Researchers from McMaster University in Canada have engineered “smart” surface coatings that can repel almost everything, including bacteria, viruses, and living cells. A new feature of this technology is the possibility of modifying the coating to permit beneficial exceptions. These surfaces create the promise of safer implants and more accurate diagnostic tests.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham discovered an unsettling link between a major mechanism of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and triclosan, a disinfectant commonly found in household cleaning products.
The study of algae, more recently called Phycology, has always intrigued human curiosity. The Ancient Egyptians used algae for cosmetic alchemy and we have discovered a host of uses for this versatile photosynthetic organism since the 19th century.
A group of US researchers proposed a cutting edge alternative for eliminating resilient bacteria in the form of a “CRISPR pill”. The drug can specifically target harmful bugs using a combination of bacteria-seeking viruses and a cocktail of probiotics, making it more potent than most antibiotics.
It is a popular belief that MRSA is the most resistant bug around. But is it really? According to the Guinness Book of Records the honor of the most defiant bacteria belongs to the little-known Deinococcus radiodurans, a microbe so tough the scientific community dubbed it “Conan the Bacterium”.
Microbes have been present on planet Earth longer than us, humans, and they become our life companions from the moment we are born. They are building, protecting and feeding our bodies.
The combination of drug misuse, reductions in antimicrobial research by the pharmaceutical industry, and the rapid evolution capabilities of microorganisms has resulted in pathogenic bacteria with stronger and stronger drug resistance. This is an issue that some fear if not handled correctly, could lead to the evolution of a “superbug” that is resistant to everything in our arsenal.
Extraction of DNA before its amplification is an essential step for the measurement of any DNA target. It releases the DNA and removes substances inhibitory to PCR that are initially present in the matrix.
At the last year’s annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience scientists presented a very interesting research topic about our gut microbiome. They have revealed that in some way gut bacteria influence the way how the brain work. An important question arose from the mental health pont-of-view: Can we treat mental and neurological diseases by tinkering with our gut microbiome?