MicrobeWorld

Pili are hair like appendages that are found on the outer membrane of bacteria. They are important for bacteria to attach to solid surfaces, are used as an apparatus in transfer of DNA from one cell to another, as well as twitching motility, and cell-cell adhesion.
In 2011 a group of scientist ... Read More

Officials in Beijing confirmed today that a 7-year-old girl is infected with H7N9 avian influenza, widening the geographic spread of the virus that's already killed 11 people.

The girl, whose parents sell live poultry, was admitted to the hospital Thursday with pneumonia and is the first case... Read More

A newly discovered rodent virus that resembles hepatitis C could give research chimps a break.

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) is expected to make a decision imminently on how many of its 360 research chimps should be retired on the grounds that most studies can be done in other an... Read More

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a counterintuitive finding that may lead to new ways to clear persistent infection that is the hallmark of such diseases as AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

The study, reported in the April 12, 2013 issue of the journal Science, ... Read More

The cholera strain that transferred to Haiti in 2010 has multiple toxin gene mutations that may account for the severity of disease and is evolving to be more like an 1800s version of cholera, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

The strain, "altered El Tor," which emerged around 2000, ... Read More

Newcastle University scientists have revealed the mechanism that causes a slime to form, making bacteria hard to shift and resistant to antibiotics.
When under threat, some bacteria can shield themselves in a slimy protective layer, known as a biofilm. It is made up of communities of bacteria h... Read More

Circumcision drastically alters the microbiome of the penis, changes that could explain why circumcision offers protection against HIV and other viral infections. In a study to be published on April 16 in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers... Read More

A nanoparticle wrapped in a red blood cell membrane can remove toxins from the body and could be used to fight bacterial infections, according to research published today in Nature Nanotechnology.

The results demonstrate that the nanoparticles could be used to neutralize toxins produced by ma... Read More

Hilary Koprowski, a pioneering virologist who was credited with developing the first successful oral vaccination for polio, died April 11 at his home in Wynnewood, Pa. He was 96. Read More

Beijing confirmed that a 7-year-old girl has H7N9 avian influenza and Henan province reported its first two cases, opening a new front in the spread of the virus in the world’s most populous nation. Shanghai said today two people infected with the strain of bird flu died, taking the country’s de... Read More

I suppose that most microbiologists and the readers of this blog would split the answer down the middle, the biomass of this planet and the chemical transactions therein being about half microbial, half everything else. However, it’s safe to say that most people, many scientists included, are un... Read More

The Embarrassing Bodies team investigate how bacteria spreads.
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A new bird flu virus that has killed 13 people in China is still evolving, making it hard for scientists to predict how dangerous it might become.

Influenza experts say the H7N9 strain is probably still swapping genes with other strains, seeking to select ones that might make it fitter.

If... Read More

Just in time for swimsuit season, federal researchers are touting a faster, more accurate water-quality test to keep beaches open and people healthy.

“Water quality can change significantly in 24 hours. This way we’re identifying threats to human health almost immediately,” said Meredith Neve... Read More

This episode describes how the bane of sausage makers and home canners became the darling of the Hollywood set. The lethal toxin made by our friend Clostridium botulinum was put to good use paralyzing facial muscles and erasing frown lines. This video has an amazing intro sequence. Read More

Scientist from the Division of Infectious Disease at Emory University School of Medicine and The Emory Vaccine Center have shown that Francisella novicia, a close relative to the bacteria that causes Tularemia as well as Neisseria meningitidis the causative agent of meningitis encode specific ge... Read More

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Britt Glaunsinger, and Read More

This episode: Alga adapts to hot, toxic environments by copying prokaryote genes!

Download Episode (3.4 MB, 3.75 minutes)

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A new antibiotic named Epimerox has been developed by scientists at the Rockefellar University and Astex Pharmaceuticals. These scientists have demonstrated that Epimerox effectively killed a wide-range of bacteria including the drug-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA). This antibiotic was develop... Read More

You may notice a green, red or brown film on your favorite boating or swimming area in the summer. This coloring could mean that the water is affected by harmful algal blooms. Harmful algal blooms are an accumulation of tiny organisms known as algae and can release harmful toxins into the enviro... Read More