Credit: PixabaySwabs collected from China's Tiangong space station have uncovered traces of a previously unknown bacterium, exhibiting traits that could enable it to survive in harsh conditions hundreds of kilometers above Earth's surface.New Bacterium on Tiangong Space Station May Help Protect Astronauts and SpacecraftResearchers from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing...
Credit: PixabayAn international team studied cancer tissue samples from 981 people in 11 countries, looking for DNA mutations. In more than half of early-onset cases, colibactin damage was linked to the mutations.Researchers have linked colibactin to this cancer, but they haven't studied its role in patients under 50. This may help explain why colorectal...
Credit: Tang Qui Đông from PixabayIn the microscopic battlefield between plants and microbes, recent research has uncovered a surprising tactic used by bacterial invaders to evade plant immune systems—shedding new light on the complex arms race happening every day in nature.How Plants Detect Bacterial ThreatsJust like humans, plants have evolved intricate immune defenses to...
Scientists have discovered a bacterium that can break down toxic "forever chemicals" DepositphotosThe so-called "forever chemicals" (PFAS) are increasingly present in the environment, food, drinking water, and even our bodies. However, researchers may have found a new solution to this problem: a bacterium capable of consuming these compounds and their toxic byproducts.Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances...
Credit: DepositphotosA new therapeutic approach could bring hope to people with vitiligo. An experimental treatment has shown excellent results in mice with the disease and uses a natural substance produced by beneficial gut bacteria.Understanding VitiligoVitiligo is an autoimmune condition that destroys melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that gives skin its...
Credit: PixabayResearchers at the University of Basel have uncovered how bacteria sense environmental threats using a universal danger signal. When nearby cells are dying, bacteria detect fragments of their cell walls, called peptidoglycans, and proactively form protective biofilms. This discovery sheds light on bacterial communication and defense mechanisms, offering insights for combating infections.Sensing Danger:...
Credit: PixabayKristian Riesbeck, a professor of clinical bacteriology at Lund University, was approached by Ukrainian microbiologist Oleksandr Nazarchuk for help in assessing antibiotic resistance in bacteria from severely injured, infected war patients. Using samples from 141 individuals, including 133 adults and 8 newborns with pneumonia, the study revealed widespread resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Alarmingly,...
The medication fights against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, a challenging human pathogen that eludes the majority of antibiotics. Credit: Unsplash.An antibiotic belonging to a novel class of drugs has recently been uncovered, offering potential effectiveness against a major bacterial threat to human health. The antibiotic, named zosurabalpin, has exhibited promising results in laboratory experiments and...
Researchers have found that the health of the gut microbiome during infancy is key to whether children develop common allergiesDepositphotosA recent study discovered a common factor among four major childhood allergies: an early-life imbalance in gut bacteria. These findings may lead to treatments aiming to restore the gut microbiome in children, potentially averting lifelong...
Lake Gossenköllesee is located in the Tyrolean Alps. Credit: Christopher BellasThough human beings, along with other vertebrate and invertebrate organisms, do not photosynthesize, we're certainly the downstream beneficiaries of the life forms that do. Phototrophic organisms at the bottom of the food chain convert plentiful sunlight into the energy that ultimately powers all other...
