All University of Maryland articles
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NewsScientists map DNA of Lyme disease bacteria
Scientists have produced a genetic analysis of Lyme disease bacteria that may pave the way for improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the tick-borne ailment.
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NewsCould manure and compost act like probiotics, reducing antibiotic resistance in urban soils?
Urban soils often contain chemical contaminants or trace amounts of antibiotics, along with higher levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. New research suggests that boosting urban soil health with compost and treated manure may reduce the amount of ’bad’ bacteria.
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NewsThe geometry of life: Physicists determine what controls biofilm growth
The fitness of a biofilm is largely impacted by the contact angle that the biofilm’s edge makes with the substrate - and this geometry has a bigger influence on fitness than anything else, including the rate at which the cells can reproduce.
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NewsStudy shows N95 masks near-perfect at blocking escape of airborne COVID-19
In a head-to-head comparison of masks worn by people with active COVID-19, the inexpensive ‘duckbill’ N95 came out on top, stopping 98% of COVID-19 particles in the breath of infected people from escaping into the air.
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NewsWomen need better treatments for bacterial vaginosis: call
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine are calling for robust studies for a treatment already used in Europe.
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NewsResearchers identify new genetic risk factors for persistent HPV infections
A new finding suggests that certain women may have a genetic susceptibility for persistent or frequent HPV infections, potentially raising their risk of getting cervical cancer from a high-risk HPV infection.
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NewsMutation linked to neurological disorders delivers double-pronged attack at cellular level
A mutation linked to neurological disorders knocks out not just one protein involved in translating the genetic code, but the entire cellular translation machinery. That’s the discovery of a team from the University of Maryland who were investigating how editing defects in threonyl-tRNA synthetase (ThrRS) work at ...
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NewsResearchers call for regulation of direct-to-consumer microbiome tests
Scientists argue that direct-to-consumer (DTC) microbiome tests lack analytical and clinical validity and require more federal regulation to prevent consumer harm.
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NewsSingle dose typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) provides lasting efficacy in children
A single dose of the typhoid conjugate vaccine, Typbar TCV®, provides lasting efficacy in preventing typhoid fever in children ages 9 months to 12 years old, according to a new study.
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NewsSoil fungi may help explain the global gradient in forest diversity
Mycorrhizal fungi appear to be counteracting the effects of harmful soil pathogens in ways that influence global patterns of forest diversity.
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News Bacteria-virus arms race provides rare window into rapid and complex evolution
Researchers documenting rapid evolutionary processes in simple laboratory flasks show that intricate ecological networks emerge from simple beginnings that feature repeating patterns of evolutionary development.
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NewsResearchers develop a nasal vaccine that prevents COVID in preclinical studies
New protein-based technology triggers immunity to respiratory pathogens in the airway, before the disease reaches the bloodstream.
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NewsFlesh-eating bacteria found in Florida’s coastal waters following Hurricane Ian
When Hurricane Ian struck southwest Florida in September 2022, it unleashed a variety of Vibrio bacteria that can cause illness and death in humans, according to a new study.
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CareersI was transformed into a cartoon scientist honey bee!
Professor Les Baillie of Cardiff University has had a few unique experiences as a microbiologist, but becoming one of the stars of Betsy and Bertie Save The Bees is one that earned particular kudos from his granddaughter.
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NewsBacterial protein may contribute to reduced fertility and birth defects
Scientists have published new findings that emphasize the crucial role of the urinary and genital tract microbiota in adverse pregnancy outcomes and genomic instability that originate in the womb during foetal development.
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NewsStudy reveals how drug resistant bacteria secrete toxins
Research suggests that reducing virulence in drug resistant infections rather than trying to kill bacteria outright may offer an answer to antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsCommon fungus eradicates toxic mercury from soil and water
Researchers have found that the fungus Metarhizium robertsii removes mercury from the soil around plant roots, and from fresh and saltwater, and have genetically engineered the fungus to amplify its mercury detoxifying effects.
