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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Space: General
Published Microbes play a key role in unleashing 'forever chemicals' from recycled-waste fertilizer
(via sciencedaily.com) 'Forever chemicals' are everywhere -- water, soil, crops, animals, the blood of 97% of Americans -- researchers are trying to figure out how they got there. Their recent findings suggest that the microbes that help break down biodegradable materials and other waste are likely complicit in the release of the notorious per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment.
Published Detecting rapidly mutating bacteria and viruses with AutoPLP
(via sciencedaily.com) The microbes responsible for some infections can rapidly mutate into variants that evade detection and treatment. Now, a newly developed procedure could help researchers catch up to these sneaky pathogens.
Published Antibiotic consumption is currently not the main driver of aminoglycoside resistance spread, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) The spread of antibiotic resistance, where infectious bacteria are able to defeat the drugs intended to kill them, may not be primarily driven by antibiotic consumption, according to a new study.
Published Kangaroo fecal microbes could reduce methane from cows
(via sciencedaily.com) Baby kangaroo feces might help provide an unlikely solution to the environmental problem of cow-produced methane. A microbial culture developed from the kangaroo feces inhibited methane production in a cow stomach simulator. After researchers added the baby kangaroo culture and a known methane inhibitor to the simulated stomach, it produced acetic acid instead of methane. Unlike methane, which cattle discard as flatulence, acetic acid has benefits for cows as it aids muscle growth.
Published Bacteria communicate like us -- and we could use this to help address antibiotic resistance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Like the neurons firing in human brains, bacteria use electricity to communicate and respond to environmental cues. Now, researchers have discovered a way to control this electrical signalling in bacteria, to better understand resistance to antibiotics.
Published Pungent ginger compound puts immune cells on heightened alert
(via sciencedaily.com) Ginger has a reputation for stimulating the immune system. New results now support this thesis. In laboratory tests, small amounts of a pungent ginger constituent put white blood cells on heightened alert. The study also shows that this process involves a type of receptor that plays a role in the perception of painful heat stimuli and the sensation of spiciness in food.
Published Study reveals how drug resistant bacteria secrete toxins, suggesting targets to reduce virulence
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research suggests that reducing virulence in drug resistant infections rather than trying to kill bacteria outright may offer an alternative approach to treatment. The study revealed how two proteins enable the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterium to secrete the toxins that make people sick. The research suggests that therapies targeting these two proteins could disable MRSA, making it less deadly and possibly even harmless. Such an approach would also reduce the risk of promoting antibiotic resistance.
Published Discovery could lead to new fungicides to protect rice crops
(via sciencedaily.com) In some years, rice blast disease destroys more than one quarter of the harvest worldwide. But it's hard to fight with current methods. Researchers have now discovered how the fungus breeches the tough skin of the rice leaf and determined the structure of the enzyme secreted to puncture the leaf. They're now searching for chemical blockers that would work as a spray-on fungicide for rice and other crops.
Published Microbes that co-operate contribute more carbon emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Communities of microbes that work together release more carbon dioxide than competitive communities, contributing more to climate change.
Published Do forest trees really 'talk' through underground fungi?
(via sciencedaily.com) The idea that forest trees can 'talk' to each other, share resources with their seedlings -- and even protect them -- through a connective underground web of delicate fungal filaments tickles the imagination. The concept is so intriguing, it's taken root in popular media -- even being raised in the popular Apple TV show Ted Lasso -- and been dubbed the 'wood-wide web,' but the science behind those ideas is unproven, cautions an expert.
Published Bite this! Mosquito feeding chamber uses fake skin, real blood
(via sciencedaily.com) Bioengineers and experts in tropical medicine have invented a new way of studying mosquito feeding behavior using technology instead of live volunteers. Their open-source design combines automated cameras, artificial intelligence and blood-infused, 3D-printed 'synthetic skin.'
Published 'We're not all that different': Study IDs bacterial weapons that could be harnessed to treat human disease
(via sciencedaily.com) When it comes to fighting off invaders, bacteria operate in a remarkably similar way to human cells, possessing the same core machinery required to switch immune pathways on and off, according to new research.
Published Keeping SARS-CoV-2 closed for business with small molecules
(via sciencedaily.com) The infamous spike proteins on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 help it bind to and enter human cells. Because of their important role in spreading infection, these spike proteins are one of the main targets for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. But those remedies gradually lose effectiveness when certain segments of the spike proteins mutate. Now, researchers report that they have discovered small molecules that successfully target other segments that mutate less.
Published Discovery of T-cells that protect against deadly pneumococcal disease
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study reveals how resistance to bacteraemic pneumonia is provided by a unique subset of lung T regulatory cells.
Published Licorice leaf extract is a promising plant protectant for conventional and organic agriculture
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study reveals that licorice leaf extract is a potent bactericide and fungicide that can be used in conventional and organic agriculture.
Published Studies find that microbiome changes may be a signature for ME/CFS
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found differences in the gut microbiomes of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) compared to healthy controls. Findings from two studies add to growing evidence that connects disruptions in the gut microbiome, the complete collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in our gastrointestinal system, to ME/CFS.
Published How waste-eating bacteria digest complex carbons
(via sciencedaily.com) For the first time, researchers mapped the metabolic mechanisms in a Comamonas bacterium that digests chemicals from plastic and plant waste. This new information could potentially lead to novel biotechnology platforms that harness the bacteria to help recycle plastic waste.
Published Why microbes in the deep ocean live without sunlight
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reverses the idea that the bulk of life in the ocean is fueled by photosynthesis via sunshine, revealing that many ocean microbes in fact get their energy from hydrogen and carbon monoxide. It has always been a mystery as to how microbes growing in deepest parts of the sea survive, with no sunlight. A new study shows that a distinct process called chemosynthesis -- growth using inorganic compounds -- fuels microbes in these darkest depths.
Published Harnessing an innate protection against Ebola
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have identified a cellular pathway that keeps Ebola virus from exiting human cells, with implications for developing new antivirals.
Published Attacking COVID-19's moving antibody target
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study demonstrates that a portable electrochemical sensing technology known as eRapid could be an ideal instrument to enable the inexpensive, multiplexed detection of different SARS-CoV-2-directed antibodies at the point-of-care. Researchers showed that specifically engineered eRapid sensors can detect antibodies targeting the virus' so-called nucleocapsid (N) protein from ultra-small samples of blood plasma and dried blood spots with 100% sensitivity and specificity within less than 10 minutes.