All articles by Linda Stewart
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NewsResearchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus
Researchers have reported the discovery of replication hubs for human norovirus, which could lead to designing antiviral drugs to prevent, control or treat these infections.
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NewsSeasonal flu vaccine study reveals host genetics’ role in vaccine response
Scientists have found that influenza subtype-bias is primarily driven by host genetics, particularly major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-II polymorphisms, with prior exposure playing a secondary role.
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NewsPotentially harmful bacteria slip through antimicrobial showerheads
Researchers report that antimicrobial silver-containing showerheads are no ’silver bullet’. In real-world showering conditions, most microbes aren’t exposed to the silver long enough to be killed.
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NewsEvolutionary study reveals the toxic reach of disease-causing bacteria across the plant kingdom
The capacity of bacteria to spread disease across the plant kingdom may be much more widespread than previously suspected, according to a comparative evolutionary analysis, using the diversity of Pseudomonas syringae bacteria.
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NewsCapybaras found dead from rabies on island in Brazil
The viral rabies strain found in the dead animals on Anchieta Island in Ubatuba was the variant transmitted by vampire bats, which probably fed on the capybaras’ blood at a time of habitat disturbance.
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NewsThe surprising role of gut infection in Alzheimer’s disease
A new study implicates link between a common virus and the disease, which travels from the gut to the brain and may be a target for antiviral treatments.
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NewsTinkering with the ‘clockwork’ mechanisms of life
Scientists have successfully recreated and validated two distinct mechanisms that can program both the activation and deactivation rates of nanomachines in living organisms across multiple timescales.
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NewsNature’s instructions: How fungi make a key medicinal molecule
Scientists outline how they deciphered nature’s own instructions — namely, the genes of the mold Penicillium citrinum — to discover a previously unreported enzyme that catalyzes the creation of cyclopentachromone-containing compounds.
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NewsThe role of understudied dysfunctional immune cells in severe COVID-19: new research
A new study focuses on understanding how ‘notoriously understudied’ immune cells behave abnormally in patients with severe COVID-19 and provides insights into mechanism behind COVID-19 disease progression.
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NewsConnectivity loss in pond networks threatens microbial biodiversity
A recent study explored the effects of connectivity loss within pond networks, using an outdoor experimental setup of artificial ponds (mesocosms).
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NewsBio-electrochemical cell producing hydrogen from microorganisms in waste: Pathway to large-scale implementation unveiled
Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in clean energy technology, successfully enhancing a crucial component of a bio-electrochemical cell and enabling more efficient hydrogen production from microorganisms found in waste.
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NewsStudy reveals the hidden genomic evolution of brown algae - and how bacteria and viruses helped
A groundbreaking study has unveiled the evolutionary journey of brown algae through a comprehensive genomic analysis of 44 species, including key evolutionary milestones, such as the transition from unicellular to multicellular forms.
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NewsFlagella-free survival: How bacteria evolve by shedding their ‘wheels’
New research reveals that bacteria can evolve by losing their flagella, the structures responsible for movement.
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News‘Unbreakable’ Lassa vaccine shows promising results
A live-attenuated vaccine candidate against Lassa virus completely protected guinea pigs exposed to an otherwise lethal dose of the virus, researchers have reported.
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NewsProbiotics with a protective armor: New method boosts survival and gut health
A research team has developed a new method for encapsulating probiotics, using nanoparticles formed by antisolvent precipitation to protect the probiotics.
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NewsPhytochromes: The ‘eyes’ that enable microalgae to find their way in the depths
By studying the light perception process of diatoms, a group of phytoplankton, scientists have discovered that these microalgae use light variation sensors which are codified in their genomes: phytochromes.
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NewsApplication of heavy-ion irradiation mutagenesis to improve the production efficiency of the antifungal drug micafungin
Scientists have used heavy-ion irradiation to improve efforts to produce the semisynthetic echinocandin antifungal agent micafungin which derives from fungal natural product FR901379 produced by Coleophoma empetri.
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NewsDiscovery of β‐nitrostyrene derivatives as potential quorum sensing inhibitors for biofilm inhibition in Serratia marcescens
A new study has identified β‐nitrostyrene derivatives as potential quorum sensing inhibitors for biofilm inhibition and antivirulence factor therapeutics against Serratia marcescens.
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NewsDiarrheal diseases remain a leading killer for children under 5, adults 70+
A new global study reports a 60% drop in global mortality from diarrheal diseases, but children and the elderly still have the highest death rates, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
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NewsNew discovery provides hope in fighting drug-resistant malaria
Researchers have described how they may have found a new target in Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite: a cholesterol-managing protein called PfNCR1.
