Biology News Net - Microbiology

Virus mimics human protein to hijack cell division machinery

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:32:24 -0500

Viruses are masters of deception, duping their host's cells into helping them grow and spread. A new study has found that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can mimic a common regulatory protein to hijack normal cell growth machinery, disrupting a cell's primary anti-cancer mechanism.

Bread mold may hold secret to eliminating disease-causing genes

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:32:19 -0500

When most people discover mold on their bread, they immediately throw it out. Others see a world of possibilities in the tiny fungus. A University of Missouri scientist, along with a collaborative research team, has examined a new mechanism in the reproductive cycle of a certain species of mold. This mechanism protects the organism from genetic abnormalities by “silencing” unmatched genes during meiosis (sexual reproduction). The finding could have implications for higher organisms and may lead to precise “targeting” of unwanted genes, such as those from the HIV virus.

New discovery on role of vital protein that fights meningitis

Tue, 06 May 2008 18:30:56 -0500

A University of Leicester researcher has discovered how a protein in the blood – linked to defence against meningitis - plays a more vital role than previously understood in the body’s immune defence system.

New agent strikes at respiratory syncytial virus replication

Tue, 06 May 2008 11:30:56 -0500

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have achieved promising results with a potential new weapon against respiratory syncytial virus, the most common cause of infant hospitalization in the United States.

Fungi have a hand in depleted uranium's environmental fate

Mon, 05 May 2008 11:14:30 -0500

Fungi may have an important role to play in the fate of potentially dangerous depleted uranium left in the environment after recent war campaigns, according to a new report in the May 6th issue of Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press.

Scientists discover why plague is so lethal

Sun, 04 May 2008 21:48:25 -0500

Bacteria that cause the bubonic plague may be more virulent than their close relatives because of a single genetic mutation, according to research published in the May issue of the journal Microbiology.

Getting wise to the influenza virus' tricks

Sun, 04 May 2008 21:48:25 -0500

Influenza is currently a grave concern for governments and health organisations around the world. The worry is the potential for highly virulent bird flu strains, such as H5N1, to develop the ability to infect humans easily. New drugs and vaccines to halt the spread of the virus are badly needed. Now one of the tactics used by influenza virus to take over the machinery of infected cells has been laid bare by structural biologists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the joint Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interaction of EMBL, the University Joseph Fourier and National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), in Grenoble, France. In the current issue of Nature Structural and Molecular Biology they publish a high-resolution image of a key protein domain whose function is to allow the virus to multiply by hijacking the host cell protein production machinery. The findings open the way for the design of new drugs to combat future influenza pandemics.

The sweet world of soil microbiology

Thu, 01 May 2008 18:13:31 -0500

Using classroom, hands-on activities can help instructors to communicate difficult scientific concepts and stimulate student thinking. Despite its importance, the diversity in soil microbes can conceptually be difficult to teach, especially in natural resource classrooms composed primarily of undergraduates who have had little exposure to microbiology. That's where the candy comes into play.

UIC scientists discover how some bacteria survive antibiotics

Thu, 01 May 2008 17:31:09 -0500

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered how some bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment by turning on resistance mechanisms when exposed to the drugs. The findings, published in the April 24 issue of the journal Molecular Cell, could lead to more effective antibiotics to treat a variety of infections.

Turning on cell-cell communication wipes out staph biofilms

Thu, 01 May 2008 14:31:09 -0500

University of Iowa researchers have succeeded in wiping out established biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus (staph) by hijacking one of the bacteria's own regulatory systems. Although the discovery is not ready for clinical application, the findings offer insight into a dispersal mechanism for staph biofilms and might help identify therapeutic targets.