Posts Tagged ‘bacteria’
Science & Technology - May 6, 2010 13:31 - 0 Comments
Outer layer of ‘crust’ keeps spores safe
NYU / PRINCETON (US)—Bacterial spores, the most resistant organisms on earth, carry an extra coating of protection previously undetected. The finding could shed light on why spores of the bacteria that cause botulism, tetanus, and anthrax survive methods to eradicate them. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Apr 28, 2010 22:13 - 2 Comments
Belly bacteria are talking. Your body listening?
CALTECH (US)—We are not alone—even in our own bodies. The human gut is home to 100 trillion bacteria, which, for millions of years, have co-evolved along with our digestive and immune systems. Some can be harmful, some beneficial, and—according to new research—other microbes may be perched somewhere in between. (more…)
Science & Technology - Apr 26, 2010 12:44 - 0 Comments
Step closer to genetically engineered E. coli?
TEXAS A& M (US)—For the first time researchers have successfully incorporated two different noncanonical amino acids into a single protein in E. coli bacteria. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Apr 15, 2010 12:57 - 0 Comments
Tapping nature to clean up radioactive sites
U. CHICAGO (US)—Some bacteria can change Uranium (VI)—which is radioactive, toxic, and water-soluble—into a more insoluble, stationary, and thus less harmful substance. A team of scientists is trying to determine how to harness this chemical transformation to reduce the danger posed by the more than 1,000 uranium-contaminated sites scattered across the nation. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Apr 14, 2010 11:36 - 0 Comments
Bacteria block spread of deadly dengue
MICHIGAN STATE (US)—There is no vaccine or treatment for dengue fever—the deadly virus transmitted by mosquitoes that threatens 2.5 billion people each year—but new research has found that a bacterium can stop dengue viruses from replicating. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Mar 17, 2010 14:31 - 0 Comments
‘Green’ bean gene triggers nitrogen fix
STANFORD (US)—Nitrogen-producing bacteria living inside legumes, such as soybeans, could blunt the negative effects of fertilizer and aid efforts to make agriculture more sustainable. (more…)
Science & Technology - Mar 17, 2010 10:20 - 0 Comments
ID’d by your personal ‘trail of bugs’
U. COLORADO (US)—Forensic scientists may soon be able to identify individuals using types of hand bacteria left behind on objects like keyboards and computer mice. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Mar 2, 2010 11:47 - 3 Comments
Probiotics prime immune system to fight
PENN (US)—Scientists have long pondered the seeming contradiction that taking broad-spectrum antibiotics over an extended period of time can lead to severe secondary bacterial infections. Now researchers may have figured out why. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 23, 2010 11:47 - 1 Comment
Pesky aphid thrives despite weak defenses
EMORY (US)—Pea aphids, expert survivors of the insect world, appear to lack major biological defenses, according to the first genetic analysis of their immune system. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Feb 22, 2010 15:34 - 0 Comments
Proteins act as special forces to stop bacteria
EMORY (US)—A set of proteins found in our intestines can recognize and kill bacteria that have human blood type molecules on their surfaces, scientists have discovered. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Feb 17, 2010 10:35 - 0 Comments
TB-blocking molecule discovered
INDIANA U. (US)—Researchers have identified a mechanism used by the tuberculosis bacterium to evade the body’s immune system and have identified a compound that blocks the bacterium’s ability to survive in the host, which could lead to new drugs to treat tuberculosis. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 10, 2010 10:42 - 0 Comments
Fighting viruses with physics
CARNEGIE MELLON (US)—The energy associated with the expulsion of viral DNA has been measured for the first time in what is believed to be a pivotal discovery toward understanding the mechanisms that control viral infection. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Jan 19, 2010 12:33 - 0 Comments
Combat E coli: New focus on Rho protein
NYU—A recent findings could lead to antibiotics that target Rho, a key regulatory protein in E. coli and many other bacteria. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Jan 12, 2010 16:10 - 0 Comments
Antibiotics that outwit bacteria
U. MICHIGAN—Researchers have figured out a way to fool bacteria by using the microbes’ own defenses against them, a technique that could provide scientists with a new tool in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 5, 2010 12:30 - 2 Comments
Calcium key to ‘legless’ bacteria
UNC-CHAPEL HILL (US)—Bacteria can swim. Bacteria can walk. It’s this mobility that enables some pathogenic bacteria to infect human hosts. Now researchers have identified a spot on bacteria, that when blocked, can stop the microbes in their tracks. (more…)
Health & Medicine, Science & Technology - Dec 23, 2009 16:20 - 2 Comments
Encyclopedia of microbe genomes: Chapter 1
UC DAVIS (US)—Genome scientists from the United States and Germany have assembled the first pages of a comprehensive encyclopedia of genomes of all the microbes on Earth. (more…)
Earth & Environment, Science & Technology - Dec 23, 2009 11:59 - 2 Comments
Bacteria crank microgears to power machines
U. CHICAGO (US)—Scientists have discovered that common bacteria can turn microgears when suspended in a solution, providing insights for designs of bio-inspired dynamically adaptive materials for energy. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 17, 2009 12:27 - 1 Comment
Arctic rivers as climate change forecasters
TEXAS A&M (US)—Scientists may be able to gauge the effects of climate change in the polar regions by monitoring bacterial communities in six large Arctic rivers, new research shows. (more…)
