bacterial infection

Antibiotics based on a new principle may defeat MRSA
12/18/2012 - 11:24

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have presented a new principle for fighting bacterial infections, in other words, a new type of antibiotic, in the FASEB Journal. The new antibiotic mechanism is based on selectively blocking the thioredoxin system in the cells, which is crucial to the growth of certain bacteria. Scientists hope to be able to treat such conditions as stomach ulcers, TB and MRSA.

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Cheap, simple bacteria test could spare newborns deadly infections
11/01/2012 - 13:31

For babies, the trip from the womb to the outside world is a transition from a blank, sterile slate to host for what will eventually be trillions of microscopic organisms. Unfortunately, the demographics of a burgeoning microbial community can easily tip in favor of dangerous bacteria.

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Bacterial Infections: New Laboratory Method Uses Mass Spectrometry to Rapidly Detect Staph Infections
01/12/2012 - 10:23

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a new laboratory test that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections. This new test takes advantage of unique isotopic labeling combined with specific bacteriophage amplification to rapidly identify Staphylococcus aureus.

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Scientists defuse the Vietnam time bomb
11/12/2011 - 07:43

A key mechanism by which a bacterial pathogen causes the deadly tropical disease melioidosis has been discovered by an international team, including a University of Exeter scientist. The findings are published in the journal Science and show how a toxin produced by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei kills cells by preventing protein synthesis.

 

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Scientists develop new technologies for understanding bacterial infections
08/30/2011 - 08:05

Understanding how bacteria infect cells is crucial to preventing countless human diseases. In a recent breakthrough, scientists from the University of Bristol have discovered a new approach for studying molecules within their natural environment, opening the door to understanding the complexity of how bacteria infect people.

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Researchers discover origin of the Black Death
08/30/2011 - 05:51

The bacteria responsible for causing the 1348 Black Death, identified as one of the most cataclysmic events in human history, has been identified by a McMaster researcher.

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