All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 54
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NewsBeer-related discoveries mark Oktoberfest
To create a probiotic beer, researchers have screened several different lactic acid-producing bacterial strains.
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NewsIn lab tests, dietary zinc inhibits AMR gene transmission
Genes responsible for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can spread from microbe to microbe through plasmids, and this lateral transfer occurs in the gut - but transmission of some AMR plasmids may be inhibited by dietary zinc supplements.
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NewsScientists reveal how doxycycline for STI prevention affects the gut microbiome
Taking a dose of the oral antibiotic doxycycline after a high-risk sexual encounter has dramatically reduced the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in places where the strategy is being tried. Source: NIAID Capsules of the antibiotic doxycycline Despite its effectiveness, the new strategy, known ...
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NewsGut bacteria engineered to act as tumor GPS for immunotherapies
Cancer researchers have engineered gut derived E. coli bacteria to express immune-activating cytokines on their surfaces, with the idea that the bacteria would move into tumors and induce potent immune responses.
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NewsExperts propose key criteria to classify prebiotics
A group of eight leading international scientists has developed a comprehensive framework that outlines the criteria for establishing prebiotic status, providing much-needed clarity in this evolving field.
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NewsThe Democratic Republic of the Congo kicks off mpox vaccination
The Democratic Republic of the Congo today kicked off mpox vaccination, adding a vital measure to complement the ongoing outbreak control efforts to halt the spread of the viral disease and save lives. Source: NIAID Colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox virus particles (teal) cultivated and purified ...
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NewsNovel Pseudomonas species supports plant growth at high altitudes
Scientists have discovered a new Pseudomonas species isolated from cold Himalayan soil that helps to promote plant growth, offering potential as a bio-inoculant for sustainable agriculture in high-altitude regions.
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NewsStudy identifies potential novel drug to treat tuberculosis
A new study demonstrates that a novel semi-synthetic compound can be derived from natural compounds to produce potent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including multi-drug resistant strains.
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NewsZooplankton go ‘Eew!’ to cleaning feces-contaminated water
Scientists were recently surprised to find that the natural community of zooplankton — tiny, aquatic animals known to graze on bacteria — present in freshwater and saltwater do not clean water that is contaminated with fecal microorganisms.
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NewsWastewater bacteria can break down plastic for food
Researchers have discovered how cells of a Comamonas bacterium break down plastic for food. First, they chew the plastic into small pieces, then secrete an enzyme that breaks down the plastic further, and finally use a ring of carbon atoms as a food source.
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NewsFerring Pharmaceuticals bolsters global gene therapy supply chain with European manufacturing facility
Ferring Pharmaceuticals launches state-of-the-art global manufacturing hub in Finland for the drug substance of its intravesical non-replicating gene therapy Adstiladrin® (nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg), an adenovirus vector-based gene therapy.
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NewsPlant compound used in traditional medicine may help fight tuberculosis
A compound found in African wormwood — a plant used medicinally for thousands of years to treat many types of illness — could be effective against tuberculosis, according to a new study.
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NewsFilament structure activates and regulates CRISPR-Cas ‘protein scissors’
Researchers have revealed the structure of the CRISPR-Cas ‘protein scissors’ found in bacteria and provided mechanistic details on how they function.
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NewsPeptide acts as molecular shield to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from infecting cells
The synthetic peptide was inspired by ACE2, the protein to which the virus that causes COVID-19 binds to invade human cells. The results point to a route for the development of novel antivirals.
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NewsScientists study how a bacterium becomes a permanent resident in a fungus
To study the beginnings of endosymbiosis between two organisms, a team of researchers initiated such partnerships in the laboratory and observed what exactly happens at the beginning of a possible endosymbiosis.
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NewsNSF to invest $5 million to Biofoundries project
The U.S. National Science Foundation and partner agencies in the U.S., Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United Kingdom have announced funding awards in their Global Centers competition. One of the centers, the Reliable and Scalable Biofoundries for Biomanufacturing and Global Bioeconomy, includes researchers from the ...
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NewsResearchers unravel mystery of dormancy in food pathogens for more effective elimination
The detection tests commonly used to check for the absence of microbes in hospitals or the agri-food industry are based on microbial growth, i.e. the laboratory cultivation of microorganisms from a sample to be checked. If no micro-organisms appear during culturing, the sample is considered safe. Source: INRAE ...
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NewsBacterial contamination and microplastics threaten Colombia’s largest and most productive coastal lagoon
A study warns of the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria in microplastics extracted from water, sediments and the digestive tract of fish in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, the largest and most productive coastal lagoon system in the Colombian Caribbean.
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NewsPlankton bloom off Madagascar linked to drought in South Africa
Researchers show that dust from drought-stricken Southern Africa caused a bloom of marine phytoplankton off the southeast Madagascar coast from November 2019 through February 2020.
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