Microbes and More News

October 14, 2016

Drivers of Evolution Hidden in Plain Sight

Unconventional Cell Division in Caribbean Sea

This Little Amoeba Committed Grand Theft

Virus Carries DNA of Black Widow Spider Toxin

Latest Headlines

updated 8:26am EDT

Looking at the Role of Bacteria in Incontinence

Oct. 7, 2016 — We all know that feeling of suddenly needing to urinate, and the agonizing worry that we might not find a toilet in time or make it that far. Sadly, for many people this is a regular occurrence and ... read more

How Cells Move

Oct. 10, 2016 — It’s a known fact that cells can move around the body, but how they do it has been unknown – ... read more

Mystery of Bacteria's Antibiotic Resistance Unravelled

Oct. 7, 2016 — The first detailed biochemical characterization of a flavoenzyme involved in antibiotic resistance has now been revealed by ... read more

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: The Molecular Tools of a Bacterial Survivor

Oct. 7, 2016 — The bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa can thrive in environments as different as the moist, warm tissue in our lungs, and the dry, nutrient-deprived surface of an office wall. Such adaptability makes ... read more

Global Warming Collapses Symbiotic Gut Bacteria, Killing Host Insects

Oct. 4, 2016 — A new study shows that when heat-susceptible bacteria living symbiotically in the guts of insects are exposed to increased temperatures, both the bacteria and the insect are negatively impacted and ... read more

How 'Dead' Bacteria Return to Life

Oct. 6, 2016 — A strict genetic timetable for resuscitation of dormant cells has been uncovered by scientists. The findings provide insight into a previously unknown survival strategy of ... read more

Researcher Aims to Save Endangered Cranes

Oct. 6, 2016 — Slender, graceful and majestic, Asia’s red-crowned cranes may look the same in the wild or in captivity, but inside they are markedly different in the types of microbes ... read more

Antibiotics Could Be Cut by Up to One-Third, Say Dairy Farmers

Oct. 6, 2016 — Nine in 10 dairy farmers participating in a new British survey say that the farming industry must take a proactive lead in the battle against antibiotic resistance. Those questioned also think that ... read more

Harnessing Algae for the Creation of Clean Energy

Oct. 6, 2016 — Researchers have revealed how microalgae produce hydrogen, a clean fuel of the future, and suggest a possible mechanism to jumpstart mass production of this environmentally-friendly energy ... read more

Rising Ocean Temperatures Impacting Human Health

Oct. 4, 2016 — Rising sea surface temperatures are causing marine-related tropical diseases and harmful algal blooms to spread towards the poles, a shift that is impacting human health, ... read more

Fast E. Coli Water Detection Kit Developed

Here's Why Antibiotic Resistance Has Become A Problem

Red Tide Brings Algae Worries to Texas Coast

Bacteria Found In Skeletons Confirms Source Of London's Great Plague

New Nematode Is Hermaphrodite: One of the Smallest Known Earthworms Found in Jaén

Oct. 13, 2016 — Around nine kilometres south of the city of Jaén (Spain), Spanish scientists have found a new species of nematode in the compost at a vegetable garden. The specimens found are extremely small, with ... read more

Soil Microbes Flourish With Reduced Tillage

Oct. 4, 2016 — Microbes improve soil quality by cycling nutrients and breaking plant residues down into soil organic matter. In an effort to detect consistent patterns across a large geographical area, researchers ... read more

Cells Infected by HIV Defend Themselves, Research Shows

Oct. 4, 2016 — T cells, important in the immune system, defend themselves when infected by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Until now, it was considered that these cells were not aware of their infection by the ... read more

Culex Mosquitoes Do Not Transmit Zika Virus, Study Finds

Oct. 4, 2016 — A new study has found important results in the fight against Zika virus: Culex mosquitoes do not appear to transmit Zika ... read more

Disease-Causing Gut Bacteria Common in Children

Oct. 4, 2016 — A type of bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and inhibit growth in children in developing countries, has been found in 14% of a sample of children in an industrialized country. However, the children ... read more

Queens, Sex and Colony Collapse

Oct. 4, 2016 — When a queen has sex with many different partners, it can increase her risk of infection with venereal disease. It can also lead to the collapse of her colony. This might read like ingredients for a ... read more

Dog Stool Microbiome Predicts Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Oct. 3, 2016 — A pattern of microbes that is indicative of inflammatory bowel disease has been identified in dogs. With more than 90 percent accuracy, the team used that information to predict which dogs had IBD. ... read more

Unique Bacterial Chemist in the War on Potatoes

Oct. 3, 2016 — An eccentric enzyme known so far only to exist in a single type of bacterium breaks down a toxin related to TNT and pesticides with counterintuitive ... read more

Coronavirus and Neurological Disease: Direct Link

Oct. 3, 2016 — For the first time, researchers have found proof of a direct association between strain OC 43 of the human coronavirus (HCoV) and neurological disease in humans. Researchers suggest the ... read more

Mosquito-Borne Rift Valley Fever Virus Causes Miscarriage

Oct. 3, 2016 — The mosquito-borne Rift Valley fever virus has been linked to miscarriage in humans. A study of 130 pregnant Sudanese women with fever showed that the risk of miscarriage was seven times greater if ... read more

CDC Urging Men at Risk of Zika to Postpone Fatherhood

Sep. 30, 2016 — CDC today announced updates to its interim guidance for pre-pregnancy counseling and prevention of sexual transmission of Zika based on ongoing assessment of available data, primarily extending the ... read more

New Insights Into How Drug-Resistant Bacteria Build Their Defenses

Sep. 30, 2016 — Improved understanding of the way in which hundreds of different types of disease-causing bacteria operate could help pave the way to tackling their effects, according to leading ... read more

Evolution of a Species Also Involves the Bacteria It Carries

Sep. 29, 2016 — Animals live in close association with microorganisms, carrying beneficial bacteria while coping with pathogenic infections. Now, a study shows that symbiotic bacteria play a direct role in the ... read more

Structure of the BinAB Toxin Revealed

Sep. 29, 2016 — Could we get rid of mosquitoes without polluting the environment? Yes, we can, say researchers. The BinAB toxin, produced in crystal form by a bacterium, specifically kills the larvae of Culex and ... read more

Scientists Reveal How Signals from Pathogenic Bacteria Reach Danger Sensors of Cells

Sep. 29, 2016 — An essential protein induced by the signaling protein interferon is needed to activate danger-sensing proteins in the cytoplasm of cells, scientists describe in a new ... read more

Rare Flu-Thwarting Mutation Discovered

Sep. 28, 2016 — A rare and improbable mutation in a protein encoded by an influenza virus renders the virus defenseless against the body's immune system. This discovery could provide a new strategy for live ... read more

New 'Layer' of Fungi Exposed

Sep. 28, 2016 — In order to optimally utilize fungi, and to fight them when necessary, we require greater insight into the functions that they can perform. Researchers have exposed a new layer of functional ... read more

Component of Red Wine, Grapes Can Help to Reduce Inflammation, Study Finds

Sep. 28, 2016 — A component of red wine and grapes can help control inflammation induced by a bacterial pathogen that is linked to upper respiratory tract inflammatory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive ... read more

Fungus Makes Mosquitoes Much More Likely to Become Infected With Malaria

Sep. 28, 2016 — A fungus that compromises the immune system of mosquitoes, making them more susceptible to infection with the parasite that causes malaria, has been discovered by scientists. Because environmental ... read more