Infectious Diseases
Programmable swarmbots make flexible biological tools
Biomedical engineers have developed a new platform to create biological drugs using specially engineered bacteria that burst and release useful proteins when they sense that their capsule is becoming too crowded.
Read moreGenomic migration analysis shows antibiotic resistance moving from humans to animals
New results show that human-acquired antibiotic resistance genes are being transmitted to livestock, companion animals and wildlife. Researchers analyzed a global set of 901 genome sequences of the bacteria Streptococcus agalactiae (aka group B Strep) from nine different host species — humans, cows, dogs, fish, frogs, gray seals, dolphins, goats and a camel — to better understand the transmission process. Streptococcus agalactiae can cause life-threatening illnesses.
Read moreMore than Lyme: Tick study finds multiple agents of tick-borne diseases
Scientists reported on the prevalence of multiple agents capable of causing human disease that are present in three species of ticks in Long Island.
Read moreGenetically engineered plasmid can be used to fight antimicrobial resistance
Researchers have engineered a plasmid to remove an antibiotic resistance gene from the Enterococcus faecalis bacterium, an accomplishment that could lead to new methods for combating antibiotic resistance.
Read moreAnemia may contribute to the spread of dengue fever
Mosquitoes are more likely to acquire the dengue virus when they feed on blood with low levels of iron, researchers report. Supplementing people's diets with iron in places where both iron deficiency anemia and dengue fever are a problem could potentially limit transmission of the disease, but there are risks.
Read moreStarting HIV treatment in ERs may be key to ending HIV spread worldwide
Researchers say they have evidence that hospital emergency departments (EDs) worldwide may be key strategic settings for curbing the spread of HIV infections in hard-to-reach populations if the EDs jump-start treatment and case management as well as diagnosis of the disease.
Read moreSweet success of parasite survival could also be its downfall
Scientists have discovered how a parasite responsible for spreading a serious tropical disease protects itself from starvation once inside its human host. The findings provide a new understanding of the metabolism of the Leishmania parasite and this new knowledge could potentially be used in its eradication.
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