Bacteria

Evaporation is one of the most enduring methods of purifying water to make it drinkable. Now researchers in China have developed a novel device made of wood that can do just that, by employing bacteria to help build key nanostructures.

MRSA is a common and quite dangerous hospital infection that’s resistant to many drugs. Now researchers have developed a new treatment path that targets not the bacteria itself, but the toxins they produce. Tests on mice have proved promising so far.

A study from scientists at the University of California, Davis, has found unpasteurized milk, commonly known as raw milk, holds large volumes of antimicrobial-resistant genes which can swiftly spawn dangerous bacteria when left at room temperature.

Bacteria build protective communities called biofilms that make it tough to get antibiotics in, leading to further health problems. But now, researchers have found a new weakness in biofilms that could be exploited.

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany are developing a way to harness electricity generated by a bacteria, a concept that may one day see smartphones running on electricity supplied by microscopic cyborgs.

Some bacteria inject toxins into host cells using a syringe-like appendage. Past research has found we could hijack that as a new drug delivery system, and now Max Planck scientists have developed a way to control the mechanism using light.

A study is offering new evidence of a link between ALS and the gut microbiome. One researcher described the discovery as “remarkable”, finding genetically identical mice displayed different health outcomes determined by their gut microbiome.

Life continually outdoes expectations. A new study from MIT has found that E. coli and yeast can survive in an atmosphere made up of 100 percent hydrogen – and that could have fascinating implications for life on other planets.

The cell wall of bacteria helps keep toxins such as antibiotics out. Now, researchers have discovered a key mechanism that bacteria use to build their cell walls, which could present a new target in the ongoing quest to develop new drugs.

Bacteria are a looming threat to public health, as they continue to develop resistance to antibiotics. Now a new study has identified a peptide that can make existing antibiotics more effective at a much lower dose.

Graphene, the highly useful material consisting of a one-atom-thick sheet of linked carbon atoms, has already been shown to keep steel from rusting. Soon, though, it could also be used to stop bacteria from corroding metal pipes.

With psilocybin on the cusp of becoming a clinically validated and approved medicine, scientists are exploring new ways to produce the chemical. Now a team has presented a novel method of producing the psychedelic chemical using common yeast.