Antibiotics

Researchers have made progress against citrus greening disease by developing hybrid citrus trees that produce desirable orange-like fruit and resist the disease. Through genetic analysis, they’ve created tools for early flavor profile screening, marking a significant step in ensuring future hybrids combine disease tolerance with the essential sweet orange flavor.Antibiotic-resistant infection is projected to catch up to cancer as the leading cause of death by 2050, making understanding and limiting the spread of…

Researchers have discovered that changes in gut microbiome, specifically a reduction in Clostridia bacteria due to antibiotics and a high-fat diet, can lead to sorbitol intolerance. This intolerance manifests as digestive upset from consuming sorbitol, a common sugar alcohol in various foods and products. They found that regulating gut oxygen levels with certain bacteria or drugs like mesalazine could restore the ability to digest sorbitol, suggesting a new treatment approach for sorbitol intolerance.Gut microbes missing…

An agar plate containing colonies of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, one of the drug-resistant strains the synthetic compound cresomycin has shown to combat. Credit: Myers Research GroupCresomycin, a groundbreaking antibiotic developed by Harvard scientists, targets drug-resistant bacteria with improved binding to ribosomes, offering hope against global antimicrobial resistance.A new antibiotic created by Harvard researchers overcomes antimicrobial resistance mechanisms that have rendered many modern drugs ineffective and…

Do bacteria mutate randomly, or do they mutate for a purpose? Researchers have been puzzling over this conundrum for over a century.In 1943, microbiologist Salvador Luria and physicist turned biologist Max Delbrück invented an experiment to argue that bacteria mutated aimlessly. Using their test, other scientists showed that bacteria could acquire resistance to antibiotics they hadn't encountered before.The Luria–Delbrück experiment has had a significant effect on science. The findings helped Luria and Delbruck win the…

Scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago and Harvard University have developed a new antibiotic, cresomycin, as a potential tool against drug-resistant bacteria. This achievement stems from research into how antibiotics interact with the bacterial ribosome and strategies to overcome bacterial defenses, like ribosome modification. Cresomycin’s effectiveness against multidrug-resistant strains in animal studies signals its promise for human applications, highlighting the crucial role of structural biology in…

A recent study spanning 20 years in the UK and Norway links antibiotic use to the spread of antibiotic-resistant E. coli, showing that the impact varies by antibiotic type and bacterial genetics. The findings underscore the complexity of antibiotic resistance, emphasizing the need for ongoing research to fully understand and combat the spread of superbugs.Researchers have studied the escalation of antibiotic resistance in the UK and Norway over the past two decades, highlighting that the surge in resistance is not solely…

But Cole’s progress was short-lived. Her blood infection returned, and her doctors determined the phage-antibiotic combination was no longer effective. She passed away from pneumonia in March 2022, seven months after phage therapy was stopped. Cole’s case demonstrates both the hope and limitations of phage therapy.The problem this time wasn’t just bacterial evolution. When researchers ran follow-up lab tests on Cole’s blood, they found evidence of antibodies against the phage, meaning her immune system activated in a way…

When B.C. marine scientist Anna Hall encountered a very lost loggerhead turtle in waters near Victoria over the weekend, she knew it faced a grim fate at sea."The turtle would not have survived," said Hall, principal scientist at consulting group Sea View Marine Sciences."Had the turtle stayed in the ocean, either it would have died due to hypothermia, or it would have been hit by a boat. It was just moving so, so slowly."Hall was the first marine biologist to respond Sunday after a resident near Pedder Bay between…

While infected wounds definitely aren't a good thing, neither is the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which may occur due to overuse of the drugs. That's where a new type of cotton bandage comes in, as it kills microbes without resorting to antibiotics.Developed by Mohsen Alishahi and colleagues at Cornell University, the bandage incorporates an organic compound called lawsone (aka hennotannic acid).This substance occurs naturally in henna leaves, and is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and…

A team of researchers has discovered a method to activate a bacterial defense system, known as CBASS, to self-destruct and prevent the spread of viruses among bacteria, potentially offering a new way to manage bacterial infections and combat antibiotic resistance. Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearchers unveil how the self-killing activity of bacteria can be harnessed in the fight against antibiotic resistance.Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial…