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Genomics Surveillance of Wheat Blast Fungus may be an Effective Disease Management Tool

Pests and diseases may reduce global wheat yields by over 20%. A study published April 11th in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Sergio Latorre at University College London, UK and colleagues suggest that genomic surveillance may be an effective disease management tool with the ability to trace lineages of emerging crop diseases, and to identify genetic traits for breeding disease-resistant lines.

18 Apr 2023

Simple and Portable Sensor Detects Salmonella Contamination in Food

McMaster University researchers have devised a quick and low-cost test for Salmonella contamination in chicken and other foods that is simpler to use than a home COVID test.

18 Apr 2023

Study Provides Insight into the Formation of Protective Memory T Cells Against Salmonella

Salmonella infections cause about a million deaths a year worldwide, and there is an urgent need for better vaccines for both typhoid fever and non-typhoidal Salmonella disease.

18 Apr 2023

Leveraging Advanced Genomic Approaches for Amphibian Conservation

Morris Animal Foundation and Revive & Restore recently announced the funding of five new projects building genomic tools for amphibian conservation.

18 Apr 2023

Rapid Metagenomics: A Powerful Tool for the Diagnosis of Pathogenic Organisms

According to recent research presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark, metagenomic sequencing can also provide quick and actionable antimicrobial resistance predictions to treat bloodstream infections much faster than traditional laboratory tests and has the potential to save lives and help manage antibiotic use (15–18 April 2023).

17 Apr 2023

Wastewater Surveillance may Help Monitor the Spread of Candida Auris, Study Shows

A rapid spike in cases of a potentially deadly, drug-resistant fungus has concerned public health officials across the nation.

7 Apr 2023

Research Reveals Why Viruses can Reinfect a Population of Previously Immune Hosts

The human body is capable of creating a vast, diverse repertoire of antibodies-;the Y-shaped sniffer dogs of the immune system that can find and flag foreign invaders.

7 Apr 2023

Newly Discovered Mechanism may Have Profound Implications for Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Researchers at the Forsyth Institute have discovered an important mechanism that may have profound implications for how we prevent colorectal cancer. Oddly enough, their discovery began in the mouth.

5 Apr 2023

Newly Identified Rare Genetic Variants Could Point to One of the General Mechanisms Driving AMD

A study from the National Eye Institute (NEI) identified rare genetic variants that could point to one of the general mechanisms driving age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of vision loss in older adults.

3 Apr 2023

Study reports a new target to fight against antibiotic-resistant pneumonia

Increases in multidrug-resistance in the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae have made it the fourth-leading cause of death associated with antibiotic resistance.

30 Mar 2023

Resistance genes in human gut influenced by national trends in antibiotic consumption

According to a new study performed at the Earlham Institute and Quadram Institute in Norwich, the community of microbes living in and on human bodies might be serving as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance.

28 Mar 2023

Scientists develop a detailed "protein atlas" of a pathogen for the first time

A parasite which has devasting impacts on agriculture and human health is the first pathogen to have its proteins located and mapped within its cells – providing clues to their function and helping to identify potential drug targets.

27 Mar 2023

Immune system’s aptitude in reducing reliance on antibiotics for treating infections

The removal of obsolete and damaged cell components by the body is crucial for fighting diseases like tuberculosis (TB), which establish themselves inside human cells, according to researchers from the Francis Crick Institute.

27 Mar 2023

Global warming could increase the number and spread of fatal bacterial infections

Continued warming of the climate would see a rise in the number and spread of potentially fatal infections caused by bacteria found along parts of the coast of the United States.

24 Mar 2023

Emergence and spread of a deadly fungus among African amphibians

For the past few years, how a virus triggered a global pandemic has dominated conversations. Now, thanks to the TV show "The Last of Us" (about an apocalypse triggered by brain-eating 'shrooms), fungi have infected popular culture.

16 Mar 2023

Study evaluates the risk posed by the fungus Bd to amphibians across the continent of Africa

Mass fungus infections that drive populations worldwide to near-collapse don't just occur in science fiction. Chytridiomycosis, the worst vertebrate disease in recorded history, has already wiped out hundreds of species of amphibians around the world. Due to a large part to this fungal disease, 41% of amphibians are currently threatened with extinction. Only species living in Africa seemed to have been relatively spared from the scourge of chytridiomycosis – at least so far.

15 Mar 2023

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

Synthetic biologists at Rice University are embarking on a three-year project to create "genetically encoded antibiotics," strands of RNA that bacteria will readily copy and share that will selectively kill only disease-causing, pathogenic bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

Effective backup mechanism ensures efficient antimicrobial responses in humans

In the human body, virus particles are identified by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) either within or on the cell surface. When a receptor is activated, a signaling cascade is initiated, which results in the production and release of signaling molecules like interferons and cytokines.

14 Mar 2023

Developing new therapies that leverage the host immune system

Yersinia bacteria cause a variety of human and animal diseases, the most notorious being the plague, caused by Yersinia pestis. A relative, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, causes gastrointestinal illness and is less deadly but naturally infects both mice and humans, making it a useful model for studying its interactions with the immune system.

14 Mar 2023

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

As conventional antibiotics continue to lose effectiveness against evolving pathogens, scientists are keen to employ the bacteria-killing techniques perfected by bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

Pathogen News and Research

Genomics Surveillance of Wheat Blast Fungus may be an Effective Disease Management Tool

Simple and Portable Sensor Detects Salmonella Contamination in Food

Study Provides Insight into the Formation of Protective Memory T Cells Against Salmonella

Leveraging Advanced Genomic Approaches for Amphibian Conservation

Rapid Metagenomics: A Powerful Tool for the Diagnosis of Pathogenic Organisms

Wastewater Surveillance may Help Monitor the Spread of Candida Auris, Study Shows

Research Reveals Why Viruses can Reinfect a Population of Previously Immune Hosts

Newly Discovered Mechanism may Have Profound Implications for Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Newly Identified Rare Genetic Variants Could Point to One of the General Mechanisms Driving AMD

Study reports a new target to fight against antibiotic-resistant pneumonia

Resistance genes in human gut influenced by national trends in antibiotic consumption

Scientists develop a detailed "protein atlas" of a pathogen for the first time

Immune system’s aptitude in reducing reliance on antibiotics for treating infections

Global warming could increase the number and spread of fatal bacterial infections

Emergence and spread of a deadly fungus among African amphibians

Study evaluates the risk posed by the fungus Bd to amphibians across the continent of Africa

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

Effective backup mechanism ensures efficient antimicrobial responses in humans

Developing new therapies that leverage the host immune system

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

From Memory to Metaplasticity: Unraveling the Brain's Secrets

Revolutionizing Mass Spectrometry: A Deep Dive into Plasmion’s SICRIT® Technology

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