Microbiology

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Specialist microscope allows scientists to make one-molecule measurements

Researchers have designed and constructed a single-molecule specialist microscope, and shared the build instructions to help make this system available.

9 Nov 2020

Diversification of crops and vegetation does not impact crop yields

Increasing diversity in crop production benefits biodiversity without compromising crop yields, according to an international study comparing 42,000 examples of diversified and simplified agricultural practices.

9 Nov 2020

Genetically edited form of herpes simplex virus outperforms key vaccine candidate

A genetically edited form of a herpes simplex virus -- rewired to keep it from taking refuge in the nervous system and eluding an immune response -- has outperformed a leading vaccine candidate in a new study from the University of Cincinnati, Northwestern University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

9 Nov 2020

Researchers show how encapsulated viruses hijack biosynthetic pathways in cells

Researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, York, Warwick and Oxford have shed light on how encapsulated viruses like hepatitis B, dengue and SARS-CoV-2 hijack the protein manufacturing and distribution pathways in the cell - they have also identified a potential broad spectrum anti-viral drug target to stop them in their tracks.

9 Nov 2020

Study shows how coronavirus block cells’ ability to produce protective proteins

One of the novel coronavirus' most insidious tricks is that it can block the ability of cells to produce protective proteins without hindering its own ability to replicate.

6 Nov 2020

Scientists use genomics to track the outbreak of Yellow fever virus in São Paulo

Yellow fever virus is normally confined to the Amazon region, but the virus circulated in the Southeast of Brazil between 2016 and 2018, causing the worst epidemic and epizootic outbreaks there for decades. The Ministry of Health confirmed 2,251 cases of yellow fever in humans and 1,567 cases in monkeys in Brazil between December 2016 and June 2019.

6 Nov 2020

Composition of virus communities is shaped by host genetic factors

Plants can be infected by multiple viruses at once. However, the composition of the pathogen community varies, even if individuals belong to the same species and the same population.

6 Nov 2020

Highly automated device rapidly detects the presence of COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, infectious disease experts and frontline medical workers have asked for a faster, cheaper and more reliable COVID-19 test.

6 Nov 2020

Study examines how extremophilic microbes can tolerate drastic space conditions

Since the dawn of space exploration, humankind has been fascinated by survival of terrestrial life in outer space. Outer space is a hostile environment for any form of life, but some extraordinarily resistant microorganisms can survive.

5 Nov 2020

Dietary supplement helps to partially prevent fatty liver disease in rats

A recent study by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä was successful in partially preventing fatty liver disease in rats.

5 Nov 2020

Study shows soil bacteria rely on fungi to survive dry periods

Researchers have used two different transparent soil substitutes to demonstrate how soil bacteria depend on fungi to help them endure the dry periods. The study was recently published in the eLife journal.

4 Nov 2020

Researchers to explore the role of gut microbes in childhood celiac disease

Boston College Assistant Professor of Biology Emrah Altindis has received a three-year, $300,000-grant from the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation for research into childhood celiac disease.

4 Nov 2020

New research finds clues for disarming antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A virus can stop bacteria from sharing genes for antibiotic resistance among themselves, Texas A&M AgriLife researchers have discovered.

4 Nov 2020

Researcher creates “leaf profile” of components involved in CO2 journey

During the process of photosynthesis, leaves trap the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it into organic compounds.

4 Nov 2020

Study shows memory T cells are formed earlier than previously thought

A person will acquire immunity to a specific disease when T cells develop into memory cells after making contact with pathogens.

4 Nov 2020

Root microbiota may play a key role in optimal plant growth

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research have found that, faced with limiting iron, plants direct their microbiota to mobilize this essential nutrient for optimal growth.

3 Nov 2020

Different microbial enzymes show promise for practical application

At Kazan Federal University, the Laboratory of Enzyme Biosynthesis and Bioengineering is involved in many projects in applied and fundamental fields of medicine and biology.

2 Nov 2020

Gut microbes mitigate radiation exposure, repair GI tract

A new study by scientists at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues published Oct. 30, 2020, in Science, showed that mice exposed to potentially lethal levels of total body radiation were protected from radiation damage if they had specific types of bacteria in their gut.

2 Nov 2020

SARS-Cov-2 spike proteins can directly impact the function of blood-brain barrier

Like a key, SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - attaches to specific molecules on the host cell surface, opening gateways into the cell interior.

30 Oct 2020

Human immune system may play a key role in shaping the microbiome composition

The gut is an unusually noisy place, where hundreds of species of bacteria live alongside whatever microbes happen to have hitched a ride in on your lunch.

30 Oct 2020