All University of Zurich articles
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NewsMicroplastics disrupt gut microbiome and fermentation in farm animals
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles pervasive in agricultural environments, interact with and disrupt the microbial ecosystem in the rumen – the first stomach chamber of cattle, reveals an international study.
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NewsFungal toxin offers colonization support - in small doses
The yeast fungus Candida albicans not only uses the toxin candidalysin to cause infections, but also to colonize the oral mucosa inconspicuously – but only in finely balanced amounts. Too little toxin prevents oral colonization, too much triggers the immune system.
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NewsSwiss genome of the 1918 influenza virus reconstructed
Researchers have decoded the genome of the virus responsible for the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic in Switzerland, revealing that it had already developed key adaptations to humans at the outset of the deadliest influenza pandemic in history.
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NewsFungal resistance in wheat: preserving biodiversity for food security
Researchers have found traditional wheat varieties from Asia that harbor several genes that confer resistance against yellow rust. They may serve as a durable source of yellow rust resistance in commercial varieties in the future.
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NewsIntestinal bacteria influence aging of blood vessels
Researchers have shown for the first time that intestinal bacteria and their metabolites can accelerate the ageing of blood vessels and trigger cardiovascular disease.
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NewsDual associations with two fungi improve tree fitness
Many tree species have formed a concurrent symbiosis with two different groups of mycorrhizal fungi. Those trees cope better with water and nutrient scarcity, which is an important trait for forestry in the face of climate warming.
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NewsPromising new class of antimalarial drugs discovered
A new study identifies an inhibitor of gene regulation that specifically kills the malaria pathogen. The chromatin remodeler PfSnf2L is a key regulator of genes that play an important role in various stages of the pathogen’s development.
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NewsNew method ‘fishes’ for bacterial STI DNA, revealing how Chlamydia spreads and adapts
Scientists have developed a cutting-edge “target enrichment” technology for bacterial STIs. Using specially designed molecular probes, they “fished” for bacterial STI DNA from clinical samples, enabling high-resolution genome analysis.
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NewsGlobal trust in science remains strong after pandemic
A post-pandemic global survey reveals that the general public remains to perceive scientists as trustworthy. They are also encouraged to actively engage in public communication and address the areas researches should prioritize in.
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NewsGlobal antibiotic consumption has increased by more than 21 percent since 2016
An analysis of antibiotic sales data from 67 countries from 2016-2023 shows a decrease in consumption in high-income countries countered by an increase in middle-income countries.
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NewsResearchers use AI to help detect antibiotic resistance
Researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The team is the first to investigate how GPT-4, a powerful AI model developed by OpenAI, can be used to analyze antibiotic resistance.
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NewsNovel app tracks travel-related illnesses
Travelers fall ill surprisingly often during their travels, with health issues occurring on more than one-third of trips, reveals data collected by a novel travel app developed by researchers in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO).
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NewsInfluenza viruses can use two ways to infect cells, study finds
Scientists have discovered that certain human flu viruses and avian flu viruses can use a second entry pathway, a protein complex of the immune system, to infect cells, helping the viruses to infect different species.
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NewsLimited adaptability makes freshwater bacteria vulnerable to climate change
Researchers have uncovered specific evolutionary strategies that shape the lifestyles of bacteria with small genomes that frequently undergo prolonged periods of adaptive stagnation.
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NewsSyphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before the arrival of Columbus
Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Zurich have discovered the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum in the bones of people who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago. Source: Photo: Dr. Jose Filippini Skeleton at the site in Jubuicabeira II, Brazil. This is the oldest ...
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NewsFungi used to inoculate diseased fields and boost yields
A team of researchers has shown on a large scale that the application of mycorrhizal fungi in the field works.
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NewsE coli may be better at evolving resistance than previously thought
E. coli bacteria may be far more capable at evolving antibiotic resistance than scientists previously thought, according to a new study.
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News New virus discovered in Swiss ticks
Researchers from the Institute of Virology at the University of Zurich (UZH) have detected the Alongshan virus (ALSV) for the first time in ticks in Switzerland.