Microbiology

New Class Of Molecular Compounds Kills Influenza Virus

An international group of scientists has discovered a new class of molecular compounds capable of killing the influenza virus.  You learned this from your parents; too much even of a good thing can be a killer and that same idea has led to manipulating an ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 21 2013 - 5:32pm

Manure: A Microbe's Tale

Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)  Agroecosystems Management Research Unit in Lincoln, Nebraska  are shedding some light on the microbes that dwell in cattle manure—what they are, where they thrive, where they struggle, and where they c ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 23 2013 - 4:39pm

3 Billion-Year-Old Antibiotic-Resistant Proteins Resurrected

Scientists say they have done laboratory resurrections of several 2 to 3 billion-year-old proteins, ancient ancestors of the enzymes that enable today's antibiotic-resistant bacteria to shrug off huge doses of penicillins, cephalosporins and other mo ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 27 2013 - 4:18pm

Did Comets Bring Life To Earth?

It's among the most ancient of questions in history, covering metaphysics, chemistry, biology and theology: What are the origins of life on Earth? ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 5 2013 - 4:16pm

Cytomegalovirus And Genes Linked To Schizophrenia Risk- Even In A Fetus

Viruses and genes interact in a way that may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia significantly- even in a developing fetus, according to an international team which scanned the genomes of hundreds of sick and healthy people to see if there is an ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 8 2013 - 1:52pm

Single Point Mutation In Listeria Monocytogenes Identified

The bacterial foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a debilitating disease linked with about 2,500 illnesses and more than 500 deaths in the U.S.A. each year. A characteristic feature of L. monocytogenes is its a ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 13 2013 - 10:09am

Animal-Human Transmission Of MRSA Confirmed

Whole genome sequencing has shown drug-resistant bacteria were transmitted from animals to humans in two disease outbreaks that occurred on different farms in Denmark. Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose a significant challenge to public health and m ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 25 2013 - 11:09am

Empty Viruses For Control Of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

In 2001 there was a massive outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom.  This caused, in terms of prices at that time £8bn / $13–16bn of loss to the UK economy, and much distress in agricultural communities.  One of the most memorable ...

Article - Robert H Olley - Apr 12 2013 - 9:07am

Ancient Bacteria-Killing Virus Holds Evolutionary Secret Against Antibiotic Resistance

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a common concern in hospitals worldwide, and is the evolutionary result of the selective pressures caused by our extensive use of antibiotics to fight bacterial infections. Scientists are often fighting the ...

Article - Jennifer Wong - Apr 16 2013 - 5:23pm

Bacterial Vaginosis- More Common Than Yeast Infections And A Risk For Premature Births, STDs

Bacterial vaginosis is a condition that occurs when the typical mix of microbes in the vagina is knocked off-kilter, sometimes resulting in a change in the consistency of vaginal fluids and an unpleasant odor. Bacterial vaginosis is diagnosed through exam ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 23 2013 - 9:37am