All USA & Canada articles – Page 9
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NewsMicrobes may hold the key to brain evolution
A groundbreaking new study reveals that changes to the gut microbiome can change the way the brain works. It provides the first empirical data showing the direct role the gut microbiome plays in shaping differences in the way the brain functions across different primate species.
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NewsDeep ocean earthquakes drive Southern Ocean’s massive phytoplankton blooms, study finds
Researchers have uncovered evidence that deep underwater earthquakes can spur the growth of massive phytoplankton blooms at the ocean surface. The new findings point to a previously unknown relationship between the ocean floor and life at the surface.
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NewsFlour choice shapes sourdough microbial communities
Researchers analyzed sourdough starters to understand how the type of flour shaped the microbial community. They found that strains in the genus Kazachstania, a common sourdough yeast, to be most abundant in all the starters, but the bacterial composition varied by flour varieties.
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NewsFrom prey to predator: How carnivores spread beneficial fungi
New research reveals that carnivores play an important role in ecosystem function by providing a largely overlooked mechanism for long-distance dispersal of beneficial mycorrhizal fungi.
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NewsBacteria resisting viral infection can still sink carbon to ocean floor
Researchers exploring the mechanisms of phage resistance and its effects on the ecological jobs done by ocean bacteria found that some of the mutations studied don’t interfere with the bacteria’s ability to carry out their job of capturing and sinking carbon to the ocean floor.
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NewsGut bacteria have evolved rapidly to digest starches in ultra-processed foods
Researchers have found that gene variants that help microbes digest starches found in ultra-processed foods have “swept” the genomes of some species of gut bacteria in industrialized parts of the world.
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CareersA day in the life of a soil microbial ecologist
Dr. Taniya RoyChowdhury, a soil microbial ecologist and biogeochemist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, describes a typical day.
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NewsResearch links tumor bacteria to immunotherapy resistance in head and neck cancer
Two new studies reveal that elevated levels of bacteria in the tumor microenvironment suppress immune response, driving resistance to immunotherapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
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NewsCytomegalovirus breakthrough could lead to new treatments
Researchers have developed a new type of antibody with a modified structure that can outsmart cytomegalovirus and neutralize its ability to evade the immune system.
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NewsStudy reveals how ocean’s most abundant bacteria diversify
New research has found that SAR11 marine bacteria are not a single, uniform population as often thought. Instead, they are organized into stable, ecologically distinct groups, essentially specialized “teams” adapted to specific environments, such as the coast versus the open ocean.
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NewsProbiotics can restore gut microbiome in breastfed infants
A new study has found that supplementing exclusively breastfed infants with a probiotic, Bifidobacterium infantis EVC001, between 2 and 4 months of age can successfully restore beneficial bacteria in their gut.
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NewsYour genes may influence gut microbiome of others, rat study shows
New research, carried out by studying more than four thousand animals, reveals that the composition of the rat gut microbiome is shaped not only by an individual’s own genes but also by the genes of the individuals they share a living space with.
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NewsAs US measles cases rise, views of MMR vaccine safety and effectiveness – and willingness to recommend it – drop
As U.S. measles cases rise, a new nationally representative panel survey finds a small but significant drop in the proportion of the public that would recommend that someone in their household get the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
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NewsGlobal study to evaluate whether dengue outbreaks can be anticipated earlier
Thousands of dengue forecasting models have been published, but few have been tested in real public-health settings. E-Dengue is a new open-source, user-friendly software system tailored for district-level decision-making.
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NewsNew antimalarial drug candidate shows potential for fighting resistance and reducing malaria transmission
Researchers have developed a new antimalarial drug candidate designed to address the growing challenge of drug resistance and potentially reduce malaria transmission.
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NewsThe gut bacteria that put the brakes on weight gain in mice
Research has identified a specific type of gut bacteria, called Turicibacter, that improves metabolic health and reduces weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet. People with obesity tend to have less Turicibacter, suggesting that the microbe may promote healthy weight in humans as well.
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NewsStrengthening asphalt roads with a unique green ingredient: Algae
Researchers propose a figurative and literal green solution to improve the durability of roads and sidewalks: an algae-derived asphalt binder. For temperatures below freezing, results indicated that the algae binder reduced asphalt cracks when compared to a conventional, petroleum-based binder.
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NewsFor certain life-essential proteins in E. coli, repair is more likely
A new study shows that E. coli proteins containing a specific structure are more likely to misfold and, if they are required the bacteria’s survival, more likely to be repaired.
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NewsStudy reveals high stakes of early immune development—and a potential probiotic fix
Scientists find that certain gut bacteria are essential for building immune defenses during infancy, pointing to new strategies for protecting children’s health. They have identified a way to preserve healthy immune development even when infants need antibiotic treatment.
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NewsCancer-fighting bacterial product ‘cocktails’ may offer personalized treatment
Bacteria may be the next frontier in cancer treatment, according to researchers who devised a new approach of creating bacteria-derived mixtures — or cocktails — to help fight bladder cancer. They found that the cocktails significantly boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.