All USA & Canada articles – Page 2
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NewsGlobal Virus Network awards pandemic preparedness grants to advance global surveillance and early detection of viral threats
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is awarding pandemic preparedness research grants, totaling $160,000, to scientists across four continents, supporting innovative, investigator-led projects designed to enhance viral surveillance, early detection, and scientific preparedness.
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NewsRebalancing lung repair with immune damage is key to surviving severe influenza
Recovery from deadly influenza infection may hinge on helping the lungs heal in addition to stopping the virus, according to a new study in mice, which shows that pairing modest antiviral therapies with immune modulation can restore damaged tissues and lung function, even after severe infection has taken hold.
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NewsResearchers subvert plasmids to combat antibiotic resistance
Scientists have devised a way to track the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance in individual bacteria by measuring competition among plasmids. Plasmids evolve independently but also help drive bacterial evolution, including the development of resistance to antimicrobial compounds. They are the primary way that resistance can jump from one type of bacteria to another.
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NewsScientists use computer model to improve hospitals’ ability to limit spread of drug-resistant infections
The computer model improves on traditional methods like contact tracing by inferring asymptomatic carriers in the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections.
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NewsDrinking water people believe to be safe and clean often contain potentially dangerous bacteria
A study in Guatemala found the sources of drinking water people believe to be safe and clean often contain potentially dangerous bacteria. Bottled water sold in large refillable jugs was the most frequently contaminated with coliform bacteria – an indicator of fecal contamination.
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NewsSmart toilet designs in Cambodia held promise, but a key piece was missing
A smart toilet design introduced in rural Cambodia was supposed to change lives—keeping families safe and protecting the environment. However, while households reported that they liked the new system, a crucial piece was missing: using it correctly.
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NewsStudy unveils structure, identification and characterization of the RibD-enolase complex in Francisella
A study aiming to identify anti-tularemia drug targets determined the atomic structure and identified its components of the native RibD-enolase protein complex in Francisella novicida.
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NewsMachine learning tool can scan for signs of extraterrestrial life
A machine learning framework can distinguish molecules made by biological processes from those formed through non-biological processes and could be used to analyze samples returned by current and future planetary missions.
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NewsProbiotic bifidobacterium may boost cancer treatment and suppress tumors
A new review explores how bifidobacterium, a common probiotic found in the gut, may contribute to cancer prevention and therapy. The authors highlight the growing importance of gut health in cancer treatment and shed light on how bifidobacterium could complement standard cancer therapies.
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NewsFlower to fruit: tracking the changing fungal community on blueberry plants
A study identifies how fungal diversity changes over time and across tissue types in highbush blueberry, revealing dynamic transitions in the phyllosphere from buds to ripe fruits. Early-season buds and flowers harbor the highest fungal diversity, while unripe green fruits display the lowest.
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NewsManure digesters on farms carry limited benefits and potential harms
Manure digesters, touted as eco-friendly solutions for managing agricultural waste and reducing greenhouse gases, have limited capacity to reduce livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions, and entail potential hazards that may outweigh their benefits.
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NewsScripps Research scientists receive $1.1 million to advance AI modeling for HIV vaccine development
Scripps Research scientists will purchase high-performance computing equipment to accelerate the identification of more effective HIV vaccine candidates through enhanced computational infrastructure, reduced data-processing bottlenecks, and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
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News$3.7 million awarded for research into sand flies, vectors of parasitic disease leishmaniasis
Professor Gideon Wasserberg at UNC Greensboro has been awarded a prestigious $3.7 million National Institutes of Health R01 grant to advance his research on controlling sand flies, the vectors of the parasitic disease leishmaniasis.
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NewsResearchers expand virus-based treatment options for antibiotic-resistant infections
Phages are extremely specific about which strains of a bacterial species they will attack. This has limited their effectiveness against the most antibiotic-resistant strains. To overcome this problem, the research team “trained” the phages by allowing them to evolve together with the bacteria in a controlled laboratory setting for 30 days.
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NewsDid US cities’ indoor vaccine mandates affect COVID-19 vaccination rates and outcomes?
New research reveals that despite widespread adoption of indoor vaccine mandates in major US cities during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no consistent evidence that these policies significantly increased vaccination rates or reduced COVID-19–related outcomes. The findings contrast with those from other countries, as national mandates abroad boosted vaccine uptake.
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NewsA microbial blueprint for climate-smart cows
Recent research has shown that feeding cows red seaweed can dramatically cut the amount of methane that is produced and released into the environment. A new study sheds light on that process and reveals which microbes in the cow’s gut might help reduce methane.
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NewsVaccine skepticism on social media can predict public health crises
Researchers have developed a new approach that could help public health officials predict where outbreaks might occur. By analyzing social media posts, the method identifies early signs of increasing vaccine skepticism — a warning signal that could emerge before any disease begins to spread.
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NewsMedications change our gut microbiome in predictable ways
A study shows that many of the changes to the gut microbiome are driven by competition for nutrients – medications reduce certain bacterial populations and change the availability of nutrients, and the bacteria most able to capitalize on those changes are the ones to survive.
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NewsPig disease vaccine effectiveness linked to T cell response
A new study shows that the effectiveness of current vaccines against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is due to the response of T cells against the disease, rather than the production of antibodies. The work is an important step in identifying specific targets for vaccines on a rapidly mutating virus.
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NewsAncient chemical clues reveal Earth’s earliest life 3.3 billion years ago
A new study uncovered fresh chemical evidence of life in rocks more than 3.3 billion years old, along with molecular traces showing that oxygen-producing photosynthesis emerged nearly a billion years earlier than previously thought. Researchers paired cutting-edge chemistry with artificial intelligence to reveal faint chemical “whispers” of biology locked inside ancient rocks.