Structural link for initiation of protein synthesis in bacteria
Within a cell, DNA carries the genetic code for building proteins. To build proteins, the cell makes a copy of DNA, called mRNA. Then, another molecule called a ribosome reads…
Bacteria ditch tags to dodge antibiotics
Bacteria modify their ribosomes when exposed to widely used antibiotics, according to research published today in Nature Communications. The subtle changes might be enough to alter the binding site of…
Bacteria breakthrough could accelerate mosquito control schemes
Mosquito larvae grow faster if they’re exposed to particular bacteria, according to a new study that could help global health programmes. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes spread illnesses including dengue, yellow fever…
‘Ice bucket challenge’ reveals that bacteria can anticipate the seasons
Bacteria use their internal 24-hour clocks to anticipate the arrival of new seasons, according to research carried out with the assistance of an ‘ice bucket challenge.’ This discovery may have…
Therapy to kill hypervirulent bacteria developed
University of Central Florida College of Medicine researcher Renee Fleeman is on a mission to kill drug-resistant bacteria, and her latest study has identified a therapy that can penetrate the…
New class of antimicrobials discovered in soil bacteria
Researchers have discovered toxic protein particles, shaped like umbrellas, that soil bacteria known as Streptomyces secrete to squelch competitors, especially others of their own species. The discovery of the umbrella…
Gut bacteria make neurotransmitters to shape the newborn immune system
Weill Cornell Medicine investigators discovered that unique bacteria colonize the gut shortly after birth and make the neurotransmitter serotonin to educate gut immune cells. This prevents allergic reactions to food…
Bacteria load their syringes | ScienceDaily
Many bacterial pathogens use small injection apparatuses to manipulate the cells of their hosts, such as humans, so that they can spread throughout the body. To do this, they need…
Polymers that can kill bacteria
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a rapidly growing threat to public health. Each year, they account for more than 2.8 million infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and…
How bacteria recognize viral invasion and activate immune defenses
There’s no organism on earth that lives free of threat — including bacteria. Predatory viruses known as phages are among their most dire foes, infiltrating their cells to replicate and…