All USA & Canada articles – Page 14
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NewsCat disease challenges what scientists thought about coronaviruses
Researchers have uncovered new details about how a once-deadly coronavirus disease in cats spreads through the immune system. For years, the prevailing belief was that the virus behind feline infectious peritonitis infected just one type of immune cell.
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NewsResearcher reveals secrets of bacteria that can swim upstream
Rather than washing pathogens away, strong fluid currents act as “guide rails” that align bacteria and accelerate their upstream migration. They discovered that this creates a “two-way invasion” where pioneer cells reach the source within minutes, seeding colonies that spread threefold faster than in still water.
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NewsTeam shows how viral lysis of blue-green algae enhances ecosystem-scale productivity
Newly published interdisciplinary research shows viral infection of blue-green algae in the ocean stimulates productivity in the ecosystem and contributes to a rich band of oxygen in the water.
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NewsResearchers deploy bacteria to make healthier sugar substitute
Researchers have developed a way to biosynthetically produce an otherwise rare sugar called tagatose, which could very well provide the sweetness and natural taste of table sugar without its potential harms. It might even provide some health benefits.
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NewsA simple blood test can predict Crohn’s disease years before symptoms appear
Researchers have shown a blood test can predict Crohn’s disease years before symptoms appear, opening the doors to early diagnosis and potentially prevention. The test measures a person’s immune response to flagellin, a protein found on gut bacteria.
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NewsClinical trial in Ethiopia targets the trachoma scourge
A new study documents the outcomes of an evaluation of fluorometholone as adjunctive medical therapy for trachomatous trichiasis surgery, part of an initiative to better prevent blindness and improve quality of life for those affected.
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NewsNew study finds higher hantavirus risk in drier, underdeveloped areas
In a recent study of the contiguous USA, researchers found that the risk of disease from hantavirus is higher in drier, underdeveloped geographic areas with more socioeconomic vulnerability and increased numbers of unique rodent species.
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NewsResearchers revive failing antibiotics with two-faced Janus nanoparticles
Researchers have restored the power of failing antibiotics by combining them with two-sided nanoparticles, ultra-small building blocks of materials less than 100 nanometers across. The nanoparticles showed a remarkable ability to compromise bacterial cell walls, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
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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.
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NewsCommercially viable biomanufacturing: designer yeast turns sugar into lucrative chemical 3-HP
Using a tiny, acid-tolerant yeast, scientists have demonstrated a cost-effective way to produce industial chemical 3-Hydroxypropanoic acid, making disposable diapers, microplastics, and acrylic paint more sustainable through biomanufacturing.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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NewsCRISPR discovery could lead to single diagnostic test for COVID, flu, RSV
Researchers report newly discovered details about the Cas12a3 immune system that precisely targets transfer RNA in invading pathogens, without destroying host cells.