Tag Archives: bacteria

BioID screen for bacterial virulence proteins: new tools for infectious disease research

AoS. BioID screen for bacterial virulence proteins

The discovery of penicillin in the 1920s revolutionized our ability to treat bacterial infection. However despite the introduction of antibiotics, infectious bacterial pathogens remain an immense challenge for the healthcare community. The incidence of infection by antibiotic-resistant

The epibiome of endangered corals reflects their genotype

AoS. The epibiome of endangered corals reflects their genotype

If you have vaguely followed the recent news on climate change, you have probably heard about the worldwide decline of coral reefs. Coral reefs are the backbone of important ecosystems across the globe, as they host ~1/4

Purification and characterization of a better-behaved Alzheimer’s disease protein

AoS. Purification and characterization of a better-behaved Alzheimer’s disease protein

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is an incurable disease that causes memory, reasoning and thinking to deteriorate over time. AD is marked by brain atrophy and plaque-like deposits of a small peptide called amyloid beta (Aß) outside of brain

The olive fruit fly is never alone! Can its bacterial symbionts be useful in managing this olive pest?

AoS. The olive fruit fly is never alone

The notion of individual has changed trough time, and truly, we are never alone as most organisms are entangled in symbioses. As first used in 1879 by Anton de Bary, symbiosis refers to close, long-term associations between

Antibiotic tolerance in bacteria: how to regain susceptibility?

AoS. Antibiotic tolerance in bacteria.

Bacteria use a plethora of mechanisms to evade killing by antibiotics. Resistance is the best documented mechanism. Here, genetic changes in the bacterial DNA result in antibiotic insensitivity. As a consequence, resistant bacteria are able to grow

Brand new weaponry in our arsenal: nanopatterns to combat biomaterial-associated infections

Brand new weaponry in our arsenal: nanopatterns to combat biomaterial-associated infections. AoS

Humankind has witnessed unprecedented breakthroughs in (bio)medical sciences during the 20th and 21st centuries. A significant increase in life expectancy has cultivated the seeds of eagerness to live longer and healthier in the collective mind of humans.

Root nodules of plants grown on salt–affected soils: A useful source for isolating salinity tolerant N2–fixing non–rhizobial bacteria

Root nodules of plants grown on salt–affected soils. AoS

Salinity is one of the most significant environmental challenges limiting plant productivity, particularly in arid and semi–arid climates. Soil salinity affects about 800 million hectares of arable lands worldwide. Therefore, there is a need to exploit the

How do spaghetti-like bacteria regulate their size?

How do spaghetti-like bacteria regulate their size. Atlas of Science

Why is your thumb longer than your pinky? Answering this question and, more in general, to understand how tissues/organs regulate their size and proportions, requires to understand how individual cells control their size. Bacteria are probably the

Counting choline: why this nutrient is important and how we can measure it

Simplified schematic of our new colorimetric method for measuring choline and phosphocholine

Choline is an important nutrient for the growth and sustenance of living things, from humans to bacteria. Cells covert choline into phosphocholine via the activity of the enzyme choline kinase, and a change of other enzyme mediated

A drug resistance gene mediates stringent response in bacteria

Model for physiological roles of M. smegmatis Arr

Mycobacteria represent an important group of bacteria. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), infects about a third of the world population, of which 5% to 15% develop active disease. Furthermore, a rapid emergence of multidrug

Apple cider vinegar can help clear bacteria and yeast infections; a natural cure

The effect of apple cider vinegar on white blood cell clearance of microbes.

Antibiotic resistance poses a major health issue worldwide. There has never been a greater need for new anti-microbials which are natural, active on multiple organisms and ideally beneficial to the patient. Bacteria such as E-Coli, Staphylococcus aureus

Novel biophysical assay reveals that bacterial cell wall maintaining proteins change interaction conformation based on activity

Bacterial infections are increasingly difficult to treat with antibiotics due to antibiotic resistance. Knowledge on how of bacteria multiply needs to be profoundly expanded as a requirement for the development of new methods for the discovery of

Heavy metal resistant–plant growth promoting bacteria as an alternative strategy for decreasing accumulation of metals in plant tissues

In the present era, pollution of water, soil and air with heavy metals is increasing rapidly. Industrialization and technological advancement have caused serious damage to the ecosystem by releasing large quantities of heavy metals (i.e., cadmium, chromium,

How to turn bacterial metabolism into a deadly antibacterial weapon

The development of bacterial infections on and around biomedical materials, ranging from hip implants to wound dressings, is a large and growing problem. Biomaterial-associated infections are challenging to treat because bacteria tend to form colonies, called biofilms,

Bacteria with a split personality outsmart the immune system

Bacteria, whether beneficial or harmful, must adapt to changes in their environment in order to survive.  This is especially true for bacteria that reside within the human respiratory tract.  The bacterium nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, or NTHI, asymptomatically

Can the chloroplast division machinery be evolutionarily dated back to bacteria?

The chloroplast, known to have originated around a billion years ago, is now one of the most recognizable characteristics of the plant cell. After the engulfment of the ancient cyanobacterium by the eukaryotic host cell, the former

Bacterial melanin in dark-colored sponges: Ecological significance and biomedical applications

Sponges are second dominant to corals in terms of biomass in many coral reef ecosystems. They play a significant role in maintaining the health of reef ecosystems through processing of waste generated in the system by continuous

Transcription modulation in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (X. citri) is a Gram-negative bacterium and the etiological agent of citrus canker, a severe disease that affects all the commercially important citrus varieties with worldwide distribution. The best method to control the

Many solutions to the same problem – cellular response to environmental challenges

When in contact with a hot object, our immediate response is to withdraw our hand. This instinctive reaction is an example of how external environment shapes our actions. In a similar fashion, bacteria are constantly monitoring and

The distressful life of FtsZ-deprived bacteria

Failure to assemble a division septum occurs in Escherichia coli cells when their supply of FtsZ is blocked. FtsZ, ancestor of eukaryotic Tubulin, is the main component of the divisome, the molecular machinery that drives septation in