All USA & Canada articles – Page 29
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NewsEngineered dual-bacterial sensors turn chemical signals into electricity
Most bacterial information transmission is done via electricity. While electricity-emitting bacteria exist, manipulating them into useful sensors has been quite challenging. Researchers recently developed a flexible bioelectrical sensor system called electroactive co-culture sensing system.
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NewsSleep deprivation disrupts gut microbiota, worsening colorectal cancer outcomes
Researchers have found that the gut microbiota drives changes to the immune system caused by chronic sleep loss. These changes promote cancer progression, disrupt circadian rhythm and weaken the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
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NewsAndes volcanoes – the missing link between algae blooms, whales and climate millions of years ago
Record volcanic eruptions in the Andes could explain the mysterious death of dozens of whales about 5 to 8 million years ago, according to a study. A significant increase in volcanic activity in the Andes peaking between eight and four million years ago likely delivered a significant pulse of nutrients to the Southern Ocean.
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News To thwart pathogens, researchers are giving beneficial microbes what they really want
Researchers have developed a new method that allows precise modification of any microbiome with prebiotics, helping beneficial organisms outcompete dangerous pathogens.
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NewsResearchers uncover a ‘treasure trove’ of bioactive molecules in coral reefs
Researchers have found that coral reefs are home to a vast array of previously unknown bioactive metabolites — small biomolecules that have the biotechnological potential to provide the basis for new drugs, and a host of other products.
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NewsSeasonal cycles - even in the depths - sustain ocean microbial biodiversity
Oceanographers discovered that microbial communities–from the sunlit surface to extreme depths–in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre exhibit robust seasonal cycles. The study provides new insight into how high levels of biodiversity are maintained in the open ocean.
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NewsStandard-dose antibiotic the ‘preferred choice’ of treatment for uncomplicated acute sinusitis
A study of patients with acute sinusitis found no major differences in measured outcomes between adults who received standard amoxicillin and amoxicillin‑clavulanate. Patients treated with amoxicillin‑clavulanate were at slightly higher risk of contracting secondary infections.
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NewsMeasles vaccine gaps persist among ER patients
A study has found critical gaps in knowledge, vaccination status, and acceptance of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine among patients visiting emergency departments across the United States. It examines how misinformation and access barriers may contribute to declining vaccination rates.
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NewsStudy finds warmer streams may weaken river food webs
Rising stream temperatures may be weakening the foundation of river food webs by altering how carbon moves through these watery ecosystems. When water temperatures increase, microbes and aquatic insects process fallen leaves, twigs and bark more rapidly, but a smaller fraction of that leaf litter supports their growth.
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NewsStudy finds blood pressure drug effective for treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria
A new study reports that a drug used to lower blood pressure could also be the basis of a promising new treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Candesartan cilexetil not only killed MRSA bacteria at different growth stages, but also reduced the formation of biofilms.
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NewsModeling premature aging in yeast reveals key effects of progerin on cellular lifespan
Researchers developed a yeast-based model to study premature aging by expressing Progerin, the toxic protein responsible for Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Using genetically engineered yeast cells, they compared the effects of Progerin with its normal counterpart, Lamin A.
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NewsAncient viruses serving as gene delivery couriers to help bacteria resist antibiotics
Research has shed important new light on the enemies-turned-allies that allow bacteria to exchange genes, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
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NewsColor test ‘sniffs out’ dangerous staph strains fast
Researchers have developed a rapid colour-changing test that can distinguish between different strains of golden staph, including those likely to be virulent and antibiotic resistant.
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NewsStudy reveals new way to strengthen immunity against the flu
A new vaccine model targets epitopes, specific but distinct regions of the protein on the surface of the influenza virus. The model includes different versions of epitopes in hopes of redirecting how the immune system responds.
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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.