MicrobeWorld

An ocean of clean energy pours from the sky. We could forget about nonrenewable climate-altering sources, like gas, oil and coal, if we could fill the tank or power our homes with a sunbeam. Current solar technologies aren't quite up to that task. Conventional solar panels are inefficient; elec... Read More

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center may have a new way to stop and even prevent the urinary tract infections (UTIs) that plague more than a third of all adults, some of them repeatedly.

The researchers have discovered how cells within the bladder are able to sense the presence of E.... Read More

The newest revolution in microbiology testing walks on four legs and says "baa."

It's the hair sheep, a less-hirsute version of the familiar woolly barnyard resident. A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, which is to be published July 3 in PLoS ONE, finds that not only ... Read More

A cellular molecule that not only can sense two common respiratory viruses but also can direct cells to mount a defence has been identified by microbiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Centre at San Antonio.

The finding, published online yesterday by the journal Nature Immunol... Read More

The Q Microbe, found in the soil near a Massachusetts reservoir, can produce unprecedented amounts of ethanol in a single step. Supported by a company devoted to its process and improvement, it could lead the way to commercial production of cellulosic ethanol and the achievement of renewable fue... Read More

Viruses and bacteria often act as parasites, infecting a host, reproducing at its expense and causing disease and death. But not always - sometimes, their infections are positively beneficial and on rare occasions, they can actually defend their hosts from parasitism rather than playing the role... Read More

Wash your hands. That’s a common mantra — and a worthy one — as the H1N1 flu continues to spread around the globe.

But all the hand-washing in the world may not be a match for the germs and viruses lurking on household surfaces.

“There is a big appreciation for influenza that you can get ... Read More

The BBC reports the World Health Organization has said healthy patients who catch swine flu do not need to be treated with Tamiflu.
Antiviral drugs should be used in patients who are severely ill or those in high-risk groups including the under fives and pregnant women, it said.

Click source... Read More

AeroClave LLC of Orlando, FL has developed a portable chamber that sprays vaporized hydrogen peroxide at just the right concentration and humidity to kill all bacteria present. The catch - the AeroClave is designed to clean ambulances and other health vehicles, half of which test positive for MR... Read More

For the first time, scientists have used a genetically engineered "friendly" bacterium to deliver a therapy.

The treatment is for bowel disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, which affects one in 400 people in the UK and for which there is no cure. The bacterium Bacteroides ovatus acti... Read More

By studying the intricate mechanisms at work in protein production, a Princeton-led team has discovered why certain kinds of antibiotics are so effective. In doing so, they also have discovered how one protein protects against cell death, shedding light on a natural cancer-fighting process.

I... Read More

Genome-sequencing pioneer Craig Venter and his team have devised a way of smuggling an "alien" genome into unwitting bacterial cells. The new technique takes the scientists one step closer to their goal of creating novel microorganisms with entirely synthetic genomes.
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So Craig Venter, the guy who helped map the human genome in the 1990s, has created a completely novel life form by smuggling and alien genome into an unsuspecting bacterium. Read More

New federal guidelines released today recommend actions that non-healthcare employers should take now to decrease the spread of seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu in the workplace and to help maintain business continuity during the 2009–2010 flu season. Read More

Google Knol is a website similar in idea to wikipedia in which it encourages experts to "share what they know and a write a knol." What's a knol? Well it's a unit of knowledge, of course! (Disclaimer: I had to look it up myself).

What's interesting is that the Public Library of Science is now... Read More

Here's one for backyard grill-meisters and food safety experts:

Recently the American Chemical Society, as part of its semiannual meeting, staged a chemistry-themed barbecue reception on August 17 for reporters and other guests. (Great idea for getting press coverage, BTW)

"Cooking is as ... Read More

In a sign of heightened concern that the upcoming flu season could be severe, top national and local health officials warned Wednesday that employers should brace for worker absences and cautioned the public that as many as three shots this season may be needed to protect against the H1N1 strain... Read More

In this article in the Huffington Post, Dr. Larry Dossey revisits the link between exposure to the microbes in dirt and self-reported happiness. Bacteria commonly found in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, have proved to stimulate the same areas of the brain as common antidepressants, such as Prozac. Read More

Scientists have used a new vaccine production technology to develop a vaccine for norovirus, a dreaded cause of diarrhea and vomiting that may be the second most common viral infection in the United States after the flu. Sometimes called the "cruise ship virus," this microbe can spread like wild... Read More

Engineers at Ohio State University have found a way to double the production of the biofuel butanol, which might someday replace gasoline in automobiles.

The process improves on the conventional method for brewing butanol in a bacterial fermentation tank.

Normally, bacteria could only prod... Read More