Microbiology News and Research

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New High-Throughput Platform for Rapid Evaluation of Plant-Derived Molecules

Plants are powerhouses of molecular manufacturing. Over the eons, they have evolved to produce a plethora of small molecules -; some are beneficial and valuable to humans, others can be deadly.

28 Jun 2024

Flower Bulbs and Compost Carry Hidden Threat of Fungal Infection

That pile of soil you bought at the home improvement store may contain more than just dirt, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

26 Jun 2024

Researchers Develop New Way to Simulate Personalized, Microbiome-Mediated Diet Responses

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are beneficial molecules created by the bacteria residing in our gut that are closely tied to improved host metabolism, lower systemic inflammation, better cardiovascular health, lower cancer risk, and more.

25 Jun 2024

Unlocking the Role of Antisense RNA as a Gene Expression Booster

The function of non-coding RNA in the cell has long been a mystery to researchers. Unlike coding RNA, non-coding RNA does not produce proteins – yet it exists in large quantities.

25 Jun 2024

The Link Between Climate Change and Drug-Resistant Fungal Infections

In a recent study on fungal diseases in Chinese hospitals, researchers discovered that two individuals were infected by a previously undocumented fungus affecting human health.

20 Jun 2024

Enzymes Replace Cyanide in Eco-Friendly Nitrile Synthesis

If the household cleaner emits a lemon-like odor, it may be due to a nitrile called citronellyl nitrile. Chemical-resistant gloves, superglue, and active pharmaceutical ingredients are all made with these adaptable chemical nitrile groups.

19 Jun 2024

New Method Offers Rapid and Accurate Blood Infection Detection

Researchers have shown that a novel method could identify bloodstream infections precisely and swiftly. The study findings were presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

17 Jun 2024

Exploring the Use of Weakened Viruses for Cancer Treatment

Scientists at Northwestern Medicine have found that an attenuated virus can aid in the elimination of cancer in mice. Furthermore, mice given this virus treatment had a higher lifetime tumor-prevention rate.

12 Jun 2024

Lung Organoids Shed Light on Pseudomonas aeruginosa's Invasive Tactics

How do pathogens invade the lungs? Using human lung microtissues, a team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has uncovered the strategy used by a dangerous pathogen.

11 Jun 2024

Novel Lipopeptide from Serratia marcescens Shows Promise Against Staphylococcus aureus Infections

A novel antibacterial lipopeptide produced by the bacterium Serratia marcescens has been shown to be highly effective in killing Staphylococcus aureus – one of the most important pathogens occurring in humans.

7 Jun 2024

Plectasin's Velcro-Like Binding Holds Promise for Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance

A small antibiotic called plectasin uses an innovative mechanism to kill bacteria. By assembling into large structures, plectasin latches onto its target on the bacterial cell surface comparable to how both sides of Velcro form a bond.

24 May 2024

Exploring the Evolution of Mitosis: Lessons from Close Relatives of Fungi and Animals

Cell division is one of the most fundamental processes of life. From bacteria to blue whales, every living being on Earth relies on cell division for growth, reproduction, and species survival.

23 May 2024

Phages and Zombie Cells Regulate Abundant Marine Bacteria

The movement of matter and energy required for ocean life is regulated by marine microbes, of these, approximately one-third are members of the bacterial group SAR11.

20 May 2024

Study Reveals How tRNA Modification Influences Malaria Drug Resistance

Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), have discovered a link between malaria parasites’ ability to develop resistance to antimalarial drugs – specifically artemisinin (ART) – through a cellular process called transfer Ribonucleic acid (tRNA) modification.

20 May 2024

Breakthrough in Natural Vanillin Production Using Engineered Enzyme

Vanilla extract is one of the most widely used flavoring compounds in food products and cosmetics.

17 May 2024

Unraveling the Rhizobia-Diatom Relationship in the Ocean

Nitrogen is an essential component of all living organisms. It is also the key element controlling the growth of crops on land, as well as the microscopic oceanic plants that produce half the oxygen on our planet.

10 May 2024

New Insights into E. coli's UTI Survival Strategy

Due to anatomical peculiarities, women are particularly vulnerable to UTIs; nearly 50% of them will experience one at some point in their lives.

6 May 2024

Novel Lantibiotic Unveiled Against Skin Microbiome Rivals

Many bacteria produce substances to gain an advantage over competitors in their highly competitive natural environment.

30 Apr 2024

A New Pathway to Universal Donor Blood

The effort to generate universal donor blood has made a significant step ahead. Researchers at DTU and Lund University identified enzymes that, when combined with red blood cells, could eliminate particular sugars found in the A and B antigens of the human ABO blood types. The findings are reported in the scientific journal Nature Microbiology.

30 Apr 2024

The Evolution of CRISPR Technology in Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance

Assistant Professor Ibrahim Bitar of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital in Plzen, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Republic, will provide an overview of the molecular biology of CRISPR technology and highlight its potential applications in combating antimicrobial resistance in the second new research review.

29 Apr 2024