All USA & Canada articles – Page 6
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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.
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NewsScientists uncover key clues to how a viral infection can lead to arthritis-like disease
By studying Chikungunya virus, scientists have shed light on how immune responses to viral infections may lead to persistent symptoms of autoimmune disease.
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NewsNew blood test shows superior sensitivity in detecting HPV-associated head and neck cancers
A new liquid biopsy blood test could help detect cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancers with significantly higher accuracy than currently used methods, including before patients develop symptoms.
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NewsCould nanoplastics in the environment turn E. coli into a bigger villain?
New research suggests certain nanoplastics may make foodborne pathogens more virulent. Nanoplastics with positively charged surfaces were more likely to cause physiological stress in E. coli O157:H7, making them pump out more Shiga-like toxin.
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NewsGenomic data shows widespread mpox transmission in West Africa prior to 2022 global outbreak
Mpox was transmitted among humans in Nigeria for eight years before sparking the international outbreak in 2022. Using genomic tracing, the researchers estimate that the virus’s ancestor first emerged in southern Nigeria in August 2014.
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NewsStudy probes why patients with mitochondrial disease are more susceptible to infections
A new study shows that damaged mitochondria put the immune system in a constant state of alert, leading to dangerous overreactions when patients with rare mitochondrial diseases encounter bacteria.
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NewsOcean microbes offer clues to environmental resilience
Researchers have developed a new way to identify genetic changes that help tiny oxygen-producing microbes survive in extreme environments.
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NewsHeat-tolerant symbionts a critical key to protecting elkhorn coral from bleaching during marine heatwaves
Heat-tolerant symbiotic algae may be essential to saving elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)—a foundational species in Caribbean reef ecosystems—from the devastating impacts of marine heatwaves and coral bleaching.
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NewsNovel molecular maneuver helps malaria parasite dodge the immune system
Researchers have discovered how a parasite that causes malaria when transmitted through a mosquito bite can hide from the body’s immune system. Plasmodium falciparum can shut down a key set of genes, rendering itself “immunologically invisible.”
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NewsSeawater microbes are powerful tool for diagnosing coral reef health and strengthening conservation efforts
Microorganisms in the water surrounding coral reefs provide valuable insights on the health state of reefs and surrounding ocean. Sampling and analyzing reef water microbes can be done in a variety of ways ranging in cost and complexity, adding to their usability.
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NewsSulfate-reducing bacteria drive elevated levels of mercury in Colorado mountain wetlands
Climate change is melting glaciers and permafrost in mountains, freeing up minerals containing sulfate to flow downstream into local watersheds. Elevated sulfate levels can increase methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin that accumulates up the food chain.
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NewsLight-to-electricity nanodevice reveals how Earth’s oldest surviving cyanobacteria worked
An international team of scientists have unlocked a key piece of Earth’s evolutionary puzzle by decoding the structure of a light-harvesting “nanodevice” in one of the planet’s most ancient lineages of cyanobacteria.
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NewsVicious cycle: How methane emissions from warming wetlands could exacerbate climate change
Warming in the Arctic is intensifying methane emissions, contributing to a vicious feedback loop that could accelerate climate change even more, according to a new study.
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NewsAmericans say benefits of MMR vaccine for children outweigh risks by nearly 5-1
While many Americans know how measles can spread, most cannot accurately estimate the prevalence of complications associated with measles such as hospitalization or the risks it presents during pregnancy, according to a new survey.
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NewsResearchers find CRISPR is capable of even more than we thought
Researchers studying key immune components of some CRISPR systems have announced the newest CARF effector they’ve discovered, which they coined Cat1 - it can deplete a metabolite essential for cellular function.
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NewsParticles carrying multiple vaccine doses could reduce the need for follow-up shots
Researchers are working to develop microparticles that can release their payload weeks or months after being injected. This could lead to vaccines that can be given just once, with several doses that would be released at different time points.
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NewsTwo HIV vaccine trials show proof of concept for pathway to broadly neutralizing antibodies
A new study combining data from two separate phase 1 clinical trials shows that a targeted vaccine strategy can successfully activate early immune responses relevant to HIV, and, in one trial, further advance them.
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NewsScientists find two brain biomarkers in long COVID sufferers may be what’s causing brain fog
A new study that compares inflammation and brain stress responses in long COVID-19 patients with individuals who have fully recovered shows those with cognitive issues have a lower ability to adapt to stress and higher levels of inflammation in their brains.