MicrobeWorld News

Marine bacteria might help fight cancer

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-08T19:35:48Z

U.S. scientists say they've found a marine compound that inhibits cancer cell growth in lab tests and that might lead to new anti-cancer drugs. University of Florida College of Pharmacy researchers said the patented compound, called largazole, is derived

West Nile's Targets Uncovered

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-08T13:46:17Z

Screening the entire human genome, a team headed by Yale University scientists have identified several hundred genes that impact West Nile virus infection. The findings reported Wednesday online in the journal Nature may give scientists valuable new clues

Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-08T13:44:34Z

People with Crohn's disease (CD) are seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research prio

Scientists a step closer to producing fuel from bacteria

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-08T13:43:40Z

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have shown how bacteria could be used as a future fuel. The research, published in the journal Bioinformatics, could have significant implications for the environment and the way we produce sustainable fuels in th

Pathogen that Causes Disease in Cattle Also Associated with Crohn's Disease

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-08T11:25:57Z

People with Crohn’s disease (CD) are seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne’s disease.

Looking back to the future: historical microbiology available online

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-07T15:49:02Z

All good journeys must begin somewhere and scientific ones are no exception. Research into microbes, from disease-causing bacteria to cloud-forming plankton, is progressing at an ever increasing rate. To understand where science is heading, we sometimes n

Social Lives of Bacteria May Yield Benefits for Humans

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-07T14:48:45Z

There's strength in numbers. The best defense is a good offense. And it's okay if a few die as long as most survive. People in the Middle Ages knew this, which is why they built castles, invented the crossbow and raised professional armies. But the social

Modest Gains Against Ever-Present Bioterrorism Threat

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-07T14:43:01Z

In the past seven years, the federal government has spent more than $57 billion to shore up the nation's bioterrorism defenses, stockpiling drugs, ringing more than 30 American cities in a network of detectors and boosting preparedness at hospitals.

Fungal Disease Culprits Identified With Molecular Genetics

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-07T14:19:18Z

A new method that rapidly detects the "genetic fingerprints" of fungi responsible for millions of dollars in losses in western wheat has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Pullman, Wash.

Multi-tasking Maggots In Superbug Showdown

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-07T14:18:42Z

Scientists at Swansea University (Wales, UK) have discovered a new type of antibiotic in maggot secretions that can tackle up to 12 different strains of MRSA, as well as E. coli and C. difficile. The research was funded by leading charity Action Medical R

How Bacteria Attach To Human Tissues During Infection Process: New Clues

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-07T14:16:39Z

Scientists at the University of York have helped to reveal more about the way bacteria can attach to human tissues. The study could help in the development of new treatments for serious heart conditions such as infective endocarditis.

Documents: Ivins had custody of purified anthrax

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-06T19:27:39Z

Army scientist Bruce Ivins had sole custody of highly purified anthrax spores with "certain genetic mutations identical" to the poison that killed five people and rattled the nation in 2001, according to documents unsealed Wednesday in the government's in

Removing H. pylori bacteria cuts risk of stomach cancer

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-06T14:22:58Z

Removing the bacteria long known to cause stomach ulcers in stomach cancer patients may slash the risk of the cancer coming back, say Japanese researchers. Almost all stomach cancers not related to the heart develop from H. pylori a bacteria that infects

A Finding, Perhaps, but Not of Mars Life

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-06T14:10:51Z

After a weekend of rumors that the White House had been informed of a major discovery bearing on the possibility of life on Mars, NASA held a hasty telephone news conference on Tuesday to announce the tentative identification of a class of minerals that h

Floss Your Teeth - On the Double!

MicrobeWorld — 2008-08-06T14:00:26Z

In dental offices all over the world, patients are often told they are not flossing enough or instructed to floss more. As the old saying goes, you only need to floss the teeth you want to keep. After all, not flossing regularly can lead to tooth decay an