Designer probiotics could reduce obesity
Specially designed probiotics can modulate the physiology of host fat cells say scientists writing in Microbiology. The findings could lead to specialised probiotics that have a role in the prevention...
View ArticleFrance recalls hamburgers after E. coli scare
(AP) -- French health authorities ordered a recall of hamburger patties sold by a German supermarket chain after seven children were infected by the E. coli bacteria, though officials ruled out...
View ArticleE. coli death toll up to at least 47
(AP) -- The death toll in Europe's E. coli outbreak has risen by three to at least 47, German authorities said Monday, even as new infections continue to tail off.
View ArticleCars could run on recycled newspaper, scientists say
Here's one way that old-fashioned newsprint beats the Internet. Tulane University scientists have discovered a novel bacterial strain, dubbed "TU-103," that can use paper to produce butanol, a biofuel...
View ArticleHarmless soil-dwelling bacteria successfully kill cancer
A bacterial strain that specifically targets tumours could soon be used as a vehicle to deliver drugs in frontline cancer therapy. The strain is expected to be tested in cancer patients in 2013 says a...
View ArticleTriple threat: One bacterium, three plasmids
Researchers from Australia found something completely new while conducting a genetic study of the pathogenesis of an enteric disease in birds. They report what is believed to be the first bacterial...
View ArticleHuman, soil bacteria swap antibiotic-resistance genes: study
Soil bacteria and bacteria that cause human diseases have recently swapped at least seven antibiotic-resistance genes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report Aug....
View ArticleAdditive restores antibiotic effectiveness against MRSA
Researchers from North Carolina State University have increased the potency of a compound that reactivates antibiotics against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an...
View ArticleHow insects domesticate bacteria: Symbiotic microbes' origin discovered after...
Two years ago, a 71-year-old Indiana man impaled his hand on a branch after cutting down a dead crab apple tree, causing an infection that led University of Utah scientists to discover a new bacterium...
View ArticleBacterial security agents go rogue
CRISPR, a system of genes that bacteria use to defend themselves against viruses, has been found to be involved in helping some bacteria evade the mammalian immune system. The results are scheduled for...
View ArticleMycobacteria get all the advantages of sex with none of the downsides
Sexual reproduction is costly to those organisms that depend on it, like humans. For starters, only half of the population can bear offspring and the other half has to work hard to make sure they're...
View ArticleEngineered for tolerance, bacteria pump out higher quantity of renewable...
An international team of bioengineers has boosted the ability of bacteria to produce isopentenol, a compound with desirable gasoline properties. The finding, published in mBio, the online open-access...
View ArticleGenome-wide methylation map of disease-causing E. coli reveals surprises
(Phys.org)—A new DNA sequencing technique has enabled researchers to map for the first time the influential chemical modifications known as methylation marks throughout the genome of a pathogenic...
View ArticleHow does antibiotic resistance spread? Scientists find answers in the nose
(Phys.org)—Antibiotic resistance results from bacteria's uncanny ability to morph and adapt, outwitting pharmaceuticals that are supposed to kill them. But exactly how the bacteria acquire and spread...
View ArticleResearch team recognizes predator-producing bacteria
Unique viruses called bacteriophages may play an important role in competition among bacterial strains, influencing the overall ecosystem of the human intestine, scientists at The University of Texas...
View ArticleFrog-in-bucket-of-milk folklore leads to potential new antibiotics
Following up on an ancient Russian way of keeping milk from going sour—by putting a frog in the bucket of milk—scientists have identified a wealth of new antibiotic substances in the skin of the...
View ArticleResearchers solve crystal structure of key biofilm protein
(Phys.org)—Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) report that they have solved the crystal structure of a protein involved in holding bacterial cells together in a biofilm, a major...
View ArticleNew study may lead to treatments that are effective against all MRSA strains
In the last decade, a new strain of MRSA has emerged that can spread beyond hospital walls, putting everyone at risk of contracting the dangerous bacterial infection. This particular strain of MRSA –...
View ArticleBenefits of Bt corn go beyond rootworm resistance
Engineered to produce the bacterial toxin, Bt, "Bt corn" resists attack by corn rootworm, a pest that feeds on roots and can cause annual losses of up to $1 billion. But besides merely protecting...
View ArticleSuperbugs may have a soft spot, after all
The overuse of antibiotics has created strains of bacteria resistant to medication, making the diseases they cause difficult to treat, or even deadly. But now a research team at the University of...
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