Microbiology

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Unveiling the Mechanisms of Phenotypic Heterogeneity in M. tuberculosis

The only single-celled organism ever found to sustain a steady growth rate throughout its life cycle is the rod-shaped tuberculosis (TB) bacterium, which the World Health Organization has once again named the leading infectious disease killer worldwide.

18 Nov 2024

Plastics in Wastewater Found to Harbor Foodborne Pathogens

The study identifies pathogens in plastispheres from WWTPs, underscoring the environmental risks of microplastics and the need for better management strategies.

18 Nov 2024

Scientists Capture Viral Infection Process Using Light Microscope

The COVID-19 pandemic led to heightened public interest in learning about viruses and how they can cause diseases.

15 Nov 2024

Caterpillar Fungus Compound Blocks Cancer Growth Signals Within 30 Minutes

Cordycepin, derived from fungi, shows promise in cancer therapy by inhibiting growth factor signaling pathways critical for cell proliferation and survival.

15 Nov 2024

Unveiling the Clinical Significance of Microbial Load in Human Health

Scientists built a new machine-learning model to predict microbial load — the density of microorganisms in the guts — and used it to explain how microbial load plays an essential role in disease-microbiome relationships.

14 Nov 2024

Cow Digestive Enzyme Shown to Break Down Tough Bacterial Biofilms

Most of the disease-causing bacteria secrete matrix-like layers around themselves called biofilms. These biofilms act as thick barriers limiting the entry of drugs and helping the bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

12 Nov 2024

SARS-CoV-2 Outwits Immune System, Prolonging Infection

SARS-CoV-2 inhibits the function of the complement system, a crucial element of early antiviral immunity, by hijacking three crucial host proteins, according to research from the Medical Universities of Vienna and Innsbruck.

11 Nov 2024

Innovative Static Culture Method for Microbial Growth and Analysis

Growing microorganisms in the lab is known as culture, a fundamental yet essential technique in microbiology research.

11 Nov 2024

New Weapon in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, waterborne illnesses cost the healthcare system more than $3 billion a year and impact more than seven million Americans. However, not everyone is affected in the same way.

7 Nov 2024

Gut Bacteria Influence Stress Responses Through Circadian Rhythms

A pioneering study has uncovered the vital role that gut microbiota plays in regulating stress responses by interacting with the body's circadian rhythms.

6 Nov 2024

Unveiling the Metabolic Strategies of Deep-Sea Coral-Associated Bacteria

Two incredible bacterial species have been found in the tissue of two deep-sea corals from the Gulf of Mexico by a German-American research team headed by Dr. Samuel Vohsen from Lehigh University in the USA and Professor Dr. Iliana Baums from the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB).

5 Nov 2024

Asaia Bacteria Accelerate Mosquito Larvae Growth

Mosquito larvae grow faster if they're exposed to particular bacteria, according to a new study that could help global health programmes.

5 Nov 2024

A New Understanding of Viral Infection

Scientists studying animal viruses with the potential to infect humans have discovered a critical protein that could facilitate the spread of a family of organisms known as arteriviruses.

1 Nov 2024

New Microbe with Potential to Revolutionize Biomanufacturing and Carbon Capture

A unique strain of cyanobacteria, or algae, isolated from volcanic ocean vents has been found by an international team of researchers from the United States and Italy.

30 Oct 2024

Encrypted Peptides Offer Hope Against Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

Researchers have discovered a new class of antimicrobial compounds called encrypted peptides, which could boost the immune system's toolkit to combat infection and counteract the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

29 Oct 2024

Invasive Plants Transform Soil Microbial Communities Across the U.S.

Invasive plants are doing more than just taking over landscapes -; they're also changing the soil beneath them.

29 Oct 2024

Cryo-EM Technology Paves the Way for Major Biological Discovery

Ben Orlando's research talk at MSU's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2019 laid the groundwork for a team effort that had been developing for decades.

25 Oct 2024

New Insights into How TRIM25 Fights RNA Viruses

Human bodies are attacked every single second of every day. The invading agents include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins both living and non-living things that could impair how well bodies work.

25 Oct 2024

Mobile Genetic Elements Alter Antagonistic Strategies of Gut Bacteria

Bacteria evolve rapidly in the human gut by sharing genetic elements with each other. Bacteriodales is a prolific order of gut bacteria that trade hundreds of genetic elements.

25 Oct 2024

Study Reveals Role of Gut Microbes in Enhancing Children's Health

To address childhood malnutrition -; which affects 200 million children globally -; researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis developed a therapeutic food that nourishes the collections of beneficial microbes that reside in the gut, and improves children's growth and other measures of their health.

25 Oct 2024