Showing 20 articles starting at article 1781

< Previous 20 articles        Next 20 articles >

Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Space: General

Return to the site home page

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Hospital-acquired infections are often hard to treat because the corresponding pathogens become increasingly resistant against antibiotics. The bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii is particularly feared, and there is great pressure to devise novel therapeutic approaches to combat it. Bioinformaticians have now detected an unexpectedly wide diversity of certain cell appendages in A. baumannii that are associated with pathogenicity. This could lead to treatment strategies that are specifically tailored to a particular pathogen.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In temperate climates, like North America and Europe, flu season starts in the fall, peaks in the winter and ends in the spring. While public health officials have generally assumed that influenza is also seasonal in tropical climates, new research has found little evidence of a repeatable pattern in influenza cases in Vietnam. The findings suggest that influenza is likely unpredictable throughout the tropics, posing substantial challenges for prevention and management of cases for the one-third of the global population living in tropical areas.

     (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research details the discovery of the highest-energy light ever observed from the sun. The international team behind the discovery also found that this type of light, known as gamma rays, is surprisingly bright. That is, there's more of it than scientists had previously anticipated.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The study investigated why the paths of meandering rivers change over time and is a step toward understanding what the hydroclimate on Mars was like when there was still surface water.

     (via sciencedaily.com) 

An international team of scientists have discovered an unusual Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a low-mass star called TOI-4860, located in the Corvus constellation.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Four years ago, a report that a common species of fungus might fuel pancreatic cancer offered a promising new view of the deadly disease. But in working to validate the finding, researchers have found no such association.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study on almost four thousand people of African descent has identified a gene that acts as natural defense against HIV by limiting its replication in certain white blood cells. This research paves the way for new treatment strategies and underscores the importance of studying diverse ancestral populations to better address their specific medical needs and global health disparities.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of scientists has made an important breakthrough in the fight against RNA viruses that cause human diseases and pandemics.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Antiviral therapies are notoriously difficult to develop, as viruses can quickly mutate to become resistant to drugs. But what if a new generation of antivirals ignores the fast-mutating proteins on the surface of viruses and instead disrupts their protective layers?

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The availability, speed and effectiveness of genomic sequencing increased dramatically during the pandemic, as scientists worldwide rushed to find ways to track and predict the virus's movement and evolution. It also was critical in the development of effective vaccines. Biologists argue that building on this momentum is critical in society's response to future pandemics, but it requires significant collaboration and investment now, before the next pathogen is threatening society.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered a new way to attack fungal infections. The key is to block fungi from being able to make fatty acids, the major component of fats. Resistance to anti-fungal drugs is increasing and this new approach will be particularly useful because it works in a new way and affects a broad range of fungal species.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists showed that fixed mutations within a viral population most likely stem from how easy it is to acquire that mutation (i.e., mutation accessibility) rather than just its benefit.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ancient pathogens that escape from melting permafrost have real potential to damage microbial communities and might potentially threaten human health, according to a new study.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study of the strain of influenza A responsible for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic -- pdm09 -- shows that the virus has passed from humans to swine about 370 times since 2009, and subsequent circulation in swine has resulted in the evolution of pdm09 variants that then jumped from swine to humans.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Dozens of viruses -- at least -- can eavesdrop on host information. Not only did they demonstrate the strategy's abundance, but they also discovered tools that control it and send signals that tell bacteriophage viruses to flip from chill (lysogeny) into kill (lysis) mode. They showed that in polylysogeny, phages can coexist, their viral DNA or RNA hidden tucked inside the bacterium's own, replicating right along with the cells. But the infiltrating phages aren't exactly peaceful; it's more like mutually assured destruction. And the tenuous detente lasts only until something triggers one or more of the phages to switch into kill mode.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The results of a novel study has revealed exciting findings in the pursuit of an HIV cure.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered the honey produced by Australian ants possesses unique anti-microbial activity against bacteria and fungi that could make the liquid useful medicinally.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In 2022-2023, an outbreak of monkeypox, now known as mpox (caused by the monkeypox virus or MPXV) led to 87,000 human cases in 170 countries. Most cases were reported outside the usual areas in which the virus circulates. Since the outbreak began, surveillance of the virus has been stepped up in Europe, with nearly 5,000 cases being reported in France.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

While the incidence of influenza-associated neuropsychiatric events in children in the United States is unknown, the controversy over the use of a common antiviral medication typically administered to treat flu in children has sparked concern among parents and medical professionals alike.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered the molecular mechanisms by which the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) becomes resistant to Dolutegravir, one of the most effective, clinically used antiviral drugs for treating HIV. Their findings reveal how changes to the 3D structures of integrase, an HIV protein, can lead to Dolutegravir resistance and how other compounds may be able to overcome this resistance.