disinfection may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance
A new study reveals that environmental stressors do not merely kill bacteria; they can also prime surviving cells to take up resistance genes more efficiently, raising concerns about how antibiotic-resistant bacteria may spread in aquatic environments.
NewsSome antibodies outmaneuver germs from sticking to cells
Researchers have uncovered several new mechanisms by which antibodies block E. coli bacteria that cause urinary tract infections from attaching to bladder cells. Once E. coli bacteria get a strong grip, they can be difficult to flush out.