MicrobeWorld

Researchers studying the role of mutation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the development of biofilms claim the process is similar to "mutation selection that occurs during neoplastic progression and tumor development, and may help to explain why structural and genetic heterogeneity are characteris... Read More

A new paper in PLoS recommends two vaccination strategies to better prevent whooping cough.

"In the absence of adolescent or adult vaccination, pertussis incidence among adults is predicted to more than double in 20 years. Implementing an adult program in addition to childhood and adolescent... Read More

New from the CDC:

It is critical to assure that medical offices and other outpatient facilities (e.g., outpatient/ambulatory clinics, outpatient surgery centers, urgent care centers, physical therapy/rehabilitation offices or clinics) that provide routine, episodic, and/or chronic healthcare ... Read More

Guest blogger for Small Things Considered Peter Setlow, Professor of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT, has an eye-opening post about a recent paper, Read More

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Consider tomorrow’s teleconference (An Update on New Vaccine Recommendations) being held by the American Society for Microbiology and those scheduled over this summer to keep you current about developments in your field and to remain competitive in your industry. The personal knowledge and skil... Read More

A new post on the Bulletin for Atomic Scientists website reviews the U.S. Army's revised regulations for its biomedical labs. The updated requirements intends to clarify vague language in civilian biological agents guidelines. In addition, "the new regulations establish stricter controls on t... Read More

On behalf of the ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting Program Committee and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), we invite you to participate in the 8th ASM Biodefense Research Meeting to be held in Baltimore, MD February 21-24, 2010.

Since October 2001, ASM has focus... Read More

A recent paper published in PLoS One describes a systems biology approach that models how Staphylococcus aureus develops methicillin resistance.

The obtained results by our integrated approach show that the model describes correctly the whole phenomenon of the methicillin resistance and is ab... Read More

Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants, is able to shut down immune cell function in order to promote its own survival, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of ... Read More

A new survey published by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the American Association for the Advancement of Science checks the pulse of how scientists and the public view the field of science. For example:

17% of the public thinks that U.S. scientific achievements rate a... Read More

"Self-assembling and self-organizing systems are the Holy Grails of nanotechnology, but nature has been producing such systems for millions of years. A team of scientists has taken a unique look at how thousands of bacterial membrane proteins are able to assemble into clusters that direct cell m... Read More

New research from PLoS on novel hantavirus genomes in moles challenges the current thinking that rodents are the originating hosts for the disease.

From the abstract:

The discovery of genetically distinct hantaviruses in shrews (Order Soricomorpha, Family Soricidae) from widely separated ... Read More

New research on the prevalence of "sin nombre" hantavirus in deer mice authored by Laurie J. Dizney and Luis A. Ruedas from Portland State University and published in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal suggests a diversity of animal species helps defend against the emergence of patho... Read More

The CDC has released new guidelines for moms concerned abouth whether they should breast feed their children if they have H1N1 or Swine Flu.

"Infants are thought to be at higher risk for severe illness from novel influenza A (H1N1) infection and very little is known about prevention of novel ... Read More

New research published in PLoS Medecine from the NIAID-funded Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology suggests that HIV-1 moves at breathtaking speed in destroying and de-regulating the body's gut-based B-cell antibody-producing system, resulting in a sober reality for hopeful vaccine hunters.

... Read More

This is an interesting documentary about superbugs, such as MRSA, antibiotic resistance and Russia's research into bacteriophage (viruses that attack bacteria) as a treatment for people with bacterial-related diseases. This video was produced in 1997 by the BBC, but despite the air date, ther... Read More

Bioinformatics, the application of computer analysis to molecular biology, is a fundamental corollary to biodefense research. As we face new security threats involving pathogens and infectious disease, bioinformatics databases must be improved and a plan must be made for integrating biodefense r... Read More

Virginia Campbell,MD, host of the Brain Science Podcast, has published a very interesting interview with Dr. Paul Offit, author of the book Autism’s False Prophets. In the interview, Campbell and Offit explore "the scientific evidence that vaccines DO NOT cause autism, but also examine why the c... Read More

While this instructional video is good, the narrator's "dracula" accent is downright silly. Click source to learn how to successfully streak a plate and to watch out for common problems associated with the technique. Read More