Navigation On Topic Complete Directory About Us Add-site Link to Us MerchantStore Shopping	" target="_blank" TITLE="" class="intab1">View Source Advertisement 195 Health - Bacteria Resources A molecular brake for the bacterial flagellar nano-motor Researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland, have discovered that Escherichia coli bacteria harness a sophisticated chemosensory and signal transduction machinery that allows them to accurately control motor rotation, thereby adjusting their swimming velocity in response to changing environments. The research results that were published online in Cell on March 18, 2010, may foster the development of novel strategies to fight persistent infections. View Source March 19, 2010 Provides Information A New Superbacteria, Immune To Most Antibiotics, Found Spreading Fast Good morning, readers. Settled in, ready to take on the day? Great, we hope you have a good one. Also, FYI, a new mutation that makes bacteria resistant to pretty much every antibiotic known to man has become increasingly prevalent on the Indian subcontinent and has made the leap to both the UK and the United States, according to a new report in the Lancet. Because there's nothing modern medical science can do to stop it, the NDM-1 "superbug" may spread globally. Anyhow, enjoy your Thursday. View Source August 12, 2010 Provides Information A novel genetic typing approach reveals focal transmission of the bacteria that cause the flesh-eating disease Buruli ulcer is an infectious disease afflicting thousands of children every year. The difficult-to-cure disease, which is caused by bacteria, occurs in tropical or subtropical climate zones and results in open sores and deformities. For the last two years, the international research consortium Stop Buruli has been collaborating in projects to research this forgotten and insidious disease. View Source July 28, 2010 Provides Information A Two-in-One Test for Detecting E. Coli in Ground Beef and Other Foods Scientists have reported on the development of the first two-in-one test that can simultaneously detect both the E. coli bacteria responsible for terrible food poisoning outbreaks, and the toxins, or poisons, that the bacteria use to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms in its victims. They described it at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), being held in San Francisco March 21-25. View Source March 29, 2010 Provides Information After 10 Years' Work, Scientists Unveil Detailed 3-D Map of Virus That Causes the Common Cold After more than a decade of work, scientists have completed a 3-D atomic-scale map of a virus that causes the common cold. It's the largest virus ever mapped. The map could help scientists re-engineer the virus for gene therapy, as well as to create possible treatments for cancer and other ailments. Robotic systems, an advanced x-ray, and years of patience made it possible. View Source August 26, 2010 Provides Information Alcoholic IV Caps Keep Catheter Connections Germ Free Catheter Connections, a Salt Lake CIty, Utah company, has received FDA regulatory approval for its DualCap disinfecting tool to prevent contamination of IV tubing ends. View Source July 19, 2010 Provides Information Amid the murk of 'gut flora,' vitamin D receptor emerges as a key player Within the human digestive tract is a teeming mass of hundreds of types of bacteria, a potpourri of microbes numbering in the trillions that help us digest food and keep bad bacteria in check. View Source July 7, 2010 Provides Information Ansell GAMMEX Antimicrobial Surgical Glove Ansell out of Red Bank, New Jersey has announced the launch of their new GAMMEX Powder-Free glove with AMT Antimicrobial Technology, the world's first surgical glove with an antimicrobial coating. It features an inner coating containing skin friendly agents and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), an antimicrobial agent commonly found in products such as antiseptics and mouthwash. View Source May 4, 2010 Provides Information Antibacterial Graphene 'Paper' Could Lead to Better Bandages A new antibacterial paper could lead to food wrappers that keep food fresh longer, shoes that never stink, and bandages with a built-in ability to deter infection. It turns out a paper-like material made of graphene – thin sheets of carbon just a single atom thick – have antibacterial properties that could have vast applications. View Source July 28, 2010 Provides Information Antibacterial lab coats to help prevent spread of disease in hospitals According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 99,000 people die every year from infections acquired while in hospitals. "The goal in our profession is to help cure you not introduce you to another deadly infection," said Dr. Charles Kinder, Heart Rhythm expert and Director of Heart Rhythm Program at Heart Care Centers of Illinois. View Source June 21, 2010 Provides Information Antibacterial paper made from graphene Researchers have made the surprising finding that graphene-based nanomaterials possess excellent antibacterial properties. Although antibacterial materials are widely used in daily life, and the antibacterial properties of nanomaterials are increasingly being explored and developed as commercial products (see for instance: "Antibacterial nanotechnology multi-action materials that work day and night"), their cytotoxicity and biocompatibility has raised questions and concerns. View Source July 5, 2010 Provides Information Antibacterial silver nanoparticles are a blast Writing in the International Journal of Nanoparticles, Rani Pattabi and colleagues at Mangalore University, explain how blasting silver nitrate solution with an electron beam can generate nanoparticles that are more effective at killing all kinds of bacteria, including gram-negative species that are not harmed by conventional antibacterial agents. View Source May 24, 2010 Provides Information Antibiotic alternative for battling meningitis-causing bacteria A study published online on May 24th in the Journal of Experimental Medicine suggests that boosting the abundance of one of the body's own proteins might be more effective than antibiotic treatment at fighting off a common meningitis-causing bacterium (E. coli K1). View Source May 24, 2010 Provides Information Antibiotic Use Boosts Risk of Infection with Clostridium Bacteria Antibiotic-resistant Staph infection is not the only emerging bacterial threat. Now a different bug — Clostridium difficile - is gaining strength. View Source July 2, 2010 Provides Information Antimalarial drug artemisinin moves into production A semi-synthetic version of the antimalarial drug artemisinin developed by UC Berkeley's Jay Keasling is moving out of development into full-scale production, helped along by a $10.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Institute for One World Health. The drug, produced by genetically engineered bacteria, is much cheaper than the plant-derived drug available today. View Source July 12, 2010 Provides Information Antiseptic Cloths Associated With Reduced Rate of Treatment-Resistant Bacteria in the Trauma Center Bathing trauma patients daily using cloths containing the antiseptic chlorhexidine may be associated with a decreased rate of colonization and infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other difficult-to-treat bacteria, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. View Source March 17, 2010 Provides Information Aphid immune system aided by friendly bacteria Conventional thinking says that animal immune systems have evolved to defend against harmful microorganisms, but a new Cornell study examines the role of friendly bacteria in shaping animal immunity. View Source August 19, 2010 Provides Information ATP-driven bioluminescence predicts children at high risk for tooth decay: OHSU study The study, published in Pediatric Dentistry, indicates that ATP-driven (adenosine triphosphate-driven) bioluminescence is a useful tool at the dentist's office for predicting children at high risk for tooth decay View Source June 23, 2010 Provides Information Austria reports 2 cases of superbug gene Austria's health ministry is reporting two cases of a new gene that allows bacteria to become a superbug. View Source August 27, 2010 Provides Information B Bacteria can 'smell' their environment, research shows Research has shown that bacteria - among the simplest life forms on Earth - have a sense of smell. View Source August 16, 2010 Provides Information Bacteria Converted Into ‘mini-Factories’ For Biofuels and Vaccines Scientists at the University of Kent and University College Cork have manipulated simple bacteria into constructing internal compartments where biofuels and vaccines can be produced. View Source June 11, 2010 Provides Information Bacteria from hot springs reveal clues to evolution of early life and to unlock biofuels' potential A bacteria that lives in hot springs in Japan may help solve one of the mysteries of the early evolution of complex organisms, according to a study publishing next week in PLoS Biology. It may also be the key to 21st century biofuel production. View Source June 8, 2010 Provides Information Bacteria in the Nose and Throat: Most Comprehensive Comparative Analysis Scientists have completed the most comprehensive comparative analysis to date of bacterial communities inhabiting the human nose and throat, which could provide new insights into why some individuals become colonized with pathogens while others do not. View Source June 22, 2010 Provides Information Bacteria make thrift a habit, researchers find In these lean times, smart consumers refuse to pay a lot for throwaway items, but will shell out a little more for products that can be used again and again. The same is true of bacteria and other microbes, researchers at the University of Michigan have learned. View Source August 25, 2010 Provides Information Bacteria munch up alumina impurities Previously unknown species of naturally-occurring bacteria have the potential to save the alumina and aluminium industries millions of dollars while helping to reduce their impact on the environment, microbiologist Naomi McSweeney has found in a collaborative project between Alcoa of Australia, CSIRO and the University of Western Australia. View Source July 19, 2010 Provides Information Bacterial balance that keeps us healthy The thousands of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in our gut are essential contributors to our good health. They break down toxins, manufacture some vitamins and essential amino acids, and form a barrier against invaders. A study published today in Nature shows that, at 3.3 million, microbial genes in our gut outnumber previous estimates for the whole of the human body. View Source March 4, 2010 Provides Information Bacterial Communication Encourages Chronic, Resistant Ear Infections Ear infections caused by more than one species of bacteria could be more persistent and antibiotic-resistant because one pathogen may be communicating with the other, encouraging it to bolster its defenses. Interrupting or removing that communication could be key to curing these infections. View Source July 6, 2010 Provides Information Bacterial diversity of Tablas de Daimiel studied for first time Researchers from the University of Valencia (UV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network (CIBER) in Epidemiology and Public Health studied the structure of the bacterial community in four types of environments in the Tablas de Daimiel National Park in Ciudad Real, Spain. These were the aquatic environment, the first few centimetres of sediment representing the interface between water and sediment (superficial sediment), deeper sediment (lower sediment), and the biofilms that grow on the areas bordering the water and non-inundated soil. View Source July 6, 2010 Provides Information Bacterial Study May Help Develop New and Effective Drugs for Infections For a successful infection, bacteria must outwit the immune system of the host. To this aim, they deliver so-called virulence factors through a transport channel located in the bacterial membrane. In some bacteria this transport channel is formed like a syringe, enabling them to inject virulence factors directly into the host cell. View Source June 14, 2010 Provides Information Bees help to beat MRSA bugs Bees could have a key role to play in urgently-needed new treatments to fight the virulent MRSA bug, according to research led at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. View Source June 28, 2010 Provides Information Birth Defect Risk from Insect Bites Received by Mother During Pregnancy A North Carolina State University researcher has discovered that bacteria transmitted by fleas-and potentially ticks-can be passed to human babies by the mother, causing chronic infections and raising the possibility of bacterially induced birth defects. View Source May 3, 2010 Provides Information Biologically Inspired Technology Produces Sugar from Photosynthetic Bacteria Researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard and Harvard Medical School have engineered photosynthetic bacteria to produce simple sugars and lactic acid. This innovation could lead to new, environmentally friendly methods for producing commodity chemicals in bulk. View Source June 29, 2010 Provides Information Biosensors reveal how single bacterium gets the message to split into a swimming and a stay-put cell Some species of bacteria perform an amazing reproductive feat. When the single-celled organism splits in two, the daughter cell - the swarmer - inherits a propeller to swim freely. The mother cell builds a stalk to cling to surfaces. View Source June 3, 2010 Provides Information 'Black box' plankton found to have huge role in ocean carbon fixation Carbon fixation by phytoplankton in the open ocean plays a key role in the global carbon cycle but is not fully understood. Until now researchers believed that cyanobacteria overwhelmingly accounted for phytoplankton's role in carbon fixation in the open ocean. But now scientists at the University of Warwick and the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton have opened 'the black box' of eukaryotic phytoplankton and discovered that they actually account for almost half the ocean's carbon fixation by phytoplankton. View Source April 15, 2010 Provides Information Breathing system filters used in anaesthesia allow passage of bacterial, yeast infections Doctors have highlighted potential problems with the breathing system filters used in anaesthesia, including intensive care units, after demonstrating that they don't provide protection from harmful bacteria and yeast when they become wet. View Source July 6, 2010 Provides Information Broiler Carcass Cleansing Solution Removes Harmful Bacteria Using a cleansing solution to wash eviscerated chicken carcasses was effective in removing bacteria that cause human foodborne diseases, according to a study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. View Source June 11, 2010 Provides Information C Campylobacter cells can survive with biofilm protection Scientists at the Institute of Food Research have found a way that the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter can survive in the environment. View Source March 25, 2010 Provides Information Can bacteria make you smarter? Exposure to specific bacteria in the environment, already believed to have antidepressant qualities, could increase learning behavior according to research presented today at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego. View Source May 24, 2010 Provides Information Clinically obsolete antibiotics could be used to treat head and body lice New simple and effective treatments for body and head lice infestations could be developed using clinically 'obsolete' antibiotics. This news follows the completion of genetic sequencing of our oldest and closest human 'neighbour', the human body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus L.). The sequencing of the louse and bacteria that live within the louse are reported in a paper in the American on-line journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. View Source June 23, 2010 Provides Information Colonies of bacteria fight for resources with lethal protein Rival colonies of bacteria can produce a lethal chemical that keeps competitors at bay, scientists report this week. By halting the growth of nearby colonies and even killing some of the cells, groups of bacteria preserve scarce resources for themselves, even when the encroaching colony is closely related. View Source March 24, 2010 Provides Information Computer program predicts MRSA's next move Researchers at Duke University Medical Center are using computers to identify how one strain of dangerous bacteria might mutate in the same way a champion chess player tries to anticipate an opponent's strategies. View Source July 19, 2010 Provides Information Conventional infection control measures found effective in reducing MRSA rates Scientists at The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center found that an emphasis on compliance with non-pathogen specific infection control practices such as hand hygiene, efforts to reduce device-related infections and chlorhexidine bathing (a daily bath with the same antibacterial agent used by surgeons to "scrub in" before an operation), is successful in reducing rates of healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. View Source March 19, 2010 Provides Information D Deaths in the family cause bacteria to flee The deaths of nearby relatives has a curious effect on the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus -- surviving cells lose their stickiness. View Source June 29, 2010 Provides Information Discovery could point to new high tech way to prospect for precious metal New Thermophile Study at Molecular Level A unique experiment at Rice University that forces bacteria into a head-to-head competition for evolutionary dominance has yielded new insights about the way Darwinian selection plays out at the molecular level. View Source August 31, 2010 Provides Information Bacteria make gold nuggets Discovery could point to new high tech way to prospect for precious metal View Source September 1, 2010 Provides Information September 1, 2010 Provides Information Discovery of Controlled Swarm in Bacteria: Could Help Design New Strategies to Increase Sensitivity to Antibiotics A study led by researchers from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) describes one of the mechanisms in which pathogenic bacteria populations control the way they spread over the surface of the organs they infect and stop when they detect the presence of an antibiotic, only to resume again when the effect wears off. The star of this process is the RecA protein, which significantly increases its concentration at the start of the bacteria DNA repair mechanism induced by antibiotics. View Source June 30, 2010 Provides Information Does Pasture Irrigation Increase Groundwater Contamination? Research Finds Little to No Transport of Microbes from Cow Pastures Into Groundwater Concern about microbial contamination of groundwater from foraging dairy cows has increased as spray irrigation practices in New Zealand have increased over the years. Bacteria capable of living in both animals and humans are commonly found in cow manure. Addressing the lack of research on the topic, a team of New Zealand researchers studied the transport of microbes from two spray irrigated dairy pastures into groundwater supplies. View Source June 14, 2010 Provides Information Does Washing Lettuce Get Rid of Bacteria? As the recall of tainted romaine lettuce expands, many plates could be devoid of the crisp veggie in an effort to stay healthy. That might be a good idea, according to experts who say that washing produce, even very carefully, may not remove all the bacteria present. View Source May 13, 2010 Provides Information 'Dawning of a new age' in bacteria research Lowly bacteria are turning out to be much more complex than previously thought. View Source July 12, 2010 Provides Information E Electronic Nose Sniffs Out Bacteria Early treatment of infection in burns patients is critical. A European consortium has designed a point-of-care instrument that can identify types of bacteria from the tiny amounts of volatile gases they emit. View Source September 6, 2010 Provides Information Emerging Tick-Borne Disease Stories of environmental damage and their consequences always seem to take place far away and in another country, usually a tropical one with lush rainforests and poison dart frogs. View Source March 11, 2010 Provides Information Engineering Bacteria to Clean Up Pesticide (w/ Video) Can we get bugs to do our bidding? Emory chemist Justin Gallivan has moved science another step closer to that possibility. His lab reprogrammed an innocuous strain of the bacterium Escherichia coli to "seek and destroy" the molecules of an herbicide called atrazine. View Source May 14, 2010 Provides Information Entomologists to develop special bacteria to combat spread of mosquito-borne diseases Roughly half the world's population still lives in areas at risk of malaria transmission. Even in the United States, 1500 cases of malaria are reported annually on average. View Source June 14, 2010 Provides Information Enzyme-Containing Nanocoating Kills MRSA on Contact Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a nanocoating which kills methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria on impact. They used carbon nanotube-enzyme conjugates with lysostaphin, an enzyme that degrades the bacteria's cell wall, connected by a short flexible polymer link. View Source August 19, 2010 Provides Information Enzyme Trio for Biosynthesis of Hydrocarbon Fuels Scientists with the Joint BioEnergy Institute have identified a trio of bacterial enzymes that can catalyze key steps in the conversion of plant sugars into hydrocarbon compounds for the production of green transportation fuels. View Source June 21, 2010 Provides Information Evolution Writ Small: Physical Effects of Evolution Measured at Molecular Scale A unique experiment at Rice University that forces bacteria into a head-to-head competition for evolutionary dominance has yielded new insights about the way Darwinian selection plays out at the molecular level. An exacting new analysis of the experiment has revealed precisely how specific genetic mutations impart a physical edge in the competition for survival. View Source August 25, 2010 Provides Information Experiment turns up the heat on natural selection, reveals new details of an evolutionary mechanism Scientists in Munich report evidence that high concentrations of the molecular "chaperone" proteins GroEL and GroES -- intracellular machines that can stabilize folding proteins under stress -- play a critical role in increasing the maximum temperature at which E. coli bacteria can grow. Massively and permanently elevated levels of the GroE proteins were found in bacteria adapted, step-wise over a period of years, for growth at 48.5 degrees C. This genomic change persisted for more than 600 generations, and molecular analyses ruled out other mechanisms that might account for the increase in heat resistance. The researchers' findings, published in the June 18 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, have important implications for both fundamental evolutionary studies and biotechnology applications. View Source June 17, 2010 Provides Information Exploring the role of gut bacteria in digestion They congregate in the environments that suit them best; some prefer the dry, desert-like conditions of our forearms while others thrive in the Amazon-style humidity of our feet. View Source August 19, 2010 Provides Information Extremely Drug-Resistant Infections Spreading Fast Common Bacteria Are Picking Up New Antibiotic-Resistant Gene View Source August 10, 2010 Provides Information F FDA provides guidance on Restanza clinical program in treatment of CABP Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided guidance on the clinical program required to assess the approvability of Restanza™ (cethromycin), a novel oral once-a-day antibiotic, in the treatment of outpatient community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) as well as biodefense indications including anthrax, plague and tularemia. View Source March 11, 2010 Provides Information First Spaceborne Infectious Disease Study Exposes Human Cells to Pathogens in Microgravity As Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off this morning -- setting a record for the most women simultaneously in space -- three other women on the ground looked to break some ground of their own. An Arizona State U. Biodesign Institute research trio launched a first-of-its-kind experiment aboard Discovery that will offer insight into how cells react to infectious disease under the low-gravity conditions of space. View Source April 5, 2010 Provides Information Flemish researchers provide the first experimental evidence of dynamic allostery in protein regulation The brand-new Jean Jeener Bio-NMR Center at the VIB Department of Molecular and Cellular Interactions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, has already played a role in a scientific breakthrough that made it into the leading science journal Cell. Thanks to NMR technology, it is possible to determine the dynamic structure of proteins. So Flemish scientists put it to use to find out how the activity of certain proteins involved in the stress physiology of bacteria is regulated. This is a first in every way. View Source July 9, 2010 Provides Information Flesh-Eating Bacteria Devours Woman Inch by Inch Waking from a fog of anesthesia, Sandy Wilson found she was a patient in one of the hospitals where she worked as a nurse. She remembered having a baby, and being told she had gotten an infection. But nothing could prepare her for what lurked beneath the sheets. View Source August 9, 2010 Provides Information Frugal microbes reduce the cost of proteins Bacteria tend to be more frugal when constructing proteins for use outside of the cell versus internally, saving their energy for synthesizing compounds that can be recycled, according to research published in the current issue of the online journal mBio. View Source September 1, 2010 Provides Information Fungi Can Change Quickly, Pass Along Infectious Ability Fungi have significant potential for "horizontal" gene transfer, a new study has shown, similar to the mechanisms that allow bacteria to evolve so quickly, become resistant to antibiotics and cause other serious problems. View Source March 17, 2010 Provides Information G Gamma interferon wakes-up sleeping stem cells to produce immune system cells to fight invading bacteria Most of the time, the body's blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells remain dormant, with just a few producing blood cells and maintaining a balance among the different types. View Source June 10, 2010 Provides Information General Purpose Detector Identifies Pathogens Within 24 Hours Research scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Lab have been working on a detection technology that will be able to detect and identify just about any organism, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa based on their endogeneous nucleic acid sequences. The current version of the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA), as the device is being called, contains 388,000 probes that together can screen for about 2,000 viruses and 900 bacteria. View Source May 6, 2010 Provides Information Genome sequencing complete on plodding amoeba that flips into free-swimming flagellate In the long evolutionary road from bacteria to humans, a major milestone occurred some 1.5 billion years ago when microbes started building closets for all their stuff, storing DNA inside a nucleus, for example, or cramming all the energy machinery inside mitochondria. View Source March 4, 2010 Provides Information Germ Cesspools Germaphobes beware! The world around us is teeming with microbial life. From the dead-set obvious public toilet seat to the obscure bacteria-laden snowflake, the world is a reservoir of the microscopic, and we are merely passengers. View Source September 1, 2010 Provides Information Gut bacteria could be key indicator of colon cancer risk The human body contains more bacteria than it does cells. These bacterial communities can have a positive effect on our health, by training our immune systems and helping to metabolize the foods we eat. But they can also set us up to develop digestive disorders, skin diseases, and obesity. View Source June 22, 2010 Provides Information Gut-residing bacteria trigger arthritis in genetically susceptible individuals A single species of bacteria that lives in the gut is able to trigger a cascade of immune responses that can ultimately result in the development of arthritis. View Source June 17, 2010 Provides Information H Harmful Bacteria Carried by Pigeons Sampling of pigeons captured on the streets of Madrid has revealed the bacterial pathogens they carry. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica found two bugs that were highly prevalent in the bird population, Chlamydophila psittaci and Campylobacter jejuni, both of which cause illness in humans. View Source June 22, 2010 Provides Information High Level of Bacteria Found in Bottled Water in Canada A Montreal study finds heterotrophic bacteria counts, in more than 70 percent of bottled water samples, exceed the recommended limits specified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Researchers from Ccrest laboratories report their results May 25 at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego. View Source May 26, 2010 Provides Information Highlight: Bacterial biofilms make the seeds of their own undoing The slime on your shower walls, the plaque on your teeth, the coatings that can form on medical instruments or hospital surfaces--all of these are bacterial biofilms, communities of bacteria that can persist despite scrubbing or even antibiotic treatment. View Source April 29, 2010 Provides Information Hijacked supplies for pathogens: Legionnaire's disease bacteria tap into the material transport in immune cells When it infects the lungs, the Legionnaire’s bacterium Legionella pneumophila causes acute pneumonia. The pathogen’s modus operandi is particularly ingenious: it infiltrates deliberately into cells of the human immune system and injects a host of proteins which then interfere in the normal cellular processes. View Source July 23, 2010 Provides Information Hospitals warned that wet breathing system filters transmit harmful bacteria and yeast Doctors have highlighted potential problems with the breathing system filters used in anaesthesia, including intensive care units, after demonstrating that they don't provide protection from harmful bacteria and yeast when they become wet. View Source July 6, 2010 Provides Information 'Hormone Therapy' for Food Poisoning Bacteria Pathogenic bacteria in the gut recognise their surroundings by detecting hormone signals from the host, which can prompt them to express lethal toxins. Intercepting these hormonal messages could be a better way to treat serious food-borne infections where antibiotics do more harm than good, explains Vanessa Sperandio speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburgh. View Source March 29, 2010 Provides Information How Bacteria Boost the Immune System Scientists have long known that certain types of bacteria boost the immune system. Now, Loyola University Health System researchers have discovered how bacteria perform this essential task. View Source June 11, 2010 Provides Information How Cranberry Juice Fights Bacteria at the Molecular Level Revealing the science behind the homespun advice, a team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has identified and measured the molecular forces that enable cranberry juice to fight off urinary tract infections in people. View Source July 15, 2010 Provides Information How Mast Cells Set Immune Defense on the Right Track In the event of an infection, the immune system releases messenger substances. These molecules can either activate immune cells to defeat invading pathogens, or inhibit them to prevent an excessive immune reaction. For this, the immune system has to decide very quickly what mixture of activating and inhibiting messenger molecules leads to a successful defence. View Source June 7, 2010 Provides Information Human cells exhibit foraging behavior like amoebae and bacteria When cells move about in the body, they follow a complex pattern similar to that which amoebae and bacteria use when searching for food, a team of Vanderbilt researchers have found. View Source March 11, 2010 Provides Information I Image of New Antibiotic in Action Opens Up New Opportunities to Combat Antibacterial Resistance New detailed pictures reveal how a new type of experimental antibiotic can kill bacteria that are already resistant to existing treatments. The findings could ultimately help scientists to develop new antibiotics to tackle the bacteria responsible for many hospital and community-acquired infections. View Source August 6, 2010 Provides Information Imaging reveals key metabolic factors of cannibalistic bacteria Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have revealed new details about how cannibalistic bacteria identify peers suitable for consumption. The work, which employed imaging mass spectrometry, is a first step toward a broader effort to map all signaling molecules between organisms. View Source September 3, 2010 Provides Information Impact of Antibiotic Treatments on Bacteria in the Intestines of Animals Anne-Mette R. Grønvold has through her doctoral research shown that resistance to antibiotics is on the increase in intestinal bacteria in animals as a direct result of antibiotic treatments. The antibiotics also alter the composition of bacteria in the intestines. These discoveries provide more knowledge about the undesirable effect of antibiotic treatments and are of comparative interest as regards other animals and humans. View Source April 13, 2010 Provides Information Is It a Yeast Infection? Not necessarily. It could also be "BV." Here's how to find out -- plus why it's important to get the right diagnosis. View Source August 6, 2010 Provides Information J 'Jailbreak' Bacteria Can Trigger Heart Disease Plaque-causing bacteria can jailbreak from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart attack, says a scientist at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham. View Source September 6, 2010 Provides Information Japanese Guts Are Adapted to Sushi Ocean microbe genes found in gut bugs of seaweed eaters. View Source April 8, 2010 Provides Information L Lauric-acid-filled nano-scale bombs for treating acne A natural product found in both coconut oil and human breast milk -- lauric acid -- shines as a possible new acne treatment thanks to a bioengineering graduate student from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering View Source April 15, 2010 Provides Information M Macrophages: The 'defense' cells that help throughout the body The term "macrophage" conjures images of a hungry white blood cell gobbling invading bacteria. However, macrophages do much more than that: Not only do they act as antimicrobial warriors, they also play critical roles in immune regulation and wound-healing. They can respond to a variety of cellular signals and change their physiology in response to local cues. View Source August 26, 2010 Provides Information Metabolically Engineered Bacteria Produce Spider Silk Protein Are you ready for new types of sutures or new hernia patches? We might have them coming. Spider silk is incredibly strong, but farming spiders is a delirious idea, so researchers have been looking at ways of generating this material in other ways. Scientists at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Seoul National University and Tufts University have managed to transplant spider silk protein producing genes into E. coli. View Source July 28, 2010 Provides Information Metal-mining bacteria are green chemists Microbes could soon be used to convert metallic wastes into high-value catalysts for generating clean energy, say scientists writing in the September issue of Microbiology. View Source September 2, 2010 Provides Information Middle School Students Co-Author Research on Enzyme for Activating Promising Disease-Fighters Two middle school students from Wisconsin joined a team of scientists who are reporting the first glimpse of the innermost structure of a key bacterial enzyme. It helps activate certain antibiotics and anti-cancer agents so that those substances do their job. View Source July 28, 2010 Provides Information Microbe Detective Seeking Out Germs Microorganisms are everywhere and most of them are harmless, but they can do a lot of damage in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals or in tissue transplants. With the aid of a new device, germs can be detected in artificial cartilage within a few hours. View Source March 1, 2010 Provides Information Microbial team may be culprit in colony collapse disorder New research from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) identifies a new potential cause for "Colony Collapse Disorder" in honeybees. A group of pathogens including a fungus and family of viruses may be working together to cause the decline. Scientists report their results today at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego. View Source May 25, 2010 Provides Information Microscopic photography reveals bacteria destroying grape plant cell wall Like a band of detectives surveying the movement of a criminal, researchers using photographic technology have caught at least one culprit in the act. View Source March 15, 2010 Provides Information MicuRx Pharmaceuticals files IND for MRX-I antibiotic drug candidate with Chinese SFDA MicuRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation antibiotics, today announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in China for MRX-I, its first development-stage antibiotic drug candidate. MRX-I, an orally-administered oxazolidinone, targets multi-drug resistant Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). View Source March 15, 2010 Provides Information Millions of Microorganisms Reach Spain from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel Region -- By Flying Every day, millions of microorganisms reach Spain from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region -- by flying. Louis Pasteur demonstrated back in 1861 that germs can move through the air, but it was only recently discovered that bacteria, fungi and viruses can travel thousands of kilometers stuck onto dust particles. Satellite images show clouds that come close to the size of the Iberian Peninsula. View Source August 10, 2010 Provides Information Mineral studies advance antibacterial alternatives Alternative approaches to medicine are stock-in-trade in the ASU laboratory of microbiologist Shelley Haydel. So when ASU senior Jenny Koehl joined Haydel's investigative team seeking firsthand knowledge of how basic research is done, how drugs are tested and potential cures produced, she found it and much more. View Source March 3, 2010 Provides Information MIT featured in U.S. Equity News Micro Identification Technologies, Inc., a leader in rapid bacterial identification, today announces it was recently featured in an editorial published by U.S. Equity News that covers the history of bacteria, its life threatening effects, and publicly traded companies leading the fight against harmful bacteria. View Source May 12, 2010 Provides Information More Proof of Outer Membrane Cytochrome Role in Electron Transfer Another step toward improving understanding of electron exchange between microbes and minerals has been documented in the January 2010 issue of Geobiology. Bacteria such as the metal-reducing Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 exchange electrons with minerals in soil, sediment, and subsurface material. These interactions impact processes such as the reduction and stabilization of contaminants in groundwater. View Source April 19, 2010 Provides Information Mysterious Workings of Cholera Bacteria Uncovered Researchers have found that an enzyme in the bacteria that causes cholera uses a previously unknown mechanism in providing the bacteria with energy. Because the enzyme is not found in most other organisms, including humans, the finding offers insights into how drugs might be created to kill the bacteria without harming humans. View Source July 28, 2010 Provides Information N Nanobiocomposite antimicrobial surface coatings based on carbon nanotubes Life-threatening infectious diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens have been of great concern in both community and hospital settings. This increasing emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens has necessitated the development of new antimicrobial surfaces and coatings. As antimicrobial surfaces have become popular in such areas as consumer products, public spaces such as schools and offices, and public transportation, the market for these coatings has quickly grown into a market worth hundreds of million of dollars. View Source July 12, 2010 Provides Information Nanoelectromechanical oscillators could lead to detection of harmful molecules, bacteria By watching how energy moves across a tiny device akin to a springing diving board, Cornell researchers are a step closer to creating extraordinarily tiny sensors that can instantly recognize harmful substances in air or water. View Source March 11, 2010 Provides Information Nanocoating safely kills MRSA on contact Building on an enzyme found in nature, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a nanoscale coating for surgical equipment, hospital walls, and other surfaces which safely eradicates methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the bacteria responsible for antibiotic resistant infections. View Source August 16, 2010 Provides Information Native-Like Spider Silk Produced in Metabolically Engineered Bacteria Researchers have long envied spiders' ability to manufacture silk that is light-weighted while as strong and tough as steel or Kevlar. Indeed, finer than human hair, five times stronger by weight than steel, and three times tougher than the top quality man-made fiber Kevlar, spider dragline silk is an ideal material for numerous applications. Suggested industrial applications have ranged from parachute cords and protective clothing to composite materials in aircrafts. Also, many biomedical applications are envisioned due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. View Source July 27, 2010 Provides Information New antibacterial graphene-based material for bandages, food packaging, shoes A new form of paper with the built-in ability to fight disease-causing bacteria could have applications that range from anti-bacterial bandages to food packaging that keeps food fresher longer to shoes that ward off foot odor. A report about the new material, which consists of the thinnest possible sheets of carbon, appears in ACS Nano ("Graphene-Based Antibacterial Paper"). View Source July 21, 2010 Provides Information New antibacterial peptide effective against infections in burn or blast wounds An antibacterial peptide developed by Laszlo Otvos, a research professor of biology in Temple's College of Science and Technology, looks to be a highly-effective therapy against infections in burn or blast wounds suffered by soldiers. View Source September 2, 2010 Provides Information New antibiotic proves safe and well tolerated A new antibiotic to combat drug-resistant bacteria has proved safe and well tolerated in a phase I clinical trial with plans for a phase II trial underway. View Source June 3, 2010 Provides Information New bacteria strain points the way toward 'super sourdough' bread What better venue than San Francisco -- sourdough capital of the world -- to unveil a new natural sourdough ingredient that could replace conventional additives in a variety of other breads, while making them tastier and more healthful? View Source March 22, 2010 Provides Information New bacterial signaling molecule could lead to improved vaccines Many disease-causing microbes carry pumps that expel antibiotics, making the bugs hard to kill with standard drugs. View Source May 27, 2010 Provides Information New Detection Technology Identifies Bacteria, Viruses, Other Organisms Within 24 Hours Law enforcement authorities seeking to detect bioterrorism attacks, doctors diagnosing diseases and regulatory agencies checking product safety may find a new ally in a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) detection technology. View Source May 6, 2010 Provides Information New Drug-Resistant 'Superbug' Claims First Life A new "superbug" that originated in South Asia, has claimed the life of a Belgian man. It’s the first reported death from the drug-resistant bacteria, Agence France-Presses reported. View Source August 13, 2010 Provides Information New hand bacteria study holds promise for forensics identification Forensic scientists may soon have a valuable new item in their toolkits -- a way to identify individuals using unique, telltale types of hand bacteria left behind on objects like keyboards and computer mice, says a new University of Colorado at Boulder study. View Source March 15, 2010 Provides Information New medical weapons to protect against anthrax attacks The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States are fostering development of a new generation of vaccines, antibiotics, and other medications to protect people against the potentially deadly bacteria in any future bioterrorist incident. That's the conclusion of a sweeping overview of scientific research on medical technology to combat the anthrax threat. It appears in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. View Source June 23, 2010 Provides Information New plastic-like materials may say 'shhhh' to hush disease-causing microbes Scientists are reporting success in a first attempt to silence the biochemical conversations that disease-causing bacteria use to marshal their forces and cause infections. In a study in ACS' monthly journal, Biomacromolecules, they describe use of specially designed plastic-like materials to soak up the substances that bacteria produce and pass to one another as messages. View Source May 12, 2010 Provides Information New Polymers to Surpress Bacterial Virulence Dr. Elena Piletska of Cranfield University and colleagues have come up with an innovative new technology to help control bacterial virulence and biofilm production - a method unlikely to induce resistance that could reduce nosocomial infections significantly. The group has developed a new polymer designed to attenuate quorum sensing by bacteria. View Source May 17, 2010 Provides Information New probe technology illuminates the activation of light-sensing cells Through ingenious combinations of roughly 20 amino acids, the basic building blocks of life, genes can build the proteins that comprise everything from the simplest bacteria to the human brain. In new research published today in Nature, scientists unveil a new technique to illuminate the function of those proteins. The method of genetically targeting a non-natural amino acid to specific locations within a protein could theoretically be adapted to place a fluorescent probe at any position in any protein in a mammalian cell. View Source April 12, 2010 Provides Information New oxygen producing mechanism proposed Photosynthesis is the mechanism by which plants generate oxygen, but new research on a novel type of anaerobic bacteria supports the theory that bacteria produced their own oxygen long before the evolution of photosynthesis. View Source March 25, 2010 Provides Information New Startup ViThera Labs Aims “Weaponized” Bacteria Drugs at Gut Diseases Johannes Fruehauf says he started plotting his next move last fall after diminished capital reserves at his previous employer, Cequent Pharmaceuticals (now part of Marina Biotech), led the company to shrink its research staff from 24 people to six. Fruehauf, an inventor of Cambridge, MA-based Cequent’s gene-silencing technology, decided he wanted to launch his own biotech startup. View Source August 10, 2010 Provides Information New strain of bacteria discovered that could aid in oil spill, other environmental cleanup Researchers have discovered a new strain of bacteria that can produce non-toxic, comparatively inexpensive "rhamnolipids," and effectively help degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs - environmental pollutants that are one of the most harmful aspects of oil spills. View Source June 11, 2010 Provides Information New study links fecal contamination on hands and bacterial contamination in stored water Scientists are reporting dramatic new real-world evidence supporting the idea that hand washing can prevent the spread of water-borne disease. It appears in a new study showing a connection between fecal bacteria contamination on hands, fecal contamination of stored drinking water, and health in households in a developing country in Africa. View Source May 6, 2010 Provides Information New study show that silver nanoparticles can cause toxicity in fish A nanoparticle growing in popularity as a bactericidal agent has been shown to be toxic to fish, according to a Purdue University study. View Source March 2, 2010 Provides Information New Superbug emphasises ill-preparedness across Europe to meet this emerging public health challenge Research just published that identifies new highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria reinforces the frequency with which similar strains of so-called “superbugs” are being discovered across Europe, according to the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). View Source August 17, 2010 Provides Information New 'Tree of Life' established for one of the largest groups of bacteria A new "tree of life" has been constructed by researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech for the gamma-proteobacteria, a large group of medically and scientifically important bacteria that includes Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and other disease-causing organisms.* By building powerful phylogenetic trees, scientists are able to quickly identify similarities and differences between the make-up of many different organisms, crucial information in the search for treatments to fight anything from the bugs that cause food poisoning to the pathogens that cause life-threatening diseases such as cholera and the plague. View Source May 17, 2010 Provides Information New weapon against highly resistant microbes within grasp An active compound from fungi and lower animals may well be suitable as an effective weapon against dangerous bacteria. We're talking about plectasin, a small protein molecule that can even destroy highly resistant bacteria. Researchers at the Universities of Bonn, Utrecht, Aalborg and of the Danish company Novozymes AS have shed light on how the substance does this. The authors see plectasin as a promising lead compound for new antibiotics. View Source May 27, 2010 Provides Information New world Helicobacter pylori genome sequenced, dynamics of inflammation-related genes revealed An international team of researchers led by scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech have sequenced the genome of an Amerindian strain of the gastric bug Helicobacter pylori, confirming the out-of-Africa migration of this bacterial stowaway to the New World. Experiments in animals have highlighted how specific genes in the bacterial strain may be crucial to the onset of inflammation and disease. View Source June 16, 2010 Provides Information Novel therapeutic approach shows promise against multiple bacterial pathogens A team of scientists from government, academia and private industry has developed a novel treatment that protects mice from infection with the bacterium that causes tularemia, a highly infectious disease of rodents, sometimes transmitted to people, and also known as rabbit fever. In additional experiments with human immune cells, the treatment also demonstrated protection against three other types of disease-causing bacteria that, like the tularemia bacteria, occur naturally, can be highly virulent, and are considered possible agents of bioterrorism. View Source May 27, 2010 Provides Information O Obesity limits body's ability to fight infections Obesity may limit the body's ability to develop immunity to influenza viruses, particularly secondary infections, by inhibiting the immune system's ability to "remember" how it fought off previous similar bouts of illness, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. View Source March 16, 2010 Provides Information Ocean Bacteria Can Harvest Energy from Sunlight for Survival Bacteria in the ocean can harvest light energy from sunlight to promote survival thanks to a unique photoprotein. View Source May 3, 2010 Provides Information Overview of scientific research on medical technology to combat anthrax threat The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States are fostering development of a new generation of vaccines, antibiotics, and other medications to protect people against the potentially deadly bacteria in any future bioterrorist incident. That's the conclusion of a sweeping overview of scientific research on medical technology to combat the anthrax threat. It appears in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. View Source June 25, 2010 Provides Information P PCV-7 vaccine introduction leads to changing patterns of hemolytic uremic syndrome Introduction of the PCV-7 vaccine to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has led to a shift in the types of bacteria causing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)—an important cause of acute kidney failure in children, reports a study in the August issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy. View Source August 4, 2010 Provides Information Physicists investigate the role of quantum entanglement in the magnetic compasses of animals Many animals possess some kind of magnetic sense, allowing them to navigate by using a magnetic field. The ability to detect a magnetic field, called magnetoreception, has been observed in a variety of animals, including birds, turtles, sharks, lobsters, cows, fungi, and bacteria. However, scientists do not fully understand the mechanisms responsible for this ability. In a new study, physicists have investigated the role of quantum interactions in magnetoreception, and have shown that quantum technologies could be used to enhance or reduce the performance of an animal’s chemical compass, and potentially control other biological functions. View Source June 21, 2010 Provides Information Physics strategy tested as solution for antibiotic resistance A Virginia Tech biologist proposes to use a physics strategy called resonant activation to nudge dormant bacteria cells into a stage where they will be sensitive to antibiotics. View Source April 21, 2010 Provides Information Plastic Antibodies Shown to Fight Off Antigens in the Body Just Like the Real Thing We use plastics to make everything from our computers to our toothbrushes, but a collaboration of researchers from the University of California at Irvine and the University of Shizuoka in Japan has made a big breakthrough by taking plastics to microscopic levels. Using plastic nanoparticles just 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, the team has created plastic antibodies that successfully function in the bloodstream of living animals to identify and fight a variety of antigens. View Source June 9, 2010 Provides Information Popping cells surprise living circuits creators Under the microscope, the bacteria start dividing normally, two cells become four and then eight and so on. But then individual cells begin "popping," like circus balloons being struck by darts. View Source August 9, 2010 Provides Information Positive results from NovaBay Pharmaceuticals' Phase 2a trial of NVC-422 NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class anti-infectives for the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-resistant infections, today reported positive results of an open-label Phase 2a trial of NVC-422 in chronically catheterized patients with significant bacteriuria, or bacteria in the urine. The study showed that NVC-422 was well tolerated and reduced or eliminated certain pathogens in the urine. View Source April 15, 2010 Provides Information Possible 'Superbug' Status for Gonorrhea The rise of multidrug resistance in gonorrhoea-causing bacteria is threatening to make this sexually-transmitted infection extremely difficult to treat. Professor Catherine Ison, speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburgh, highlighted the very real possibility that strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistant to all current treatment options could emerge in the near future. View Source March 30, 2010 Provides Information Potential for Using Algae to Produce Human Therapeutic Proteins Shown Pharmaceutical companies could substantially reduce the expense of costly treatments for cancer and other diseases produced from mammalian or bacterial cells by growing these human therapeutic proteins in algae -- rapidly growing aquatic plant cells that have recently gained attention for their ability to produce biofuels. View Source March 11, 2010 Provides Information Preventing cells from getting the kinks out of DNA Many standard antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs block the enzymes that snip the kinks and knots out of DNA -DNA tangles are lethal to cells - but the drugs are increasingly encountering resistant bacteria and tumors. A new discovery by University of California, Berkeley, biochemists could pave the way for new research into how to re-design these drugs to make them more effective poisons for cancer cells and harmful bacteria. View Source May 21, 2010 Provides Information Q Quickly evolving bacteria could improve digestive health When the forces of evolution took over an experimental strain of bacteria, it derailed an experiment Duke and NC State researchers thought they were conducting, but led to something much more profound instead. View Source May 18, 2010 Provides Information Quitting Smoking May Minimize Harmful Bacteria and Replenish Healthy Bacteria Patients with chronic gum disease who quit smoking in addition to undergoing nonsurgical therapy not only demonstrated a lower abundance of harmful oral pathogens, but also an increase in health-associated bacteria. View Source July 22, 2010 Provides Information R Researchers examine plant's ability to identify, block invading bacteria Understanding how plants defend themselves from bacterial infections may help researchers understand how people and other animals could be better protected from such pathogens. View Source March 3, 2010 Provides Information Researchers find compound effective in destroying antibiotic-resistant biofilms Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a chemical compound that, when used in conjunction with conventional antibiotics, is effective in destroying biofilms produced by antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as the Staphylococcus strain MRSA and Acinetobacter. The compound also re-sentsitizes those bacteria to antibiotics. View Source April 8, 2010 Provides Information Researchers discover and characterize general mechanism controlling transcription elongation in bacteria Researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered and characterized a general mechanism that controls transcription elongation in bacteria. The mechanism, described in the April 23 issue of Science, relies on physical cooperation between a moving ribosome and RNA polymerase (RNAP) that allows for a precise adjustment of the transcriptional yield in response to translational needs. The study could lead to the development of new ways to interfere with bacterial gene expression and serve as a new target for antimicrobial therapy. View Source April 23, 2010 Provides Information Researchers discover new path to antibiotics Scientists at Northeastern University have taken a major step towards being able to grow previously uncultivable bacteria in the lab, the potential key to developing a new generation of highly effective antibiotics. View Source March 26, 2010 Provides Information Research targets basic metabolism of disease-causing fungi, bacteria Pablo Sobrado, assistant professor of biochemistry with the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech, has received a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance his research on the mechanism of iron acquisition in fungi and mycobacteria. View Source August 18, 2010 Provides Information Researchers Unlock the Secrets to Bacteria's Super-Efficient Microscopic Motor Tech American motor engineering prides itself on muscle while German engineering is known for speed and precision, but neither of these century-old crafts can stand up to the multi-millennia advantage that evolution enjoys over them. Now Australian scientists have unlocked the design details of the minuscule motors that drive bacteria, a flagellar engine that converts nearly 100 percent of its energy into rotational power. View Source August 3, 2010 Provides Information Reusable Grocery Bags Contaminated With E. Coli, Other Bacteria Scientists at the UA and Loma Linda University found that reusable grocery bags carry more than just groceries. Samples taken from dozens of bags, which almost never get washed, showed half contained E. coli and other bacteria that could pose health risks. View Source June 24, 2010 Provides Information S Salmonella Contaminated Pork May Pose Health Risk for Humans German researchers have isolated a strain of Salmonella in pork that is closely related to the bacteria commonly found in chickens and linked to human food-borne illness. They report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. View Source July 23, 2010 Provides Information Scientists 'boot up' a bacterial cell with a synthetic genome Scientists have developed the first cell controlled by a synthetic genome. They now hope to use this method to probe the basic machinery of life and to engineer bacteria specially designed to solve environmental or energy problems. View Source May 20, 2010 Provides Information Scientists catalog zoo of bacteria inside our guts Digestive tract contains 170 different species of bacteria — and that's good View Source March 3, 2010 Provides Information Scientists Crack Chemical Code that Controls Bacterial Swarms Spanish researchers have discovered a key component of infectious bacteria's battle plan, identifying a protein that tells bacteria in a colony to halt their forward march when antibiotics are present, waiting until the coast is clear before resuming the infection. The finding shows how bacteria outmaneuver antibiotics in the body to continue infecting an organ even after treatment, but it also pinpoints a vulnerability that researchers may be able to exploit to make antibiotics more effective. View Source June 22, 2010 Provides Information Scientist Devises Faster Test for Detecting E.Coli A Purdue University food scientist using infrared spectroscopy took only an hour to find harmful E. coli bacteria in ground beef, a discovery that could cut days off investigations of outbreaks, the university said in a statement on Monday. View Source August 31, 2010 Provides Information Scientists discover first multicellular life that doesn't need oxygen Oxygen may not be the staple of modern complex life that scientists once thought. Until now, the only life forms known to live exclusively in anoxic conditions were viruses, bacteria and Archaea. But in a new study, scientists have discovered three new multicellular marine species that appear to have never lived in aerobic conditions, and never metabolized oxygen. View Source April 7, 2010 Provides Information Scientists explore household bacteria to produce top-quality cheese The Norwegian dairy company TINE is now planning an in-depth study that will find out whether household bacteria can be used for their own sake. View Source March 4, 2010 Provides Information Scientists make fundamental discovery about how gene expression functions in bacteria Researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered and characterized a general mechanism that controls transcription elongation in bacteria. The mechanism, described in the April 23 issue of Science, relies on physical cooperation between a moving ribosome and RNA polymerase (RNAP) that allows for a precise adjustment of the transcriptional yield in response to translational needs. The study could lead to the development of new ways to interfere with bacterial gene expression and serve as a new target for antimicrobial therapy. View Source April 22, 2010 Provides Information Scientists uncover mysterious workings of cholera bacteria Researchers have found that an enzyme in the bacteria that causes cholera uses a previously unknown mechanism in providing the bacteria with energy. Because the enzyme is not found in most other organisms, including humans, the finding offers insights into how drugs might be created to kill the bacteria without harming humans. View Source July 28, 2010 Provides Information Scientists Work on Recreating Bacterial Syringes Bacterial pathogens are able to create transport channels that, similar to a syringe, form a pathway through which to inject virulence factors into host cells. Now German scientists from the Max Planck Society and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing have unveiled the details of this mechanism, paving way for drugs that can more specifically attack bacterial infections. View Source June 21, 2010 Provides Information Shimadzu and bioMérieux Enter into Partnership for Mass Spectrometry Applications in Microbiology Shimadzu and bioMérieux announce that they have entered into a partnership to commercialize a mass spectrometry system for bacterial identification in microbiology laboratories. bioMérieux will work with Shimadzu and their subsidiary, Kratos Analytical, to adapt their linear MALDI-TOF* mass spectrometry technology for optimized integration into the microbiology laboratory workflow. This new solution is planned for commercialization by bioMérieux in 2010, together with the microbial database acquired from AnagnosTec. View Source May 24, 2010 Provides Information Shimadzu, bioMerieux announce partnership to commercialize mass spectrometry system Shimadzu and bioMerieux announce today that they have entered into a partnership to commercialize a mass spectrometry system for bacterial identification in microbiology laboratories. bioMerieux will work with Shimadzu and their subsidiary, Kratos Analytical, to adapt their linear MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry technology for optimized integration into the microbiology laboratory workflow. This new solution is planned for commercialization by bioMerieux in 2010, together with the microbial database acquired from AnagnosTec. View Source May 21, 2010 Provides Information Small Scale Acoustic System Listens to Motion at Cellular Scale The BBC is reporting on a project between Glasgow University, Oxford and Britain's National Institute of Medical Research to develop a method of listening to the motion of microorganisms like bacteria. The researchers liken the new laser assisted acoustic monitoring system to its optical counterpart, the microscope. View Source March 2, 2010 Provides Information Smart Fungus Disarms Plant, Animal and Human Immunity Fungal and bacterial pathogens are quite capable of infecting plants, animals and humans despite their immune systems. Fungi penetrate leafs, stalks and roots, or skin, intestines and lungs, to infect their hosts. Researchers from Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) discovered, together with Japanese colleagues, how this is possible. They found that the fungus secretes a protein that makes stray building blocks of the fungal cell wall invisible for the immune system of the plant, such that infection remains unnoticed. View Source August 20, 2010 Provides Information 'Smart' wound dressings could identify and destroy infection-causing bacteria Although bacterial infection as a clinical problem was reportedly defeated with the widespread use of antibiotics in the 1950s, its re-emergence over the last few decades has persuaded researchers to develop new methods for killing and preventing the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In a new study, a team of chemists from the University of Bath, UK, have taken steps to engineer a "smart" wound dressing system that releases an encapsulated antimicrobial agent only in the presence of pathogenic bacteria, allowing the body’s normal microflora to continue providing a natural defense against infection. View Source May 6, 2010 Provides Information Some trees 'farm' bacteria to help supply nutrients Some trees growing in nutrient-poor forest soil may get what they need by cultivating specific root microbes to create compounds they require. These microbes are exceptionally efficient at turning inorganic minerals into nutrients that the trees can use. Researchers from France report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. View Source July 29, 2010 Provides Information StopGerms.org the ultimately resource to guide you to creating and maintaining a healthy home. View Source   Provides Information Student research team sequences genome of bacterium discovered in Virginia Tech garden Under the supervision of a Virginia Tech plant pathologist, a group of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students isolated and characterized a formerly unknown group of bacteria. View Source April 21, 2010 Provides Information Study examines, compares bacteria in the nose and throat Scientists have completed the most comprehensive comparative analysis to date of bacterial communities inhabiting the human nose and throat, which could provide new insights into why some individuals become colonized with pathogens while others do not. They release their findings today in mBio the online open-access journal published by the American Society for Microbiology. View Source June 21, 2010 Provides Information Study finds high level of bacteria in bottled water in Canada A Montreal study finds heterotrophic bacteria counts, in more than 70 percent of bottled water samples, exceed the recommended limits specified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Researchers from Ccrest laboratories report their results today at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego. View Source May 25, 2010 Provides Information Study IDs first molecules that protect cells against deadly ricin poison The results of a high-throughput screen of thousands of chemicals in search of agents that could protect cells, and ultimately people, against the deadly ricin poison has turned up two contenders. Even better, the compounds also render cells immune to the effects of Shiga-like toxins that are produced by infectious strains of E. coli bacteria among other pathogens, suggesting they may be useful against other threats to public health and in fact any toxin that takes the same route to enter cells. The findings are reported in the April 16th issue of the journal Cell. View Source April 15, 2010 Provides Information Study shows that hitchhiking bacteria can go against the flow A new study co-authored by professor Kam Tang of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reveals that tiny aquatic organisms known as "water fleas" play an important role in carrying hitchhiking bacteria to otherwise inaccessible lake and ocean habitats. View Source August 9, 2010 Provides Information Surprising infection inducing mechanism found in bacteria A research appearing in Nature, with the participation of doctors Susana Campoy and Jordi Barbé from the Department of Genetics and Microbiology at UAB, Spain, demonstrates that bacteria have a surprising mechanism to transfer virulent genes causing infections. The research describes an unprecedented evolutionary adaptation and could contribute to finding new ways of treating and preventing bacterial infections. View Source May 18, 2010 Provides Information T Tainted Produce More Likely for Low-Income Shoppers No one wants a mixed salad tossed with extra bacteria, mold and yeast, but those are just what you might find when you try to eat a healthier diet in poorer neighborhoods. A new study shows that the level of bacteria found on the fresh produce can vary according to the income level of the neighborhoods where it is for sale. View Source April 6, 2010 Provides Information Talented Bacteria Make Food Poisoning Unpredictable While we are often exposed to bacteria in our food which could cause food poisoning, we don't always become ill -- why should this be so? View Source September 6, 2010 Provides Information Targeted Wound Dressings Lure Infectious Microbes in, Then Attack When it comes to burns and other exterior flesh wounds, bacteria often show no quarter, getting in deep and causing serious complications for patients unlucky enough to be stricken with infections. But a new technique takes a page from the book of guerrilla warfare, lacing wound dressings with antibacterial land mines that coax malicious microbes into spelling their own dooms. View Source May 4, 2010 Provides Information Team finds new building block in cells Zemer Gitai, an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, members of his laboratory, and scientists from the California Institute of Technology have published results in Nature Cell Biology of new research into how a metabolic enzyme in bacteria forms cytoplasmic filaments that affect bacterial cell shape. View Source August 2, 2010 Provides Information The dilemma of plants fighting infections Individuals of one and the same plant species often differ greatly in their ability to resist pathogens: While one rose succumbs to bacterial infection, its neighbour blissfully thrives. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Developmental Biology in Germany have tracked down an explanation for this common phenomenon. Their conclusion: disease resistance can incur high costs. View Source June 2, 2010 Provides Information Three Color Test for Simultaneous Identification of Gram-negative Bacteria Appoved in Europe AdvanDx out of Woburn, MA is releasing to the European market its GNR Traffic Light PNA FISH test for detection of Gram-negative bacteria, namely E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. (PNA FISH is an abbreviation for peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization.) Results of the blood test are available in less than 90 minutes, which should allow physicians to decide on an antibiotic regimen soon after blood turns positive. View Source August 17, 2010 Provides Information Thuricin CD tested as specific antibiotic for Clostridium difficile A University of Alberta researcher is part of an international team that has discovered a naturally occurring micro-organism that directly targets a bacteria that causes a sometimes deadly intestinal disease in young children and the elderly. View Source May 3, 2010 Provides Information To Fight Drug-Resistant MRSA, Algorithm Predicts Bacteria's Future Mutations Success in chess is all about anticipation -- you have to plan your moves by guessing what your opponent will do. Now scientists are taking a page from Bobby Fischer's book to fight a wily foe: drug-resistant staph bacteria, which stymies drug therapies with its swift mutation strategy. Researchers led by Bruce Donald, a professor of computer science and biochemistry at Duke University, are using a computer algorithm to predict MRSA's next move. View Source July 20, 2010 Provides Information Tobacco May Keep Us from Catching the Flu New tobacco that produces flu vaccines could rescue the plant's reputation View Source May 20, 2010 Provides Information Treatment for S. aureus skin infection works in mouse model Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and University of Chicago have found a promising treatment method that in laboratory mice reduces the severity of skin and soft-tissue damage caused by USA300, the leading cause of community-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States. View Source August 31, 2010 Provides Information Treatment with naturally occurring protein prevents and reverses brain damage caused by meningitis This bacterium, Escherichia coli K1, is the most common cause of meningitis in premature infants and the second most common cause of the disease in newborns. "The ineffectiveness of antibiotics in treating newborns with meningitis and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria require new strategies," explains Nemani V. Prasadarao, PhD, associate professor of infectious disease at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. View Source June 16, 2010 Provides Information Trius Therapeutics reaches agreement with FDA under SPA for Phase 3 study of torezolid phosphate for ABSSSI Trius Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has reached agreement with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process, on the design of its planned Phase 3 study for the oral dosage form of torezolid phosphate for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). View Source June 16, 2010 Provides Information U UF discovers house flies carrying five new illness-causing bacteria Everyone knows that house flies aren't welcome around food. But University of Florida scientists have discovered five new reasons why. View Source August 26, 2010 Provides Information Understanding the relationship between bacteria and obesity Research presented today sheds new light on the role bacteria in the digestive tract may play in obesity. The studies, which were presented at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, paint a picture that may be more complex than originally thought. View Source May 26, 2010 Provides Information Unraveling how bacteria motor along Analysis of the protein structure of the 'motor' of motile bacteria at high resolution by Saori Maki-Yonekura and Koji Yonekura of the RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Harima, and Keiichi Namba of Osaka University has revealed the mechanism for transitioning between different movements. View Source June 11, 2010 Provides Information Using Green Algae as Drug Factory Could Cut Pharma Costs by 1,000 Times Algae has helped create the atmosphere, played a role in populating the oceans and even produced biofuels so that we might pollute the atmosphere and the oceans a tiny bit less. Now, a team of researchers is coaxing therapeutic pharmaceuticals out of the hardy little organisms, in a process that could eventually produce biologic drugs that are a few orders of magnitude cheaper than existing drugs. View Source March 17, 2010 Provides Information V Vaccines preventing pneumococcal disease protect African children with sickle-cell disease A new study released this week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases finds that African children who contract pneumococcus - a bacterial infection that causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis - are 36 times as likely to have sickle-cell disease, a blood disorder prevalent in African children that increases the risk for infectious diseases and early death. The study underscores the critical need for use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) among populations predisposed to sickle-cell disease, most notably those in sub-saharan Africa. View Source April 28, 2010 Provides Information Virus Helps Researchers Split Water into Hydrogen and Oxygen Viruses generally get a bad rap, but they can also be very helpful little machines. For instance, bacteriophages have been engineered to clear up infections that seemed otherwise untreatable, and genetic material from viruses has been used to ease biofuel production. Now a team at MIT is using a modified virus to assemble the biological nano-scaffolding necessary to split water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen atoms. View Source April 12, 2010 Provides Information W Waiting for the right moment: Bacterial pathogens delay their entry into cells Pathogens make themselves feel at home in the human body, invading cells and living off the plentiful amenities on offer. However, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, together with colleagues at Harvard University, reveal an opposite strategy used to ensure infection success. Pathogens can actually delay their entry into cells to ensure their survival. Upon cell contact, bacteria trigger a local strengthening of the cellular skeleton with the aid of signalling molecules, allowing them to remain outside the cell. The researchers also show that this strategy, unknown until now, is used by certain intestinal pathogens as well. (PLoS Biology, 24th of August 2010) View Source August 24, 2010 Provides Information Water Purification: Is Colloidal Silver Necessary for Bacteria Removal? Nicole Heinley, a graduate student at Missouri University of Science and Technology, traveled to Guatemala twice in the past year to conduct research on ceramic pot filters that are used locally to remove bacteria from water. Now, Heinley's findings are about to be published in the Journal of Water Science and Technology. View Source September 6, 2010 Provides Information Wild sharks, redfish harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria Scientists have found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in seven species of sharks and redfish captured in waters off Belize, Florida, Louisiana and Massachusetts. Most of these wild, free-swimming fish harbored several drug-resistant bacterial strains. View Source June 16, 2010 Provides Information Will Fractals Revolutionize Physics, Biology and Other Sciences? A new discovery, reported in the latest Nature, hints at higher universal laws of the physical world, as well as new ways to approach and understand life in general. Even though the European discovery actually dealt with superconductors, it has an interesting twist with implications for the life sciences. View Source August 16, 2010 Provides Information X XTI Introduces 99.9999% Anti-Germ, Green Nano Coating for Airplanes, Cars, Buildings and Products XTI introduces revolutionary ACTIVE-SHIELD™ Nano Coating green technology with surface-integrated Active-Air-Purification and 99.9999% Anti-Germ protection, for product surface coating and interior applications in Buildings, Automotives and Airplanes. View Source July 12, 2010 Provides Information
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