Microbiology – Page 4 – PossibleThreat Articles

New fluorescence method reveals signatures of individual microbes

October 4, 2019 0 Comments Batteries, Biochemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, Electricity, Genetics, Graphene, Microbiology

Researchers have developed a new method that reveals the unique fluorescence patterns produced by individual cells in mixtures of bacteria, yeast and fungi. They combined confocal microscopy with micro-spectroscopy to determine the fluorescence signatures from different types of microbes. They trained machine learning systems to analyze the images and identify different individual cells and cell-types automatically, even those with very similar shapes and sizes.

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Toxin promotes cattle-to-cattle transmission of deadly Escherichia coli strains

October 3, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Bacteria, Bird Flu Research, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Food, Microbes and More, Microbiology, Veterinary Medicine

Shiga toxin subtype 2a (Stx2a) may play a key role in promoting the colonization and transmission of life-threatening Escherichia coli strains in cattle, according to a new study.

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Engineered viruses could fight drug resistance

October 3, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Diabetes, Foodborne Illness, Genetically Modified, HIV and AIDS, Infectious Diseases, Microbes and More, Microbiology

Biological engineers can program bacteriophages to kill different strains of E. coli by making mutations in the protein that the viruses use to bind to host cells. These engineered phages are less likely to provoke resistance in bacteria, and could help to overcome antibiotic resistance.

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New exhibit plunges people in the world of microbes

October 2, 2019 0 Comments Arts and Culture, Bioethics, Biology, Microbes and More, Microbiology, Organic, STEM Education, World Development

Scientists developed an immersive exhibit where visitors can dance with living cells.

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Protozoans and pathogens make for an infectious mix

October 1, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Diseases and Conditions, Extreme Survival, Foodborne Illness, Infectious Diseases, Microbes and More, Microbiology, STD

The new observation that strains of V. cholerae can be expelled into the environment after being ingested by protozoa, and that these bacteria are then primed for colonization and infection in humans, could help explain why cholera is so persistent in aquatic environments. The disease-causing bacteria are protected in the protozoan gut and ejected into the environment in membrane-bound expelled food vacuoles (EFVs).

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Emerging parasitic disease mimics the symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis in people

October 1, 2019 0 Comments Alzheimer's Research, Diseases and Conditions, Microbiology, Pests and Parasites, Psoriasis, Today's Healthcare, Veterinary Medicine, Virology

A new study suggests that transmission of a protozoan parasite from insects may also cause leishmaniasis-like symptoms in people. The parasite, however, does not respond to treatment with standard leishmaniasis drugs.

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Horse nutrition: Prebiotics may do more harm than good

October 1, 2019 0 Comments animals, Bacteria, Extreme Survival, Food, Horses, Microbiology, New Species, Veterinary Medicine

Prebiotics are only able to help stabilize the intestinal flora of horses to a limited degree. Before they can reach the intestines, commercially available supplements partially break down in the animals' stomachs, which can lead to inflammation of the stomach lining.

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Babies have fewer respiratory infections if they have well-connected bacterial networks

October 1, 2019 0 Comments Asthma, Bacteria, Infant's Health, Infectious Diseases, Lung Disease, Microbes and More, Microbiology, Veterinary Medicine

Microscopic bacteria, which are present in all humans, cluster together and form communities in different parts of the body, such as the gut, lungs, nose and mouth. Now, for the first time, researchers have shown the extent to which these microbial communities are linked to each other across the body, and how these networks are associated with susceptibility to respiratory infections in babies.

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The flagellar hook: Making sense of bacterial motility

September 30, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Biochemistry Research, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Extreme Survival, Microbes and More, Microbiology, Pests and Parasites, Virology

Researchers show how bacteria transmit motion from an inner motor to an outer tail through a flexible joint in the flagellum known as the hook. This finding could help in the fight against deadly bacterial infections. By better understanding how bacteria move, researchers may be able to improve disease prevention strategies.

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ORNL scientists shed light on microbial 'dark matter' with new approach

September 30, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Evolutionary Biology, Food, Microbes and More, Microbiology, New Species, Organic, Soil Types

Scientists have demonstrated a way to isolate and grow targeted bacteria using genomic data, making strides toward resolving the grand challenge of uncultivated microbial 'dark matter' in which the vast majority of microorganisms remain unstudied in the laboratory.