MicrobeWorld

Vincent Racaniello accepts the Peter Wildy Prize for Microbiology Education, awarded annually by the Society for General Microbiology for an outstanding contribution to microbiology education. Filmed at the Dublin Convention Centre in Dublin, Ireland. Read More

Modernization in developing countries may be accompanied by a transition from epidemic infectious diseases to chronic and degenerative illnesses as predominant causes of morbidity and mortality. The hygiene hypothesis posits that reduced exposure to infectious agents in childhood as a result of ... Read More

Introduction and uses of culture media for growing pathogenic bacteria and fungi
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On the issue of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and animals, the first thing that comes to mind is livestock and other farm-based animals that are regularly fed antibiotics as growth promoters, but they are not the only source of resistance. Participants discuss studies showing that non-farm anim... Read More

The human microbiome consists of thousands of viral and microbial species which inhabit the human body and have co-evolved with us to protect against pathogens, regulate organ function and supply nutrients and other factors essential for health. When these members fall out of balance, it can le... Read More

Clostridium difficile infection is an important cause of intestinal disease, primarily affecting hospitalized patients exposed to antibiotics. Infection has been associated with prolonged hospital stays and excess healthcare expenditures.Recent changes in epidemiology of this disease show a rise... Read More

High school students and their teachers participate in a simple activity to demonstrate the interaction between the var antigens malaria parasites display and the patient's immune system. Read More

Leaking septic systems or manure from adjacent rural properties are the two most common sources of fecal contamination of a well. The University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute is funding a new research project to refine a methodology to determine the source of well water contamination.
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Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL's) are enzymes that enable bacteria to resist multiple antibiotics. In the past few years ESBL-producing enteric bacteria (such as E. coli) have become an increasingly common cause of community acquired infections worldwide. The source of these organisms i... Read More

This animation starts with the explanation of bacterial cell wall synthesis, the process targeted by ß-Lactams.
Structurally, most bacteria consist of a cell membrane surrounded by a cell wall and, for some bacteria, an additional outer layer. Internal to the cell membrane is the cytoplasm whi... Read More

A number of variables can cause signficant changes in the human microbiome early in life including birth method and antibiotic exposure. Understanding these shifts is important because new research suggests that shifts in the microbiome of infants could make them more prone to gain weight as adu... Read More

Traditionally, colonization of a host has been described in terms of a microbial community that does not affect the host, but recent research (such as the Human Microbiome Project) suggests that colonizing microbes are having an effect not only on the host, but on each other. Participants discu... Read More

In as little as 100 generations, yeast selected to settle more quickly through a test tube evolved into multicellular, snowflake-like clusters, according to a paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Over the course of the experiment, the clusters evolved to be larger,... Read More

The health of humans, animals, and the environment are inextricably interconnected. Disruption of the environment often creates new niches for the evolution of infectious diseases, and provides opportunities for the transmission of pathogens to animals or humans. The majority of infectious disea... Read More

The NIH Human Microbiome Project has been a 5-year endeavor to produce community resources to support the field of human microbiome research. Although the HMP has already produced hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, in the past week 2 major HMP Consortium papers as well as 20+ companion pap... Read More

Julian Davies, University of British Columbia, discusses the future of antibiotics in his Society for General Microbiology Prize Medal Lecture at the Society for General Microbiology 2012 Spring Conference in Dublin, Ireland. Read More

Explore Research at the University of Florida: Keith Schneider, an Associate Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida, explains what made him want to become a scientist originally, and what he enjoys about his career and research now. Read More

Speaker: David Chang (momofuku)

November 14, 2011 Read More

The Judges' Choice for The Scientist magazine's 2011 Labby Multimedia Awards is this cute video on how microbes are essential for snow formation.








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This video examines just how critical microbes are to life on Earth with their role in nitrogen fixation -- providing the essential elements that we need to survive. Read More