All USA & Canada articles – Page 25
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NewsNew study provides insights into the control of photosynthesis
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in plant photosynthesis in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It helps plants adapt to changes in light conditions. A crucial protein interaction at the interface between the two photosystems I and II controls the photosynthetic machinery.
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NewsDrug-resistant bacteria found in homes from sewage overflow
A new study shows that sewage overflows in homes can expose people to bacteria that can make them sick, including antibiotic-resistant and multidrug resistant bacteria which can make infections difficult to treat.
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NewsIndigenous mushroom transforms agricultural waste into food
An edible, seasonal mushroom in Eastern Nigeria has nutritional and therapeutic potential but is poorly researched. New research suggests that domestication of Lentinus squarrosulus using waste materials, specifically sawdust, could boost food production and provide employment opportunities for farmers and small businesses.
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NewsNew tool quickly sequences hantavirus genome
The genetic diversity of hantavirus and the low levels of virus typically found in patient samples make sequencing its genome particularly challenging. Researchers have developed a new, effective, and low-cost way to carry out whole genome sequencing for hantaviruses.
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NewsDentistry researchers testing oral bacteria transplants to cure bad breath
To rebalance the oral microbiome and cure chronic halitosis, researchers are embarking on a first-of-its-kind experiment. These clinical trials transplant bacteria and other microbes from healthy donors into patients with halitosis. If successful, the healthy microbiota will crowd out the bad and patients’ bad breath will improve.
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NewsMaternal RSV vaccine cuts infant hospitalizations by 70%
A study has found that vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during pregnancy reduced the risk of hospitalization in young infants by nearly 70%. It provides early real-world evidence from U.S. clinical care, showing that administering one dose of the maternal RSV vaccine (RSVpreF vaccine) reduces hospitalization related to RSV in young infants.
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NewsFlu drugs show promise against cognitive decline
A class of flu drugs may reduce cognitive decline and premature aging in people living with chronic viral infection. Scientists identified a new biological culprit: the degradation of protective sugar molecules in our bodies, known as glycans, that normally help keep inflammation in check.
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NewsResearcher discovers single-celled organism that transforms into cannibalistic supergiant
Researchers have discovered a microscopic organism that can transform into a cannibalistic ’supergiant’ that drastically changes size, shape, and behavior, and abandons filter-feeding to hunt and consume their genetically identical relatives.
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NewsResearchers combine bacteria and viruses to demonstrate a new way to fight cancer
Researchers have designed non-toxic Salmonella bacteria to deliver viruses that are safe to humans but potent against liver and pancreatic cancer tumors. Animal models treated with this combination of bacteria and viruses saw almost all their tumors eliminated and lived significantly longer.
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NewsOrganized microbial ‘workforces’ keep Earth’s underground biosphere running
By studying life deep inside a former gold mine, scientists uncovered evidence that Earth’s hidden biosphere operates less like a random collection of microbes and more like an organized workforce. From site to site, the ecosystems were incredibly different from one another but largely stable through time.
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NewsNew model could help track deadly viruses back to their source
A new predictive model could help scientists more efficiently identify the reservoirs of emerging zoonotic viruses and dangerous pathogens like Ebola that can spill over from animals into humans. It relies on detailed information collected on suspected reservoir species to identify key windows.
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NewsResearcher investigates how a bioengineered peptide can break through harmful bacterial ‘fortresses’ and curb severe infections
A researcher is refining a powerful therapy for drug-resistant bacteria that pierces the gooey coating that anchors and protects such germs from the drugs we take to kill them. She has found that an antimicrobial peptide naturally found in cows weakens the biofilm defenses of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria and destroys it.
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NewsResearchers develop new vaccine adjuvant that could make it easier to eradicate polio
Researchers have now come up with a way to modify the injectable polio vaccine so that it can also promote a mucosal immune response. This vaccine could help to achieve polio eradication while avoiding the risks of the oral polio vaccine.
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NewsResearchers discover a new antibiotic — and a new way to kill drug-resistant bacteria
Researchers have discovered a new antibiotic that kills some of the world’s most dangerous and drug-resistant bacteria by targeting a previously unknown vulnerability. Manikomycin has shown early effectiveness against priority pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and Klebsiella.
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NewsResearcher studying probiotics to fight acid reflux and esophageal cancer
Patients with acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid pushes up into the esophagus, know the symptoms all too well: heartburn, belching, chest pain and trouble swallowing. Acid reflux also increases the risk of esophageal cancer, but researchers are investigating how a simple probiotic could treat and prevent both conditions.
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NewsNew climate-based tool predicts coral bleaching months in advance
Researchers found that coral bleaching on a Caribbean island occurs when three major climate patterns in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans align in specific ways that intensify ocean warming. They created a new, early-warning tool called the Bleaching Event Early Predictor (BEEP).
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NewsStudy reveals core values that drive Black and Hispanic parents’ decisions on vaccinating their kids against COVID-19
Persistently low rates of COVID-19 vaccination in Black and Hispanic children suggest that parents in these communities tend to be hesitant about the vaccine for their kids, even when they have received it themselves. A new study sheds light on the factors influencing decisions about vaccination.
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NewsResearchers discover how to turn one germ’s drug resistance into an Achilles’ heel
As Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutates to protect itself from rifampicin, it also creates new weak points that other therapies could exploit. A new study shows that the most common rifampicin-resistance mutation slows bacterial RNA polymerase, creating vulnerabilities that future combination therapies may be able to target.
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NewsGladstone launches Center for PhAIge Therapy to harness AI in the fight against drug-resistant infections
Gladstone Institutes has received funding to establish the Center for PhAIge Therapy, a research center that will develop new phage-based treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The five-year grant makes Gladstone one of three institutions across the country selected to lead this coordinated effort.
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NewsT cells may be key to stopping measles virus—and its deadly relatives
Scientists have discovered how T cells target paramyxoviruses, a viral family that includes measles virus and Nipah virus. Instead of vaccinating against one virus at a time, the researchers found that activating “cross-reactive” T cells may protect against the wider paramyxovirus family.