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Checkpoint immunotherapy acts as an interface between killer T cells and dendritic cells

Chronic viral infections and cancers can damage the immune system permanently, diminishing the ability of immune killer T cells to destroy tumor cells or virus-infected cells—a condition known as “immune exhaustion.”

5 Apr 2022

Plant compound may be a good therapeutic candidate for treating food allergies

Researchers combined advanced computational methods with experimental studies to gain new insight, at the cell level, into how the plant compound formononetin might be used to treat food allergies.

4 Apr 2022

Researchers discover a unique technique to fight hospital-borne disease

A study team developed an early-stage therapy that sabotages the pump and restores antibiotic efficiency by disclosing the structure of a protein needed by bacteria to pump out antibiotics.

From New York University (NYU) 4 Apr 2022

Multiple nanobodies effectively block infection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a novel strategy for identifying potent miniature antibodies, so-called nanobodies, against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

28 Mar 2022

CAR-T cell treatment via implantable biotechnology more effective in combating cancer

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed an implantable biotechnology that produces and releases CAR-T cells for attacking cancerous tumors.

25 Mar 2022

Salmonella strains in birds do not harbor antimicrobial-resistance genes, study finds

Although many wild birds carry Salmonella, the strains of the bacteria they convey usually do not harbor antimicrobial-resistance genes, according to Penn State researchers, who led a team conducting a new, nationwide study.

From Penn State University 24 Mar 2022

Study shows how CRISPR RNAs help the immune system to identify and combat viruses

What tasks must be completed today, and which are the most vital? In their daily lives, people must continuously make priorities. Bacteria are no exception: while using CRISPR to battle viruses, they must prioritize as well. However, the method by which this priority is accomplished is unknown.

23 Mar 2022

Microbial communities with auxotrophs more likely to have increased drug tolerance, study finds

Research from the Francis Crick Institute has revealed a key mechanism which increases tolerance to drugs amongst microbial communities.

22 Mar 2022

Yale and uOttawa researchers partner to solve a puzzle rooted in the deepest past of evolution

For decades, scientists have been trying to unravel an enduring mystery of structural biology: Why do two otherwise identical protein forms found in everything from plants, amphibians and human beings hang onto a slight variation across the mighty span of evolution?

21 Mar 2022

Novel mechanistic insight into how gut bacteria work to tame intestinal inflammation

Bile acids made by the liver have long been known for their critical role in helping to absorb the food we ingest.

From Harvard Medical School 17 Mar 2022

Immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus likely to protect against omicron

People who developed immunity to SARS-CoV-2, either by vaccination or contact, are expected to get some protection against the pathogen’s omicron version.

16 Mar 2022

Scientists use AI to predict algae's potential as alternative energy source

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are using artificial intelligence to set a new world record for producing algae as a reliable, economic source for biofuel that can be used as an alternative fuel source for jet aircraft and other transportation needs.

7 Mar 2022

Scientists discover a human receptor protein capable of identifying individual amino acids

Researchers have found that a human receptor protein can identify individual amino acids in just the similar way that bacteria do.

3 Mar 2022

Chlamydia and HPV co-infection causes a unique cellular reprogramming, study shows

Infections with several pathogens simultaneously increase the risk of cervical cancer—these results from a study conducted on artificial 3D tissue models.

25 Feb 2022

Researchers study the impact of broad-spectrum antibiotics on the infants’ microbiome

A recent study proves that antibiotic use in the first week of birth is associated with a reduction in the number of healthy bacteria required to digest milk.

22 Feb 2022

Study findings open new avenues for research into host-directed therapies for TB

A*STAR’s GIS and ID Labs have discovered KCNJ15, a gene linked to the human immune system’s ability to combat TB and maybe other infectious diseases.

18 Feb 2022

Researchers successfully isolate a new, rare bacterial strain

Certain types of bacteria are unable to survive and thrive outside host organisms. This makes their isolation and identification technically challenging.

From Tokyo University of Science 18 Feb 2022

Researchers engineer strains of nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium to produce ammonia

Researchers from Washington State University have engineered strains of the ubiquitous, nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii to produce ammonia and excrete it at high concentrations, transferring it into crop plants in lieu of conventional chemical fertilizers.

18 Feb 2022

Cryo-electron microscopy reveals structures of a muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

New research co-led by a University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine professor is shedding light on some of the mysterious dynamics that define the interplay between nerves and muscle.

17 Feb 2022

Legionella bacteria ancestors infected eukaryotic cells as early as two billion years ago

Researchers at Uppsala University have discovered that the ancestors of legionella bacteria infected eukaryotic cells as early as two billion years ago.