Evolving alongside other bacteria keeps hospital bug potent
Bacteria that evolve in natural environments — rather than laboratory tests — may become resistant to phage treatments without losing their virulence, new research shows.
Read moreBacteria
Even the fetus has gut bacteria
A study in humans and mice demonstrated that a fetus has its own microbiome, or communities of bacteria living in the gut, which are known to play important roles in the immune system and metabolism. Researchers also confirmed that the fetal microbiome is transmitted from the mother.
Read moreA marine pathogenic bacterium forms specialized cells for dissemination
Vibrio parahaemolyticus can be found in the tidal zones in estuarine areas. The marine bacterium causes acute gastroenteritis in humans and is the leading cause for seafood borne illnesses in the world. Researchers have now identified specialized "adventurer" cells that ensure the bacterium's dissemination and prevalence. Their new findings are an important basis for the future management of the disease.
Read moreBacterial lifestyle alters the evolution of antibiotic resistance
How bacteria live – whether as independent cells or in a communal biofilm – determines the course of their evolution, with implications for drug-resistant infections.
Read moreTreating Gulf War Illness with FDA-approved antiviral drugs
A recent study has shown that adjusting GI tract viruses by repurposing existing FDA-approved antiviral drugs offers a route for effective treatment for Gulf War Illness and its myriad of symptoms.
Read moreSingle mutation dramatically changes structure and function of bacteria's transporter proteins
Swapping a single amino acid in a simple bacterial protein changes its structure and function, revealing the effects of complex gene evolution, finds a new study. The study — conducted using E. coli bacteria — can help researchers to better understand the evolution of transporter proteins and their role in drug resistance.
Read moreA 'shocking' new way to treat infections
New research introduces a revolutionary treatment for these infections. The group is utilizing electrochemical therapy (ECT) to enhance the ability of antibiotics to eradicate the microbes.
Read moreTransient and long-term disruption of gut microbes after antibiotics
Antibiotic treatment is known to disrupt the community structure of intestinal microbes — the 500 to 1,000 bacterial species that have a mainly beneficial influence in humans. A study now has tracked this disruption at the level of a strain of microbes replacing another strain of the same species in 30 individuals — all of them young, healthy adults who would be expected to have stable microbial communities.
Read moreResistance to last resort drug arose in patient over 3 weeks
French investigators have described development of resistance to one of the last resort therapies used to treat extremely drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. That resistance arose in a single patient over a scant 22 days. They subsequently identified the single nucleotide mutation in P. aeruginosa that caused the resistance.
Read moreDNA-reeling bacteria yield new insight on how superbugs acquire drug-resistance
A study has revealed a protein's role in helping bacteria 'reel in' DNA from their environment to acquire new traits, such as antibiotic resistance.
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