Microbiology

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Progress in Ingestible Microbiome Sampling Pill Technology

At the Tufts University School of Engineering, significant progress has been made in creating a tiny device that is comparable in size to a vitamin pill and can be swallowed to sample the entire population of microorganisms in a person's gastrointestinal tract.

13 Jun 2024

New Study Reveals Microbial Role in Soil Carbon Emissions

When soil microbes eat plant matter, the digested food follows one of two pathways. Either the microbe uses the food to build its own body, or it respires its meal as carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

12 Jun 2024

Ancient Archaea Reveal Secrets of Hydrogen Utilization

An international scientific team has redefined our understanding of archaea, a microbial ancestor to humans from two billion years ago, by showing how they use hydrogen gas.

12 Jun 2024

Virus-Like Nanoparticles Facilitate DNA Release and Host Reproduction in Streptomyces

Viruses are ubiquitous in the environment, and organisms have developed various mechanisms to counter their threat.

12 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

New Microscopy Reveals Secrets of SARS-CoV-2 Replication

Recent research published in Nature Communications by a Stanford University team may provide more accuracy in drug development by examining at the nanoscale how the SARS-CoV-2 virus replicates in cells.

4 Jun 2024

Azoles Trigger Two Self-Destruction Pathways in Fungi

Scientists have shown that the most common class of antifungals used worldwide induces microorganisms to self-destruct.

4 Jun 2024

Study Uncovers Fungal Self-Destruct Mechanism

Scientists have discovered that the most widely-used class of antifungals in the world cause pathogens to self-destruct.

3 Jun 2024

New Trojan Horse Virus Potentially Linked to Severe Toxoplasmosis

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found a new RNA virus that they believe is hitching a ride with a common human parasite.

3 Jun 2024

New Birnavirus Discovered in Pet Trade Zebrafish

Zebrafish in the pet trade are asymptomatic carriers of previously undescribed microbes, including a novel virus that causes hemorrhaging in infected laboratory fish, Marlen Rice from the University of Utah, US, and colleagues report in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, publishing May 23rd.

31 May 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

Mitochondrial Phosphate Carrier MIR1: A Key Player in Candida albicans Virulence

This study is led by Professor Yan Wang (School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, China). Her team found that the lack of MIR1 gene, which encodes mitochondrial phosphate carrier, can lead to severe virulence defects in Candida albicans.

23 May 2024

Insights Into Adaptation of Aspergillus flavus in Honey Bee Colonies

The past attempts of honey bee researchers to inventory the fungal diversity in honey bee colonies revealed that Aspergillus flavus is frequently found in hives.

22 May 2024

Air-Dried Soil Archives Proven Viable for Long-Term Microbial Community Analysis

Post-doctoral researcher Joe Edwards and graduate student Sarah Love, both in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, published findings this spring that can save fellow researchers a lot of time and energy when storing soil samples for later study of their microbial content.

21 May 2024