bacteria

For some time now, it's been known that the application of electricity can help heal wounds. The experimental new ePatch bandage takes that approach, plus it boosts the healing process by killing bacteria.Developed by at Los Angeles' Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, the ePatch incorporates electrodes made of silver nanowires mixed into a seaweed-derived hydrogel known as alginate. The latter is already used in surgical dressings, as it's biocompatible and it maintains optimal moisture levels.By chemically…

A new study has found that bacteria change their swimming pattern while moving through tight spaces. The researchers, from the University of Hawaii in the US, said the sudden change in the behaviour of bacteria has come as a surprise. They found that the bacteria made a beeline, and swam in a straight line, to escape from the confinement as opposed to open spaces. In open spaces, they appeared to meander with no noticeable pattern, changing their direction arbitrarily and at random points in time. Bacteria live…

Scientists have created new artificial microbes by combining two very different organisms into one functioning entity. The hybrid of a yeast and a bacterium adds evidence to a long-standing hypothesis on how advanced life may have evolved.Inside the cells of complex lifeforms are tiny, separate organs called organelles, some of which have their own separate genomes to that of the larger organism. That includes the mitochondria in animals and chloroplasts in plants, both of which generate energy for the organism. A leading…