All USA & Canada articles – Page 2
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NewsCosmetics from waste? New microbial discovery could enable more sustainable production of high-value chemical products
Researchers have made a key discovery about how certain bacterial strains produce a set of economically valuable chemicals — opening the door to new, more sustainable production methods. A family of molecules could be made via bacterial fermentation instead of from palm oil, as they are today.
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NewsHow scientists are breeding spinach to better withstand Pythium
Breeding efforts to improve spinach tolerance to a pathogen called Pythium will help both indoor and outdoor growers of the popular leafy green.
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NewsMicrobes contribute a surprisingly large array of proteins in fermented foods
A study examining the proteins found in fermented foods like yogurt, cheese and bread found that a surprisingly large number, and percentage, of microbial proteins contribute to their overall protein content.
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NewsNew insights into how bacteria manage DNA
New analytical methods have enabled researchers to uncover how the sequence, physical shape and flexibility of bacterial DNA guide the activity of an enzyme called DNA gyrase, which previously got all the credit for managing DNA.
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NewsCOVID antiviral speeds recovery but doesn’t reduce hospitalization in vaccinated patients, trials find
Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) does not reduce hospital admissions or deaths in vaccinated adults at higher risk of severe COVID-19, despite helping them recover faster, according to results from two national trials.
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NewsHigh levels of gut bacterial toxin trigger lupus nephritis
Research suggests that using antibiotics to target the Ruminococcus gnavus lipoglycan, or the protein it activates on immune cell surfaces to amplify damaging inflammation, could serve as an alternative to current lupus nephritis therapies that suppress the immune system.
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NewsSecret to a healthy liver found in a young microbiome
Restoring the gut microbiome to its youthful state may hold the key to slowing aging and preventing liver cancer, one of the fastest-growing cancers worldwide, according to a study.
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NewsResearchers fight oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
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NewsScientists catch a fungal enzyme open for business
A new study shows that caspofungin, a widely used antifungal drug, works only when its target enzyme is active, pointing the way toward designing better treatments.
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NewsResearch on tick-transmitted disease reveals potential weakness, opening paths to new treatments
Tularemia is a rare but highly infectious disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a bacterium that can evade immune defenses. Scientists have isolated and studied a set of proteins that play a central role in infection, revealing a potential weakness.
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NewsNew clues to hepatitis B species restriction could help build a novel model for studying infection and testing therapies
For decades, it was thought that the barrier to creating a workable mouse model for hepatitis B is an inability for the virus to gain a genetic foothold in the mouse due to its unique type of DNA. Now researchers have discovered that the problem is something different altogether—likely a misstep in the entry process.
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NewsPioneering virologist Bernard Roizman dies at 96
Bernard Roizman, ScD, world-leading expert on herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Joseph Regenstein Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at The University of Chicago, died on April 13, 2026, at the age of 96.
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NewsIBS treatment response predicted by gut microbiome in new study
Researchers investigating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea observed distinct characteristics of patients’ gut microbiomes that predicted whether they responded to the low FODMAP diet or rifaximin — or did not respond to treatment.
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NewsResearchers disable antimicrobial resistance in cystic fibrosis-associated bacteria
A newly discovered mechanism renders antibiotic-resistant bacteria vulnerable by disabling both their individual resistance and a process known as cross-protection, the ability of resistant bacteria to shield nearby, otherwise sensitive strains.
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NewsStudy shows links between Alzheimer’s and gut health can lead to prevention
Researchers analysed more than 120 everyday factors, including diet, medical history, gut bacteria, and lifestyle, to identify which of them are most strongly associated with Alzheimer’s risk. People who had their appendix removed showed substantially elevated Alzheimer’s risk.
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NewsIs asphalt bad for our health? And can algae help?
Scientists studying how asphalt emissions impact respiratory health are also working on less toxic, lower-emitting asphalt formulations. One project involves growing a strain of algae that could reduce VOC emissions using wastewater from a treatment plant.
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NewsRising measles cases highlight gaps in vaccination coverage and public health system vulnerabilities
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring a significant resurgence of measles in the United States and globally, reflecting a growing vulnerability in public health systems.
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NewsCDI breakthroughs lead to new drug development deal for deadly NTM bacteria
Scientists have developed new compounds against non-tuberculous mycobacteria which are now the subject of a new collaboration and license agreement with the Switzerland-based and publicly listed BioVersys AG.
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NewsEarly immune responses linked to protective HIV antibodies
In a new study of broadly neutralizing antibodies and their potential for an HIV vaccine, researchers analyzed fragments of cell-free RNA and DNA circulating in the blood. This makes it possible to track immune responses, viral genetic variation, and other microbes from the same blood sample.