http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/bacteria/ Learn all about bacteria. From the latest research on bacterial infections to using bacteria as biofuel, read all the science news here. Photos. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/bacteria/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123357.htm According to a new study, smoking causes the body to turn against its own helpful bacteria, leaving smokers more vulnerable to disease. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214170902.htm Antibiotics that doctors typically prescribe for sinus infections do not reduce symptoms any better than an inactive placebo, according to investigators. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:09:09 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214170902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133704.htm One of the frustrations for scientists working on HIV/AIDS treatments has been the human immunodeficiency virus' ability to evade the body's immune system. Now a researcher has discovered a compound that could help put the immune system back in the hunt. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133354.htm One undergraduate student will depart university with not only a degree but also a possible patent for his invention of an efficient way to create protein libraries, an important component of biomolecular research. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172816.htm Scientists have discovered the workings behind some of the bacteria that kill hundreds of thousands every year, possibly paving the way for new antibiotics that could treat infections more effectively. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101607.htm Scientists have discovered the molecular mechanism of a G protein family. G proteins play a central role in cellular signal processing. They are described as molecular switches that oscillate between 'on' and 'off', regulated by effectors. Biochemists have now gained fundamental insights into the mechanics of these switches. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132549.htm A new study has shown, for the first time, that growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132309.htm It's been more than 50 years since James Watson and Francis Crick showed that DNA is a double helix of two strands that complement each other. But how does a short piece of DNA find its match, out of the millions of 'letters' in even a small genome? New work shows how it's done. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202628.htm Stripping some mouth bacteria of their access key to gangs of other pathogenic oral bacteria could help prevent gum disease and tooth loss. The study suggests that this bacterial access key could be a drug target for people who are at high risk of developing gum disease. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202164821.htm Scientists have advanced a method that allowed them to single out a marine microorganism and map its genome even though the organism made up less than 10 percent of a water sample teeming with many millions of individuals from dozens of identifiable groups of microbes. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202164821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151256.htm Salmonella remains a serious cause of food poisoning, in part due to its ability to thrive and quickly adapt to the different environments in which it can grow. New research has taken a detailed look at what Salmonella does when it enters a new environment, which could provide clues to finding new ways of reducing transmission through the food chain and preventing human illness. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202150734.htm A new study demonstrates that plasma can be an effective method for killing pathogens on uncooked poultry. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:07:07 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202150734.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201135318.htm Studying self-replicating genetic units, called plasmids, found in one of the world's widest-ranging pathogenic soil bacteria -- the crown-gall-disease-causing microorganism Agrobacterium tumefaciens -- biologists are showing how freeloading, mutant derivatives of these plasmids benefit while the virulent, disease-causing plasmids do the heavy-lifting of initiating infection in plant hosts. The research confirms that the ability of bacteria to cause disease comes at a significant cost that is only counterbalanced by the benefits they experience from infected host organisms. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201135318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131205919.htm Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131205919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131121851.htm Could some cases of asthma actually be caused by an allergic reaction to a common environmental bacteria? New research findings suggests that this idea may not be as far-fetched as it seems. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131121851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131102521.htm Scientists have shed new light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to treatment with antibiotics. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131102521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172617.htm The use of probiotic bacteria, isolated from naturally occurring bacterial communities, is gaining in popularity in the aquaculture industry as the preferred, environmentally friendly management alternative to the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials for disease prevention. Known to the public for their use in yogurt and other foods to improve human digestion and health, probiotic bacteria isolated from other sources can also be used to improve survival, nutrition and disease prevention in larvae grown in shellfish hatcheries. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151054.htm The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage – a key factor in climate change – and new research shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127135940.htm Biologists have made an important advance in our understanding of the way cholera attacks the body. The discovery could help scientists target treatments for the globally significant intestinal disease which kills more than 100,000 people every year. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127135940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224526.htm Researchers have demonstrated how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126131511.htm Discoveries made in some underwater caves by researchers in the Bahamas could provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth millions of years ago, and perhaps give hints of what types of marine life could be found on distant planets and moons. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126131511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126123712.htm Researchers have discovered that certain photosynthetic ocean bacteria need to beware of viruses bearing gifts. These viruses are really con artists carrying genetic material taken from their previous bacterial hosts that tricks the new host into using its own machinery to activate the genes, a process never before documented in any virus-bacteria relationship. The con occurs when a grifter virus injects its DNA into a bacterium living in a phosphorus-starved region of the ocean. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126123712.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125172319.htm Tumor-targeted bioluminescent bacteria have been shown for the first time to provide accurate 3-D images of tumors in mice, further advancing the potential for targeted cancer drug delivery. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125172319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124092737.htm For the first time, scientists have obtained a high-resolution, full 3-D image of a small but vital molecule locked up within our cells: the vitamin D receptor. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124092737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163131.htm Scientists have garnered new insights into how probiotic bacteria provide positive health benefits. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115536.htm Land and marine iguanas and giant tortoises living close to human settlements or tourist sites in the Galapagos islands were more likely to harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria than those living in more remote or protected sites on the islands, researchers report. Many of the reptiles harbor E. coli bacteria that are resistant to ampicillin, doxycycline, tetracycline, and trimethoprin/sulfamethoxazole. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115520.htm New research explains how bacterial biofilms expand to form slimy mats on teeth, pipes, surgical instruments, and crops. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094447.htm Researchers have been able to elucidate a regulatory mechanism conserved throughout evolution which forces the largely unexplored enzyme family of Fic proteins into an inactive resting state. The researchers could demonstrate that through the alteration of one single amino acid this inhibition of enzyme activity can be relieved. Their findings will enable to investigate the physiological role of the potentially lethal function of Fic proteins in bacteria and higher organisms in the future. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:44:44 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094447.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122102915.htm A diet supplemented with a specific probiotic bacterial strain increases the lifespan of mice. The mammalian gut is home to hundreds of bacterial species that contribute to food digestion and, in some cases, inflammatory gut diseases. Probiotics, beneficial bacterial species, can enhance gut health by keeping the resident bacteria in check. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122102915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120182427.htm Retail pork products in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified, according to new research. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120182427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119143338.htm The bottom of a glacier is not the most hospitable place on Earth, but at least two types of bacteria happily live there, according to researchers. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119143338.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119143330.htm Researchers have discovered that manganese, an element commonly found in nature, might provide a way to neutralize the potentially lethal effects Shiga toxin. New results could pave the way for future research aimed at creating an inexpensive treatment for infections caused by bacteria that produce the Shiga toxin. Currently there is no treatment for such infections that afflict more than 150 million people each year, resulting in more than one million deaths worldwide. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119143330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118112005.htm A natural substance obtained from seeds of the "miracle tree" could purify and clarify water inexpensively and sustainably in the developing world, where more than 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, scientists report. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118112005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111708.htm A new study demonstrates how introducing certain polymers—like those found in human mucus and saliva—into an aquatic environment makes it significantly more difficult for ulcer-causing bacteria and other microorganisms to coordinate. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117191421.htm Microbiologists have identified a new bacterial growth process -- one that occurs at a single end or pole of the cell instead of uniform, dispersed growth along the long axis of the cell -- that could have implications in the development of new antibacterial strategies. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117191421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112193440.htm New research suggests the types and levels of intestinal bacteria may be used to predict a person's likelihood of having a heart attack, and manipulating these organisms may help reduce risk. This discovery may lead to new tests and therapies that physicians use to prevent and treat heart attacks. In addition, this research suggests probiotics may be able to protect the heart in patients undergoing heart surgery and angioplasty. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112193440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112111949.htm Researchers have developed a new laboratory test that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections. The test uses mass spectrometry to quantify the number of Staphylococcus aureus organisms in a large number of samples in just a few hours. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112111949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111103851.htm A short burst of low voltage alternating current can effectively eradicate E. coli bacteria growing on the surface of even heavily contaminated beef, according to a new study. The technique offers an inexpensive and easy to implement approach to reducing the risk of food poisoning, which can occur despite handlers complying with hygiene standards. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111103851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109212211.htm When scientists reported that bacterial blooms had consumed almost all the deepwater methane plumes after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill, some were skeptical. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109212211.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109155725.htm Researchers have developed a new way to identify the genes of harmful microbes, particularly those that have been difficult to study in the laboratory. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109155725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105145844.htm The knowledge that bacteria possess adaptable immune systems that protect them from individual viruses and other foreign invaders is relatively new to science, and researchers across the globe are working to learn how these systems function and to apply that knowledge in industry and medicine. Now, a team of researchers has discovered how to harness this bacterial immune system to selectively target and silence genes. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105145844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115106.htm Scientists are reporting identification of two substances in licorice -- used extensively in Chinese traditional medicine -- that kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease, the leading causes of tooth loss in children and adults. In a new study, they say that these substances could have a role in treating and preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115106.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115057.htm Researchers have developed a new technology that can reduce air pollutant emissions from some chicken and swine barns, and also reduce their energy use by recovering and possibly generating heat. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229091845.htm The microbes on your skin determine how attractive you are to mosquitoes, which may have important implications for malaria transmission and prevention, according to a new study. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229091845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227142623.htm Nevada, the "Silver State," is well-known for mining precious metals. But some scientists do a different type of mining. They sluice through every water body they can find, looking for new forms of microbial magnetism. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227142623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222195017.htm A new analysis indicates the shift of soil bacteria Azospirillum may have occurred only 400 million years ago, rather than approximately two billion years earlier as originally thought. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222195017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222142452.htm Researchers have developed computer assisted design-type tools for engineering RNA components to control genetic expression in microbes. This holds enormous potential for microbial-based production of advanced biofuels, biodegradable plastics, therapeutic drugs and a host of other goods now derived from petrochemicals. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222142452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221091920.htm Researchers have isolated biofilms that are indigenous to the oilsands environment and are highly tolerant to the stress associated with toxins and metals found in tailings water. Those consortia of biofilms are able to, slowly, detoxify the water. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221091920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133940.htm Bacteria are able to build camouflaged homes for themselves inside healthy cells. A team that revealed how a pair of proteins from the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which causes Legionnaires disease, alters a host protein in order to divert raw materials within the cell for use in building and disguising a large structure that houses the bacteria as it replicates. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219152514.htm A 125-year debate on how nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to breach the cell walls of legumes has been settled. Scientists now report that plants themselves allow bacteria in. The fact that legumes themselves call the shots is a great finding but it also shows the complexity of the challenge to try to transfer the process to non-legumes. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219152514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219102228.htm In an example of life imitating art, biologists and bioengineers have created a living neon sign composed of millions of bacterial cells that periodically fluoresce in unison like blinking light bulbs. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219102228.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219101830.htm They come out in the spring, and each year they spread further – the ticks. Thirty percent of them transmit borrelia pathogens, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis that can damage joints and organs. The disease often goes undetected. In the future, a new type of gel is intended to prevent an infection – if applied after a tick bite. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219101830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218150258.htm The link between malaria and Salmonella infections has been explained for the first time, opening the way to more effective treatments. Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218150258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215141613.htm Research expected to help scientists to discover new ways of genetically engineering bacteria to manufacture biofuels overturns a generally accepted 44-year-old assumption about how certain kinds of bacteria make energy and synthesize cell materials. With this better understanding of how cyanobacteria make energy, it might be possible to genetically engineer a cyanobacterial strain to synthesize 1,3-butanediol -- an organic compound that is the precursor for making not only biofuels but also plastics. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215141613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215135929.htm A team of scientists from Oregon has collected microbes from ice within a lava tube in the Cascade Mountains and found that they thrive in cold, Mars-like conditions. They have characteristics that would make the microbes capable of living in the subsurface of Mars and other planetary bodies. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215135929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215095239.htm Researchers have found in an animal model of acute lung injury a molecular mechanism that allows cells of the immune system to reduce tissue damage from inflammation. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215095239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214094648.htm Scientists have analyzed fresh orange juice squeezed by machines in catering establishments. They have confirmed that 43% of samples exceeded the acceptable enterobacteriaceae levels laid down by legislation. The researchers recommend that oranges are handled correctly, that juicers are washed properly and that the orange juice is served immediately rather than being stored in metal jugs. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214094648.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213114721.htm Experiments to determine the effect of low-dose X-ray irradiation on asparagus found that the treatment significantly reduced aerobic bacteria and mold/yeast populations and helped to maintain sugar (glucose and fructose) levels. Researchers said that irradiation also temporarily increased Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. The study results showed that X-ray treatment can enhance consumer safety and extend shelf life by decreasing the number of viable microorganisms on fresh-cut asparagus. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213114721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212220954.htm Scientists have discovered a new signal that helps invading bacteria communicate but also helps targeted rice plants coordinate defensive attacks on the disease-causing invaders, a finding that could lead to new methods of combating infection not just in plants, but in humans. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:09:09 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212220954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209123216.htm Scientists have developed an efficient, cost-effective liquid solution that fights antibiotic-resistant bacteria on hospital surfaces and keeps patients safe from life-threatening infections. It's easy to prepare, easy to apply, non-toxic -- and it will cost just a few dollars per quart. Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209123216.htm