Microbiology News and Research

RSS

UT Southwestern Unveils New Method for Fighting Complex Infections

Treating complex bacterial infections with customized therapies tailored to the infection and the patient is closer to reality, thanks to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

22 Mar 2024

New Cost-Effective RNA Sequencing Method for Legionella Detection

Legionnaires' disease (LD), a rare and severe type of pneumonia, is a respiratory infection caused by species of Legionella bacteria.

22 Mar 2024

Latest CRISPR-Cas Gene Editing Can Eliminate All Traces of HIV Virus From Infected Cells

New research presented early ahead of this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024, Barcelona, 27-30 April) from a team of researchers in the Netherlands shows how the latest CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology can be used to eliminate all traces of the HIV virus from infected cells in the laboratory, raising hopes of a cure.

20 Mar 2024

Drug Candidates Show Promise to Reverse HIV's Ability to Escape Immune System Detection

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists have identified drug candidates that show promise to reverse the ability of HIV to escape detection by the immune system.

20 Mar 2024

Study Deciphers Mechanism That Helps Viruses Choose to Turn Nasty or Stay Friendly

Researchers from the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at Tel Aviv University have deciphered a novel complex decision-making process that helps viruses choose to turn nasty or stay friendly to their bacterial host.

14 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

Scientists Detect Higher Bacterial Counts in Single-Serving Milks

Cornell University scientists have detected higher bacterial counts in commercial, paperboard single-serving containers two weeks after processing than milk packaged in larger containers from the same facilities.

12 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

Quantifying Strain Variability in Natural Bacterial Populations

Researchers led by Kostas Konstantinidis from the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a novel approach to categorize bacteria into distinct species and strains, addressing a long-standing challenge in microbiology.

5 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

Microbial Viruses Found to be Key Players in Methane Cycling and Climate Change

In a new study, scientists have discovered that viruses that infect microbes contribute to climate change by playing a key role in cycling methane, a potent greenhouse gas, through the environment.

1 Mar 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

Induction Cooktop Technology Shows Promise in Reducing Bacterial Infection in Prosthetic Joints

The same technology at work in induction cooktops cut the amount of bacteria present in a prosthetic joint infection when used in conjunction with antibiotics in a mouse model, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report in a new study.

19 Feb 2024

The Potential of Monoclonal Antibodies for Neonatal Herpes

The results of a recent study led by the Geisel School of Medicine and Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, and published in Cell Reports Medicine, provide new information about the role that antibodies play in preventing herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections.

13 Feb 2024

Researchers Identify Universal Microbes in Animal Decomposition Process

For the first time, researchers have identified what appears to be a network of approximately 20 microbes that universally drive the decomposition of animal flesh.

13 Feb 2024

GWAS Identifies Key Genetic Factors for Lassa Fever Susceptibility and Severity

While combing through the human genome in 2007, computational geneticist Pardis Sabeti made a discovery that would transform her research career.

9 Feb 2024

Penn State Professor Receives NIH Grant to Study How Microbial Communities Impact Human Health

The bacteria and microorganisms that live within the human body -; the microbiota -; can impact human health, disease risk and even how the body absorbs medications, but the details of these processes are unclear.

6 Feb 2024

CSIRO Study Shows Marine Heatwaves Have Significant Impact on Microorganisms

A new study led by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, shows that marine heatwaves (MHWs) are altering the microorganism communities that form the base of the marine food chain, disrupting coastal ecosystems.

6 Feb 2024

New Model Predicts How Soil Microbes Impact Climate

Climate models are essential to predicting and addressing climate change, but can fail to adequately represent soil microbes, a critical player in ecosystem soil carbon sequestration that affects the global carbon cycle.

5 Feb 2024

Tomatoes as Nature's Antibacterial Agents

According to research published in Microbiology Spectrum, a magazine of the American Society for Microbiology, tomato juice can eliminate Salmonella Typhi and other bacteria that can damage people's digestive and urinary system health. Typhoid fever is brought on by the lethal human-specific bacterium Salmonella Typhi.

31 Jan 2024