Microbiology

RSS

Researchers Chart the First "Map of the Microverse"

What defines the habitat – the ecological niche – of a microorganism? It is a combination of environmental factors such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient content. But the exact contribution of each of these factors is difficult to predict.

6 Apr 2023

The “Hangry” Stage of Bacteria Cells

The word “hangry” describes individuals who become angry due to hunger. According to a recent study by Adam Rosenthal, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology and immunology, some bacteria cells experience hangry and release toxic substances into the body when they are denied certain nutrients.

5 Apr 2023

Gut Microbiome and Enhanced Tumor Immune Response in Pancreatic Cancer Survivors

Even as pancreatic cancer treatments advance, only around 9% of patients live beyond five years. Scientists have failed to identify genetic distinctions that explain why some patients live for a long time and others do not, so they have moved their emphasis to the gut microbiome.

5 Apr 2023

Role of Engineered E. coli in Sending Therapeutic Nanobodies to the Gut

Numerous bacterium types have taken up residence in humans. Currently, research is concentrated on genetically modifying these bacteria to increase their inherent therapeutic qualities.

5 Apr 2023

Customized AI-driven gut microbiome study to classify colorectal cancer

A diverse community of several bacterial species that are crucial to human health constitute the gut microbiome. Changes in the gut microbiota have been linked to a range of diseases recently, most notably colorectal cancer (CRC), according to researchers across a variety of domains.

5 Apr 2023

Surface Structure Impacts Quorum Signaling of Bacteria Across Biofilms

Similar to how cells within human tissues communicate and function together as a whole, bacteria are also able to communicate with each other through chemical signals, a behavior known as quorum signaling (QS).

5 Apr 2023

Dengue Viruses Subvert Mosquito Biology to Tamp Down Human Immune Responses

The saliva of mosquitoes infected with dengue viruses contains a substance that thwarts the human immune system and makes it easier for people to become infected with these potentially deadly viruses, new research reveals.

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

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Induces Memory Loss After COVID-19

Patients diagnosed with post-COVID-19 syndrome often experience cognitive and memory impairments.

4 Apr 2023

Tighter Core of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in New Variants Likely Improved the Virus's Ability to Infect Host Cells

Just as a tight core is a component of good physical fitness for humans, helping to stabilize our bodies, mutations that tightened the core of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in new variants may have increased the virus's fitness.

3 Apr 2023

First Steps Driving Antibiotic Resistance Discovered

Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat. In 2019 alone, an estimated 1.3 million deaths were attributed to antibiotic resistant bacterial infections worldwide.

3 Apr 2023

Study brings into sharper focus the structural details of SARS-COV-2 virus

A new study led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) brings into sharper focus the structural details of the COVID-19 virus, revealing an elliptical shape that "breathes," or changes shape, as it moves in the body.

31 Mar 2023

UConn Health scientists explain why Shigella bacteria can infect humans but not mice

Shigella bacteria can infect humans but not mice. In the March 29 issue of Nature, a team from UConn Health explains why. Their findings may explain the multifariousness of a key weapon of our immune system.

31 Mar 2023

Revealing the structural basis underpinning the biophysical properties of pili

According to the World Health Organization, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria are the most common cause of traveler’s diarrhea and cause the greatest number of known community-acquired cases of childhood diarrhea in the developing world.

31 Mar 2023

Maternal vaginal microbiome does not substantially influence the infant stool microbiome

It has been a longstanding assumption that birth mode and associated exposure of newborns to their mothers' vaginal microbiome during delivery greatly affects the development of babies' gut microbiome.

31 Mar 2023

Research shows how the fruit fly gut builds a cozy niche to selectively promote colonization

The digestive tract of fruit flies remodels itself to accommodate beneficial microbiome species and maintain long-term stability of the gut environment, according to new research led by Carnegie's William Ludington and Allan Spradling.

30 Mar 2023

Study reports a new target to fight against antibiotic-resistant pneumonia

Increases in multidrug-resistance in the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae have made it the fourth-leading cause of death associated with antibiotic resistance.

30 Mar 2023

Novel inhibitor, hopeaphenol, blocks HIV expression

In the United States, around 1.2 million people are living with HIV as of 2022. Many of these people can now live productive, symptom-free lives thanks to antiretroviral therapies, but a solution that permanently removes HIV from an infected person’s body is still a long way off.

30 Mar 2023

Using better probiotics to maintain a healthy gut microbiome

Bacteria have thousands of genes and functions that we, the human host, do not have. For instance, bacteria can help us digest fiber, provide support to our immune systems, and absorb important nutrients. But reaping the benefits of "good bacteria" is easier said than done.

29 Mar 2023

New DNA editing tool could rapidly accelerate the design of custom microbes

A DNA editing tool adapted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists makes engineering microbes for everything from bioenergy production to plastics recycling easier and faster.

29 Mar 2023