Microbiology

Alphabody Protein For Undruggable Extracellular And Intracellular Disease Targets

Alphabodies cross over the boundaries between biologics and small chemical drugs Complix NV, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of Alphabodies, a class of protein therapeutics that are active against both extracellular an ...

Article - Anna Ohlden - Apr 26 2012 - 1:00pm

Science Can Save Crops, Forests And Endangered Animals By Doing This One Thing

More than 600 million people could be fed each year by halting the spread of fungal diseases in the world's five most important crops-   rice, wheat, maize, potatoes and soybeans Recent data further suggests that in 70% of cases where infectious disea ...

Article - News Staff - May 30 2012 - 1:21pm

Photorhabdus Luminescens: Bacteria's Version Of Jekyll And Hyde

Living in the guts of worms are seemingly innocuous Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria that contribute to the worms' survival. Yet with a flip of a genetic switch, those same bacteria transform from harmless microbes into deadly insecticides. How the  ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 5 2012 - 3:00pm

Endocytosis: How Cells Swallow Nutrients

Scientists have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a 3-dimensional movie of how cells ‘swallow’ nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them- the first to follow changes in the shape of the cell’s membrane and track proteins though ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 5 2012 - 2:57pm

Light In The Dark: The Secret World Of Microbial Life In Undersea Volcanoes

A little nuclear robot on Mars is getting all of the attention this week but Earth has plenty of undiscovered life-  a third of Earth's organisms live in our planet's rocks and sediments and they are almost a complete mystery. ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 8 2012 - 2:09pm

Antibiotic Residues In Uncured Sausage Meats Potent Enough To Weaken Helpful Bacteria

Helpful bacteria that processors add to acidify the sausage and make it safe for consumption are weakened by antibiotic residues in uncured pepperoni or salami meat, according to a new small-scale lab study in mBio.  Researchers studying the effects antibi ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 28 2012 - 10:57am

Soil And Human Bacteria Recently Swapped At Least Seven Antibiotic-Resistance Genes

Soil bacteria and bacteria that cause human diseases have recently swapped at least seven antibiotic-resistance genes, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Most of the antibiotics used to fight illness today or ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 4 2012 - 7:31pm

Microbial Alchemy: Bacteria Turn Toxic Material Into Gold Nuggets- And Art

Gold has reached an all-time high and researchers have discovered a bacterium's ability to withstand incredible amounts of toxicity is key to creating 24-karat gold.   Alchemy was once a pipe dream of ancient chemistry but now it is entirely possible, ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 2 2012 - 10:17am

Probiotics: Because Asians Can Sell Anything

Are you a probiotic manufacturer who has become annoyed you are not allowed to market microbes that can help cultivate “intestinal flora” for consumers? Did the European Food Safety Authority tell you to stop claiming your magic potion reduces the chances ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Oct 5 2012 - 4:01am

Oral Health: In Mouth Microbiology, Nurture Triumphs Over Nature

Unless you are a microbiologist, you probably don't want to think about all of the things that are happening in your mouth right now.  One thing you share with microbiologists is incomplete knowledge regarding what determines the specific types of mic ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 11 2012 - 6:30pm