All USA & Canada articles – Page 15
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NewsResearchers synthesize photosynthetic molecule found in bacteria
Researchers have successfully synthesized bacteriochlorophyll a, a photosynthetic pigment found in bacteria which absorbs infrared light. The work represents the first chemical synthesis of this molecule and could give scientists deeper insights into photosynthetic function and photosynthetic energy.
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NewsAs syphilis cases rise, study links infection with higher risk of stroke, heart attack and other serious cardiovascular problems
Adults with later-stage syphilis are more likely to develop major cardiovascular problems – including stroke, heart attack or aortic aneurysm – than similar patients without the infection. The increased risk is primarily found in those whose infection progressed longer than a year.
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NewsFirst continent-wide map of dominant avian influenza strain explains its spread
Scientists provided the most complete view of bird flu’s spread through wild bird populations across North America, explaining how the dominant strain advanced, maintaining the risk of human infections.
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NewsStudy reveals genome-wide host–virus genetic interactions in cancer risk
Researchers report a major advance in understanding how interactions between human and viral genomes shape disease risk. They found that variations in the Epstein–Barr virus, together with a specific immune-related gene (HLA-A*11:01), strongly influence the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.
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NewsMBL scientist Alexandra Z. Worden honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship
Alexandra Z. Worden, Senior Scientist in the Bay Paul Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory and a Professor in the Department of the Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship this week, in recognition of her groundbreaking research in ocean biogeochemistry.
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NewsGut microbiome serves as key driver for bacterial infection outcomes for fatty liver disease
Researchers found that metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease dramatically worsens outcomes following infection with Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially life-threatening foodborne bacterium commonly associated with seafood consumption.
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News American microbiologist behind global water safety breakthrough wins 2026 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
Professor Joan Bray Rose has been recognised for pioneering Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) as a global approach for assessing pathogen risks in water. QMRA has been adopted into global drinking water standards and enabled safe water reuse.
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News‘Safe’ fertilizer linked to extreme water quality loss in Canadian Prairies
Research has found that widespread application of the common farm fertilizer, urea, severely degrades water quality in the Canadian Prairies. Urea added to farm ponds increased growth of algae to levels 10 times higher than seen in other damaged ecosystems, such as Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba.
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NewsIn developing immunity to allergens, a little ‘dirty’ goes a long way
Exposure to diverse microbes and proteins early in life creates broad immune memory and a specific antibody that helps block allergic reactions later in life. Rather than overreacting to harmless allergens, an experienced immune system responds in a balanced way.
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NewsA closer look at immune ‘memory’ - and how long it lasts
A new review shares recent advances from the field of immune memory and highlights key steps we might take to develop even more effective, longer-lasting immunity against deadly diseases.
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NewsMolecular biologist Li-Jun Ma wins 2026 Mahoney Life Sciences Prize
Li-Jun Ma has been chosen as this year’s winner of the Mahoney Life Sciences Prize for her work toward mitigating the effects of a fungal pathogen that is causing the functional extinction of the bananas most commonly found in U.S. supermarkets.
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NewsStudy reveals hidden damage in stony corals using 3D imaging and AI
Researchers investigating how disease affects coral structure turned to X-ray microcomputed tomography which generates detailed 3D reconstructions down to microscopic pores, which reveal internal skeletal features, including porosity, thickness and structural orientation, in a non-destructive way.
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NewsAI spots hidden behavior patterns in self-organizing bacteria
A custom-built artificial intelligence system has helped to uncover how bacterial communities organize themselves, showing that the earliest moments of a biological transition carry far more information than previously considered.
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NewsUltrasensitive test reveals evidence of previously undetected tuberculosis in Boston Hospital patients
Researchers have discovered an unexpectedly high prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (TB DNA) in patients hospitalized in Boston, suggesting that tuberculosis disease may be significantly underdiagnosed in the United States.
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NewsNew bite-sized CRISPR molecule may open doors for therapeutic genome editing
The safest, most accurate gene-editing tools don’t fit inside viral delivery mechanisms that could target them to specific cell types or tissues inside the human body. Researchers have developed a smaller pair of “molecular scissors” for gene editing that could make site-specific delivery within the body possible.
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NewsResearchers uncover how obesity impairs vaccine response
New findings reveal that obesity significantly impaired the quality and longevity of antibody responses to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine in a mouse model. The impaired antibody production was due to defects in germinal centers.
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NewsShorter antibiotic courses show similar outcomes to longer use for some pneumonia patients
A multicenter target trial emulation found that for eligible patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), health outcomes were similar whether they received a three- to four-day course of antibiotics or a course lasting five days or more.
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NewsNew biodegradable wash removes pesticides and extends produce shelf life
Researchers have developed a natural, biodegradable wash that removed up to 96 per cent of pesticide residue from fruit and slowed browning and moisture loss.
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NewsTwo research projects to study immune responses to dengue and Zika viruses
Dr. James Earnest, an assistant professor at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, is leading two new research projects to examine how humans build an immune response to dengue and the Zika virus over time, in pursuit of creating better preventative measures.
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NewsWildlife trade increases pathogen transmission
A study combining forty years of legal and illegal wildlife import-export data with compilations of host–pathogen relationships found that wild mammals that are traded are 1.5 times more likely to share infectious agents with humans than those that are not involved in trade.