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Genomic Research Unravels Arabica Coffee's Ancient Origins

The key to growing coffee plants that can better resist climate change in the decades to come may lie in the ancient past.

16 Apr 2024

Unlocking Bacterial Dormancy: Polyphosphates' Role Revealed

Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick.

12 Apr 2024

Researchers Uncover the FACT-ETS-1 Antiviral Response Pathway

By focusing on a poxvirus protein, a team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists has discovered an antiviral immune pathway that broadly fights a wide variety of viruses.

4 Apr 2024

New Virus Offers Hope for Amphibians Ravaged by Fungus

A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus, and that could be engineered to save the amphibians.

4 Apr 2024

Researchers Advocate for “Pathogen Prospecting” to Fight Malaria

A team of scientists is urging colleagues worldwide to participate in what they refer to as “pathogen prospecting,” which involves locating archival mosquito specimens in collections and museums and examining them for pathogens that could have transmitted malaria to humans while feeding on their blood.

2 Apr 2024

Viruses Pose Unforeseen Threat to Native Desert Ecosystems

Just as many people battle seasonal colds and flu, native plants face their own viral threats. People have long known that plants can succumb to viruses just like humans.

29 Mar 2024

Researchers Track the Genomic Interactions Between Tasmanian Devils and Cancer

Over the past 30 years, Australia's Tasmanian devil population has been afflicted with an infectious cancer that has pushed the species to near extinction.

29 Mar 2024

The Influence of sRNA on Gut Pathogen Drug Susceptibility

A significant breakthrough in understanding how gut bacteria adapt to their environment.

26 Mar 2024

Artificial Glycocalyx-Based Method Detects Intact Bacteria

Each year, bacterial infections claim several million lives worldwide. That is why detecting harmful microorganisms is crucial – not only in the diagnosis of diseases but also, for example, in food production.

26 Mar 2024

Novel Microfluidic Device for Rapid Plant Stress Diagnosis via miRNA Detection

In natural environments, plants encounter biotic and abiotic stresses that can significantly affect their productivity and health.

25 Mar 2024

Metabolic Insights into Immune Cell Activation and Response

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia identified a key metabolite in cells that helps direct immune responses and explains at a single cell level why immune cells that most efficiently recognize pathogens, vaccines, or diseased cells grow and divide faster than other cells.

18 Mar 2024

New Research Highlights Gut's Role in Preventing Infections

According to a study published in the journal Nature, gut bacteria and a diet high in the amino acid tryptophan can protect against pathogenic E. coli, which can cause severe upset stomach, cramps, fever, intestinal bleeding, and renal failure.

14 Mar 2024

Microbiological Considerations Lacking in UK's Sustainable Farming Incentive, AMI's Policy Team Warns

The call came after experts in the Food Security Advisory Group and the Healthy Land Advisory Group reviewed the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which was set up to encourage and support farmers to take actions that support food production and protect the environment.

11 Mar 2024

‘Like a PCR Lab in Your Pocket': New Test Strips Raise Game in Gene-Based Diagnostics

Biosensing technology developed by UNSW engineers has made it possible to make portable RAT tests just as accurate as PCR tests carried out in a lab.

7 Mar 2024

New Insights on Factors Influencing E. coli Contamination on Leafy Greens

Leafy green vegetables are important sources of dietary fiber and nutrients, but they can harbor harmful pathogens.

1 Mar 2024

UMass Amherst Study Shows Promise in Retraining Immune Cells for Targeting Aplastic Anemia

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently released a first-of-its-kind study that focuses on the rare autoimmune disorder aplastic anemia to understand how a subset of cells might be trained to correct the overzealous immune response that can lead to fatal autoimmune disorders.

28 Feb 2024

Researchers Isolate Adaptable Leptospirosis Strain in Austrian Cattle

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed infectious disease that affects both animals and humans. While the infection is endemic in tropical regions, its incidence seems to increase in temperate regions.

27 Feb 2024

Newborn T Cells Excel in Immune Response Compared to Adults

Scientists have long believed that a newborn's immune system was an immature version of an adult's, but new research from Cornell University shows that newborns' T cells – white blood cells that protect from disease – outperform those of adults at fighting off numerous infections.

26 Feb 2024

Mutation in E. coli's Cellulose Machinery Unveiled as Cause of Severe Infections

Queensland researchers have discovered that a mutation allows some E. coli bacteria to cause severe disease in people while other bacteria are harmless, a finding that could help to combat antibiotic resistance.

22 Feb 2024