Tag Archives: bacteria
Can eradication of a bacterium in the stomach increase the platelet count in patients with chronic ITP?
Platelets are blood cells that play a major role in causing blood clots to form and preventing excessive bleeding so their reduction or dysfunction can result in bleeding and even death. These cells are made in the
Why identify microscopic photosynthetic bacteria called Cyanobacteria?
Cyanobacteria, the small, harmless bacteria, are invisible to the naked eye. Cyanobacteria photosynthesize like all plants do and thus produce the oxygen we breath. In nature they can be found almost everywhere from the open ocean, to
Gene wiring keeps bacteria cooperating
A bacterial cell can cooperate with its neighbours by producing molecules that allow them to grow better. These molecules may for example be enzymes that break down complex nutrients into digestible components. Because making these enzymes is
Two kinds of novel osmoregulation pathways in Escherichia coli
To cope with severe environmental changes, cell is equipped with various stress response pathways. Osmotic upshift (hyperosmotic shock) triggers water efflux from bacterial cell, and the resulting cell shrinkage is sensed by osmosensors embedded in the cytoplasmic
Potassium in dental plaque, an old story with a new perspective
Dental plaque or biofilm is home to caries causing bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans. Interestingly, the fluid in the biofilm is like an aqueous reservoir of material shared between different species. Although the fluid content is derived
Flares and pirouettes: the different moves of spinning bacteria
Bacteria often form together on surfaces in dense communities, known as biofilms. These cause medical and industrial problems because this lifestyle increases their resistance to disease and other stresses, making them difficult to remove. We aim to
Ex-vivo percutaneous absorption of enrofloxacin
Enrofloxacin is an antibiotic from the fluoroquinolone family used to cure several infections. This antibiotic inhibits DNA replication required for bacterial growth. It is against a wide range of bacteria, including those resistant to other antibiotics. Enrofloxacin
Essential role of a conserved nitrogen phosphotransferase system in rhizobium-legume symbiosis
The overuse of chemical nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture has caused serious environmental issues around the world. Legume crops play important roles in sustainable agriculture and are characterized by their ability of forming nitrogen-fixing nodules, in which rhizobia
Consuming a probiotic once a day could improve cognitive skills
Probiotics, which are friendly and beneficial bacteria to our bodies, could improve cognitive skills, i.e the ability to learn, memorise, process information or react to events, as demonstrated by researchers at the APC Microbiome Institute, University College
Rapid and extremely reliable detection extended-spectrum ß-lactamases-producing Enterobacteriaceae
Resistance to antibiotics is becoming a worldwide issue mostly related to resistance observed in gram negative bacterial species such as in Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae) that are the most important source of hospital – and
Colorectal anastomotic leakage: an ongoing mystery
Whenever people are diagnosed with an intestinal disease such as Crohn, Colitis or colorectal cancer, they might need to undergo surgery to remove the affected part of the intestine. During such surgery, the remaining parts of the
Life on sulfur. Why we need complete genomes
The ability of bacteria to grow on inorganic compounds like sulfur was discovered by Russian microbiologist Sergey Winogradskij in 1888. First, he studied a sulfur bacterium of the Beggiatoaceae family to demonstrate that it can produce energy
Food and Nutrition cause liver and brain diseases with diabetes in the developing and developed world
In the world the consumption of a healthy diet is essential to prevent diseases such as obesity, diabetes and brain diseases. New discoveries in medicine indicate that a diet that is low in fat and carbohydrate lower
The autonomous glycosylation of Giant, but sweet, viruses
The most of proteins carry sugars on them, which significantly modify their properties such as biological activity, solubility and resistance to protein-degrading enzymes. The sugars on proteins drive several fundamental biological mechanisms, such as hormones response, immune
Exploitation of bacteria for solar energy harvesting
The amount of solar light hitting the surface of the earth in one hour is enough to meet the energy requirements of the whole earth for one year, the challenge is to design a system to convert
Genes regulating Wolbachia cell division
Bacterial infection underlies many devastating diseases, yet bacteria also play a central role in the maintenance of human health and well-being. From aiding in host food digestion and limiting unfavorable bacterial growth to causing paralysis or even
Sequence of the plant beneficial biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens DSM 8569
Pseudomonas represents an abundant bacterial group that can live in the soil. In this habitat many organisms like fungi, bacteria, plants or insects live together, often intensively interacting in close communities. The composition of these communities is
The antibacterials that have yet to be found
Science has contributed greatly to prolong the lifespan and health conditions of humans. However, close to the coming of age of the XXI Century, humankind is confronting the global war against infectious diseases. Leaving aside other microorganisms-associated
Plasmid-mediated carbapenem and colistin resistance in E. coli – toward a dead end
The increasing trend in antibiotic resistance continues to threaten global health. Presently, multidrug resistance (MDR) in gram-negative rods is frequently observed not only with the occurrence of extended-spectrum ß – lactamase but also with producers of enzymes
