Viruses and Bacteria

There are many parts of the world in which fresh water may be plentiful, but it's also full of harmful microbes. An experimental new filter is able to purify such water for drinking, and it's powered solely by sunlight.

Scientists have successfully used CRISPR and phages to edit the genome of bacteria in the gut microbiome of live mice for the first time. The breakthrough could help manipulate the ratio between different species to treat a range of health problems.

Antibiotics were one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, but bacteria are developing resistance to them. Now researchers have shown that ultrashort pulses of laser light can kill bacteria and viruses, without harming human cells.

Along with its present use in biofuels and fertilizer, algae could potentially be utilized in applications ranging from bioprinted tissue to honeybee feed. That's why a new system is important, as it continuously checks that algae crops are healthy.

A study has cataloged thousands of distinct viral species living in the human gut. The majority are unknown to science and researchers suggest the novel interactions between bacteria and viruses in our microbiome could inform future disease treatments.

Bacteria have a nasty ability to rapidly evolve, allowing them to evade antibiotics in short order. But now, scientists at UC San Diego have used evolution against them, by “training” bacteria-killing viruses to anticipate their next moves.

We've been hearing a lot lately about how every person hosts their own unique population of viruses and bacteria, known as their microbiome. Well, according to a new international study, the same thing is true of cities.

Bacteria have developed crafty weapons in their ongoing wars, such as tailocins, which act somewhat like “homing missiles” against their enemies. Now, researchers have investigated just how tailocins work, and how we might use them to our advantage.

While most microbiome scientists focus on gut bacteria, a new school of research is starting to look at how the communities of fungus in our bodies can influence our metabolic health. A new study suggests fungal diversity may play a role in weight gain.

The FDA has approved a third COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the United States. Unlike the first two vaccines approved for use, this one is proven effective after only a single dose, and it can be safely distributed in standard refrigerator temperatures.

Bacteria are fast evolving resistance to antibiotics, meaning our best drugs could soon stop working entirely. Now researchers have found a way to bypass drug resistance in these so-called superbugs – by distracting them with predatory viruses.

A first-of-its-kind study has found a link between COVID-19 severity and the gut microbiome. The research suggests specific microbial patterns correlate with disease severity and those bacterial imbalances may account for some cases of “long COVID”.