Microbiology

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Titanium Micro-Spikes Skewer Resistant Superbugs

A new study suggests rough surfaces inspired by the bacteria-killing spikes on insect wings may be more effective at combatting drug-resistant superbugs, including fungus, than previously understood.

30 Aug 2023

New Plant-Animal Relationship Hints at an Evolutionary Transition Towards Mutualistic Symbiosis

Fungi-eating orchids were found for the first time to offer their flowers to fungi-eating fruit flies in exchange for pollination, which is the first evidence for nursery pollination in orchids. This unique new plant-animal relationship hints at an evolutionary transition towards mutualistic symbiosis.

25 Aug 2023

Plastics in Soil Might Make Bacteria More Resistant to Antibiotics

Modern farming, like any other industry, is heavily reliant on plastics. To name a few examples, consider plastic mulch lining vegetable beds, PVC pipes draining water from fields, polyethylene covering high tunnels, and plastic seed, fertilizer, and herbicide packaging.

24 Aug 2023

Scientists Identify New Way Algae Transfer Nutrients to Coral Host

Researchers have discovered a fresh method by which symbiotic algae emit sugar. This process includes the often-ignored cell wall, demonstrating that this structure is crucial for symbiosis and the movement of carbon in the ocean in addition to protecting the cell.

24 Aug 2023

High Levels of Exposure to the Virus Causing COVID-19 May Reduce Safety Given by Vaccination

High levels of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 may reduce or overcome the protection that vaccination and prior infection provides, according to a new study by researchers from Yale University, the University of Florida, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.

24 Aug 2023

New System to Quickly Detect Airborne Viruses Using High-Speed Train Technology

Researchers from University of British Columbia and Michigan State University have invented a system that can quickly and inexpensively detect airborne viruses using the same technology that enables high-speed trains.

24 Aug 2023

Bacteria’s Method of Moving Goods Throughout Cells

Bacteria can be found almost everywhere on the planet, including in soil, water, acidic hot springs, and even people’s own stomachs.

23 Aug 2023

Flinders University Scientists Study Whale Shark Microbiomes

Loss of habitat and human activities such as fishing and shipping pose a grave threat to wildlife but diseases driven by the smallest organisms in the ocean are a less understood side of marine conservation.

23 Aug 2023

Epstein-Barr Virus Epigenome Targeted for Potential Cancer Treatment

Now, scientists at The Wistar Institute have discovered a potential target for gastric cancers associated with Epstein-Barr Virus; study results were published in the journal mBio.

23 Aug 2023

Researchers Show How Different Taste Cells are Affected by Inflammation Using Gene Mapping Tool

A bitter taste in the mouth is often a symptom or side effect of illness, which may be the result of how the body reacts to pathogens.

23 Aug 2023

A Colonizing Strategy of Salmonella Gut Bacteria

According to researchers at ETH Zurich, when the gut is already populated by a closely similar strain of Salmonella bacteria, it only requires the capacity to use a single other food source for the bacteria to flourish.

22 Aug 2023

Viral Proteins Promote the Spread of Protein Aggregates in the Brain

Viral genetic remnants found naturally in the human genome may influence the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

22 Aug 2023

Examining the Biology of Microbes and Their Response to Global Changes

Around the world, organisms are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress from habitat destruction, climate change, and several other human-driven changes to the surrounding.

21 Aug 2023

Enhancing Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance with Big Data on Livestock Farms

According to a recent study, utilizing big data and machine learning to monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in cattle production techniques could help guide interventions and provide defenses against bacteria that are developing antibiotic resistance.

21 Aug 2023

"Oil-eating" Bacteria Form Dendritic Biofilms to Speed Up Oil Consumption

"Oil-eating" Alcanivorax borkumensis bacteria form "dendritic" biofilms that reshape oil droplets to speed up the rate of consumption, researchers report.

21 Aug 2023

Study Highlights Critical Development Window During Which Racial Differences in Gut Microbiome Emerge

Early social and environmental exposures can have large and lasting effects on child development and adult health.

18 Aug 2023

Understanding Early Agroforestry Development in Tropical Regions

One of the most serious threats to soil biodiversity and ecological functioning is land use change. The most significant threat to biodiversity is tropical deforestation to construct monoculture cash tree plantations.

17 Aug 2023

Single Injection of CRISPR Gene-Editing Treatment Safely Removes SIV From Non-Human Primates

A single injection of a novel CRISPR gene-editing treatment safely and efficiently removes SIV – a virus related to the AIDS-causing agent HIV – from the genomes of non-human primates, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University now report.

17 Aug 2023

DNA Analysis Uncovers Cheese-Making Process

With the use of DNA analysis, researchers examined the microbes that exist at various stages of the mozzarella-making process at different dairies.

16 Aug 2023

Study Finds Insights to Improve Understanding of Microbes’ Function

In a recent study, a team of researchers led by Penn State discovered hints that could assist in better understanding the role microbes play in creating a living skin over many semi-arid ecosystems around the world.

14 Aug 2023