Microbiology News and Research

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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

Myeloid cells contribute to a long-lived HIV reservoir, study shows

A subset of white blood cells, known as myeloid cells, can harbor HIV in people who have been virally suppressed for years on antiretroviral therapy, according to findings from a small study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

28 Mar 2023

Monocytes harbor stable HIV DNA capable of infecting neighboring cells

To develop treatments that may one day entirely rid the body of HIV infection, scientists have long sought to identify all of the places that the virus can hide its genetic code.

28 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

Understanding the cellular effects of antibiotics targeting cell wall biosynthesis

It is still unclear how antibiotics work to destroy bacteria. This knowledge, however, is required for the development of new antibiotics. That is exactly what is required because bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics.

27 Mar 2023

Novel tool analyzes how immune cells respond to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

A study discovered that the magnitude and quality of a key immune cell’s response to two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were significantly lower in individuals with earlier SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to individuals without previous infection.

21 Mar 2023

Keeping lymph nodes in the body can boost the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy

Cancer treatment routinely involves taking out lymph nodes near the tumor in case they contain metastatic cancer cells.

21 Mar 2023

Decreased viral infection severity in females linked to extra copy of epigenetic regulator

It has long been known that viral infections can be more severe in males than females, but the question as to why has remained a mystery – until possibly now.

20 Mar 2023

First molecular images of olfaction sets the stage to create novel smells

Breaking a longstanding impasse in our understanding of olfaction, scientists at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have created the first molecular-level, 3D picture of how an odor molecule activates a human odorant receptor, a crucial step in deciphering the sense of smell.

16 Mar 2023

Bile salt hydrolase cocktails may offer a new approach to inhibit C. diff colonization

Not all probiotics are created equal. In a new study, researchers found that certain enzymes within a class known as bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) can restrict Clostridioides difficile (C. diff.) colonization by both altering existing bile acids and by creating a new class of bile acids within the gut's microbial environment.

14 Mar 2023

Novel technology easily detects active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection antibodies

A team of faculty from Wayne State University has discovered new technology that will quickly and easily detect active Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection antibodies.

14 Mar 2023

Analyzing the antimicrobial resistance profile of the main agent of urinary tract infections

The human intestine is an environment inhabited by many bacteria and other microorganisms collectively known as the gut microbiome, gut microbiota or intestinal flora. In most people, it contributes to wellness. A healthy gut indicates a stronger immune system, improved metabolism, and a healthy brain and heart, among other functions.

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

Microorganisms can help tackle conflicts across the globe: Study

Microorganisms should be 'weaponized' to stave off conflicts across the globe, according to a team of eminent microbiologists.

13 Mar 2023

“Bacterial suicide squad” recruits and activates innate and adaptive antitumor immune responses

Combining discoveries in cancer immunology with sophisticated genetic engineering, Columbia University researchers have created a sort of "bacterial suicide squad" that targets tumors, attracting the host's own immune cells to the cancer to destroy it. The new work, published today in Science Advances, marks a major step forward in efforts to enlist non-pathogenic bacteria to combat cancer.

9 Mar 2023

Researchers discover how specific mutation in a bacterium results in phage resistance

As antibacterial resistance continues to render obsolete the use of some antibiotics, some have turned to bacteria-killing viruses to treat acute infections as well as some chronic illnesses.

7 Mar 2023

Nanosatellite paves the way for developing RNA-based medicines

Researchers from Aarhus University and Berkeley Laboratory have designed RNA molecules, that folds into nanoscale rectangles, cylinders, and satellites, and have studied their 3D structure and dynamics with advanced nanotechnological methods.

28 Feb 2023

Study shows how convalescent plasma can be used as effective treatment during future pandemics

Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, new variant outbreaks continue to fuel economic disruptions and hospitalizations across the globe.

22 Feb 2023

New host protease determinants facilitating the infection of SARS-CoV-2 identified

Researchers from Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has identified novel host protease determinants, that facilitate the infection of SARS-CoV-2, including the Omicron variant, which provided new targets for combating the pandemic.

22 Feb 2023

New biomarker helps identify biological age

Once considered to be incompetent in encoding proteins due to their simple monotonous DNA repetitions, tiny telomeres at the tips of human chromosomes now appear to have a powerful biological function that could help better understand cancer and aging.

21 Feb 2023

Microbiology News and Research

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

Myeloid cells contribute to a long-lived HIV reservoir, study shows

Monocytes harbor stable HIV DNA capable of infecting neighboring cells

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

Understanding the cellular effects of antibiotics targeting cell wall biosynthesis

Novel tool analyzes how immune cells respond to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

Keeping lymph nodes in the body can boost the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy

Decreased viral infection severity in females linked to extra copy of epigenetic regulator

First molecular images of olfaction sets the stage to create novel smells

Bile salt hydrolase cocktails may offer a new approach to inhibit C. diff colonization

Novel technology easily detects active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection antibodies

Analyzing the antimicrobial resistance profile of the main agent of urinary tract infections

Developing new therapies that leverage the host immune system

Microorganisms can help tackle conflicts across the globe: Study

“Bacterial suicide squad” recruits and activates innate and adaptive antitumor immune responses

Researchers discover how specific mutation in a bacterium results in phage resistance

Nanosatellite paves the way for developing RNA-based medicines

Study shows how convalescent plasma can be used as effective treatment during future pandemics

New host protease determinants facilitating the infection of SARS-CoV-2 identified

New biomarker helps identify biological age

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