Microbiology

No Cleanse Needed: You Have A Liver, It Even Has A Backup System

Scientists writing in Nature Communications have discovered an antioxidant system that, like a generator kicking in when the power fails, helps sustain the liver when other systems are missing or compromised. This understudy 'takes the stage' wh ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 21 2015 - 6:56pm

Common Respiratory Infection Bacteria On Verge Of Becoming Superbugs

Antibiotic resistance is poised to spread globally among bacteria frequently implicated in respiratory and urinary infection, according to new research. A recent study shows that two genes that confer resistance against a particularly strong class of antib ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 25 2015 - 4:01pm

Sulfolobus Islandicus Microbes Frozen In Fear By Presence Of SSV9

Sulfolobus islandicus microbes can go dormant, ceasing to grow and reproduce, in order to protect themselves from infection by Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 9 (SSV9). The dormant microbes are able to recover if the virus goes away within 24 to 48 hours, ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 6 2015 - 11:30pm

MRSA Exposed To Cigarette Smoke Becomes More Aggressive

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant superbug, can cause life-threatening skin, bloodstream and surgical site infections or pneumonia- a new reports finds that cigarette smoke may make things even worse. "We alr ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 7 2015 - 8:30am

Cheese Metabolism Study May Make Lowering Cholesterol Tasty

Though they are catching up nicely in obesity and heart disease rates now, historically the French have been something of a paradox; they drink a lot of booze, they eat a lot of cheese and they don't exercise, but they had lower cardiovascular disease ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Apr 8 2015 - 2:40pm

CRISPR Antivirus Tool- Cas9 Inibits Hepatitis C In Human Cells

Researchers have adapted an antiviral enzyme from bacteria called Cas9 into an instrument for inhibiting hepatitis C virus in human cells. Cas9 is part of the CRISPR genetic defense system in bacteria, which scientists have been harnessing to edit DNA in ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 28 2015 - 8:43am

Kitchen Disinfectant Wipe Usage Reduces Risk Of Food Poisoning By 99 Percent

Consumers can reduce the risk of Campylobacter food poisoning by up to 99.2% by using disinfectant wipes in the kitchen after preparing poultry, according to a new study ...

Article - News Staff - May 3 2015 - 1:22pm

How Bacteria Break Through The Blood-Brain Barrier

The bacteria that sneak past the brain's defenses to cause deadly bacterial meningitis are clever adversaries- they convince their host that they are harmless yet then have freedom to cause disease by taking advantage of a molecular warning signal an ...

Article - News Staff - May 16 2015 - 11:00am

Your Microbiome Has A Unique 'Fingerprint'

A new study shows that the microbial communities we carry in and on our bodies, the human microbiome, contain the potential to uniquely identify individuals, much like fingerprints. Researchers and demonstrated that personal microbiomes contain enough dis ...

Article - News Staff - May 11 2015 - 9:07pm

Antibiotic Resistance: Phages Can Transfer It In Chicken Meat

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise and they pose a global threat to public health. Common antibiotics are often ineffective in treating infectious diseases because pathogens acquire resistance genes. These antimicrobial resistance genes are obt ...

Article - News Staff - May 23 2015 - 11:30am