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Fungal Invasion Threatens Amphibian Biodiversity in North America

According to recent studies, the amphibian biodiversity could suffer greatly if the fungus infection Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) were introduced to North America.

15 Jun 2023

Heat-Damaged DNA in Food Linked to Possible Genetic Risks

Researchers have newly discovered a surprising and potentially significant reason why eating foods frequently cooked at high temperatures, such as red meat and deep-fried fare, elevates cancer risk. The alleged culprit: DNA within the food that's been damaged by the cooking process.

14 Jun 2023

Determining the Genome of West Nile Virus

Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) researchers from UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources determined the genetic makeup of West Nile virus strains reported in an alpaca and a crow.

7 Jun 2023

Blacklegged Ticks Show Remarkable Resilience in Surviving Extreme Temperatures

Tick season is here, along with the increased danger of Lyme disease, and it turns out the tiny arachnids are even tougher than scientists previously thought.

2 Jun 2023

Large Testing Arena Helps Study How Mosquitoes Find Us Over Long Distances

We know a lot about mosquito preferences up close, but how do mosquitoes find us from up to a hundred meters away? Using an ice-rink-sized outdoor testing arena in Zambia, researchers found that human body odor is critical for mosquito host-seeking behavior over long distances.

22 May 2023

Tracking Antimicrobial Resistance Trends in Commensal Escherichia Coli Isolated From Swine

The spread of drug-resistant microbes has become a global health concern that threatens our ability to treat infections.

15 May 2023

Seasonal Behavior of SARS-CoV-2 is Genetically Encoded, Study Suggests

As the northern hemisphere heads into summer, we may be in for a COVID-19 reprieve. Not because the pandemic is over; the Omicron subvariant 'Arcturus' is still creeping upward and causing new symptoms.

15 May 2023

New Insights on Cases of Post-Vaccine Heart Inflammation

Public health experts discovered an increase in cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of heart muscle, after the introduction of the new COVID-19 vaccinations two years ago, particularly in young males who had received mRNA vaccines.

8 May 2023

Occludin Protein Plays a Critical Role in Cell-to-Cell Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Virus

While the coronavirus continues to infect people around the world, researchers at the University of Missouri have identified a specific protein inside the human body that plays a critical role in how the virus spreads from cell to cell after infection -; a discovery that will help better understand the COVID-19 disease and could lead to the development of new antiviral drugs in the future.

2 May 2023

Novel 3D Structure can Serve as Blueprint to Engineer New BoNT/E Variants

A team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, have revealed the first crystal structures of the receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin E (BoNT/E) in complex with its human neuronal receptors, synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A).

28 Apr 2023

Study Finds Link Between Chemical "Marks" on DNA in Father’s Sperm and Autistic Traits in Children

Among families with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Johns Hopkins University researchers say they have found a link between chemical "marks" on DNA in the sperm of fathers and autistic traits in their 3-year-old children.

28 Apr 2023

Quebec Scientists Isolate Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Virus from Hospital Air Samples

Quebec scientists have succeeded in isolating infectious particles of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from air samples collected from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients and kept frozen for more than a year, a new study shows.

20 Apr 2023

Scientists Discover Gene That Plays a Key Role in Determining the Risk for Vascular Diseases

University of School of Medicine researchers have identified a gene that plays a crucial role in determining our risk for heart attacks, deadly aneurysms, coronary artery disease and other dangerous vascular conditions.

19 Apr 2023

40% of Supermarket Meat Samples Contain Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Multidrug-resistant E. coli were found in 40% of supermarket meat samples tested in a Spanish study.

17 Apr 2023

Wastewater Surveillance may Help Monitor the Spread of Candida Auris, Study Shows

A rapid spike in cases of a potentially deadly, drug-resistant fungus has concerned public health officials across the nation.

7 Apr 2023

Research Reveals Why Viruses can Reinfect a Population of Previously Immune Hosts

The human body is capable of creating a vast, diverse repertoire of antibodies-;the Y-shaped sniffer dogs of the immune system that can find and flag foreign invaders.

7 Apr 2023

Newly Discovered Mechanism may Have Profound Implications for Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Researchers at the Forsyth Institute have discovered an important mechanism that may have profound implications for how we prevent colorectal cancer. Oddly enough, their discovery began in the mouth.

5 Apr 2023

New Shape-Shifting Antibiotics may Help Combat Drug-Resistant Superbugs

In the United States alone, drug-resistant bacteria and fungi infect almost 3 million people per year and kill about 35,000. Antibiotics are essential and effective, but in recent years overuse has led to some bacteria developing resistance to them.

5 Apr 2023

Evolution driven by genetic engineering should be known as ‘genetic welding’ to draw scientific and ethical scrutiny

In an opinion paper, evolutionary geneticist Asher Cutter highlights the importance of coining the term ‘genetic welding’ for the anthropogenic manipulation of genetic drive made possible by tools such as CRISPR-Cas9.

29 Mar 2023

Resistance genes in human gut influenced by national trends in antibiotic consumption

According to a new study performed at the Earlham Institute and Quadram Institute in Norwich, the community of microbes living in and on human bodies might be serving as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance.

28 Mar 2023