All USA & Canada articles – Page 3
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NewsNew diagnostic tool uses bioluminescence to detect viruses
Researchers are shining a powerful new light into the viral darkness with the development of Luminescence CAscade-based Sensor (LUCAS), a rapid, portable, highly-sensitive diagnostic tool for processing complex biological samples.
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NewsHow the plague bacillus became less virulent, prolonging the duration of two major pandemics
Scientists have discovered that the evolution of a gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, may have prolonged the duration of two major pandemics. Modifying the copy number of a specific virulence gene increases the length of infection.
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NewsResearchers engineer a herpes virus to turn on T cells for immunotherapy
Researchers have identified herpes virus saimiri, which infects the T cells of squirrel monkeys, as a source of proteins that activate pathways in T cells that are needed to promote T cell survival - a promising tool in the fight against cancer.
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NewsBiologist examines growth patterns in bacteria to help develop more targeted, effective antibiotics
Among the new investigative projects at the University of Texas at Arlington is one headed by Dr. Cara Boutte, who is studying how certain bacteria grow by examining how they build their cell walls, an effort that could lead to the development of more effective antibiotics.
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NewsTrees vs. disease: Tree cover reduces mosquito-borne health risk
A new study shows that in Costa Rica, even modest patches of tree cover can reduce the presence of invasive mosquito species known to transmit diseases like dengue fever.
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NewsStudy links oral microbiome diversity with long sleep duration in teenagers and young adults
A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that oral microbiome diversity is positively associated with long sleep duration among teenagers and young adults.
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NewsZika virus uses cells’ ‘self-care’ system to turn against host
A new study reveals the biological secret to the Zika virus’s infectious success: Zika uses host cells’ own ‘self-care’ system of clearing away useless molecules to suppress the host proteins that the virus has employed to get into those cells in the first place.
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NewsMirror molecules deliver a one-two punch to superbugs to fight infections
Researchers have created mirror-image molecules that both kill pathogens outright and rally the immune system—an advance aimed at the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsTwo-step method to prevent biofilm regrowth is a SLAM dunk
A new study reports a novel, two-step method to effectively dismantle bacterial biofilms and prevent regrowth.
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NewsSARS-CoV-2 corrupts some white blood cells to suppress immune system, suggesting path to severe COVID
A study found that neutrophils may be altered by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to cease their normal function of destroying pathogens in the body and, instead, significantly inhibit other immune cells critical for fighting the virus.
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NewsEngineered bacteria can deliver antiviral therapies and vaccines
New research demonstrates how specially engineered bacteria taken orally can operate as a delivery system for antiviral therapies and vaccines.
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NewsA gene variant increases the risk of long COVID
An international team of researchers has found a genetic link to long-term symptoms after COVID-19. The identified gene variant is located close to the FOXP4 gene, which is known to affect lung function.
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NewsNew malaria control strategy efficiently kills parasites in the mosquito
A potent combination of antimalarial compounds added to bed nets blocked parasite transmission in mosquitoes while circumventing insecticide resistance, according to a new study.
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NewsCan gut microbes save patients from chemotherapy side effects?
Intestinal microbes that survive chemo can rid the gut of excess chemo drugs and produce a vitamin that helps to stem nausea, a new study reveals.
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NewsSegregation fuels faster spread of infectious diseases, study finds
Structural inequalities, including wealth inequality and social segregation, not only make certain groups more vulnerable during public health crises but also accelerate the spread of infectious diseases through society, according to a team of international researchers.
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NewsMicrobial pioneers: how bacteria shape dental implant health from day one
A new study suggests that the earliest microbes to colonize a dental implant may determine its long-term fate. Using high-resolution genomic sequencing and a 12-week clinical timeline, scientists tracked how microbial ecosystems form around new dental implants.
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NewsWater researchers develop prediction system for harmful algae
Researchers are collaborating on a next-day prediction model to warn and inform water managers about harmful algal blooms. Using water samples and computer algorithms, the team developed prediction models based on two water sources feeding the Caloosahatchee River.
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NewsPhage expert Graham Hatfull elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society
Graham Hatfull, Eberly Family Professor of Biotechnology and HHMI Professor in the University of Pittsburgh Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society.
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NewsCool science: Researchers craft tiny biological tools using frozen ethanol
Imagine drawing on something as delicate as a living cell — without damaging it. Researchers have made this groundbreaking discovery using an unexpected combination of tools: frozen ethanol, electron beams and purple-tinted microbes.
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NewsCold sore viral infection implicated in development of Alzheimer’s disease
Symptomatic infection with the virus responsible for cold sores around the mouth–herpes simplex 1, or HSV-1 for short—may have a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a large pharma industry-funded US study.