Bacteria
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After confounding scientists for more than 80 years, researchers have finally discovered how the flesh-eating Buruli ulcer is transmitted: mosquitoes. The discovery means practical measures can now be taken to restrict the spread of the disease.
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Bacteria often go dormant to avoid being wiped out by antibiotics, which makes treatment difficult. Now scientists have discovered a virus that can attack these sleeping bugs, clearing out infections effectively when paired with drugs.
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Current evidence suggests many organisms will struggle to keep pace with a changing climate. However, unlucky for us, some pathogens may thrive – including, as this new study suggests, the bugs that cause the common diarrhea illness campylobacteriosis.
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The "microbiome" is the population of microbes found in every organism. Scientists have now genetically altered that population in rice plants, making them more resistant to harmful bacteria. The technology could reduce the need for pesticides.
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Researchers have developed a ‘smart tweezer’ that can pluck a specific bacterial strain from a microbiome of trillions and sequence its genome better than current methods allow. The tool could lead to breakthroughs in disease diagnosis and treatment.
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Scientists have developed a synthetic pathway that can capture CO2 from the air more efficiently than in nature, and shown how to implement it into living bacteria. The technique could help make biofuels and other products in a sustainable way.
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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are poised to become a global health concern. In the race to develop new weapons, scientists have created a new family of antibacterial polymers that can kill 'superbugs' in a way they can't evolve resistance to.
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The human body's microbe makeup is increasingly linked to the onset of many diseases, with a lot of the focus on the gut. A new study, however, has found that changes in the bug populations in not just the gut but in salivary and urinary microbiomes are linked to kidney stones forming.
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In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that sharing a childhood home with a kitty can more than double the risk of later developing schizophrenia-like disorders. However, in what may surprise some, it's not entirely the cat's fault.
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A new study has found that compared to regular-strength beer, low- and non-alcoholic beers may be a breeding ground for food-borne pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella, which can be introduced during manufacturing, storage, or pouring.
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It was just this August that we heard about a super-slippery 3D-printed toilet bowl, which bacteria slide right off of. Well, if you want that same sort of functionality in your existing toilet, a special coating may do the trick.
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Hospitals are meant to heal people, but patients often pick up superbugs during their stay. Scientists have now developed long-lasting antimicrobial coatings for textiles that could allow hospital curtains to quickly kill viruses and bacteria.
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