Microbiology Now - June 2011 Archives

What makes a plant a plant? (6/30/2011)

Although scientists have been able to sequence the genomes of many organisms, they still lack a context for associating the proteins encoded in genes with specific biological processes. To better understand the genetics underlying plant physiology and ecology -- especially in regard to photosynthesis -- a team of researchers including Carnegie's Arthur Grossman identified a list of proteins encoded in the genomes of plants and green algae, but not in the genomes of organisms that don't generate energy through photosynthesis. ...> Full Article

Chemist developing materials to detect, repel E. coli (6/29/2011)

A University of Houston chemist who is developing materials for detecting and repelling E. coli has published papers in two high-impact journals this month. Prolific in inventing new and smart materials such as these, Rigoberto Advincula has compiled an impressive record as a leading polymer, thin films and nanomaterials researcher, earning him "triple fellow" status with the American Chemical Society. ...> Full Article

Study reveals important aspects of signaling across cell membranes in plants (6/28/2011)

Every living plant cell and animal cell is surrounded by a membrane that helps it communicate with other cells and the outside world. These cellular membranes contain receptor molecules that serve as the cell's eyes and ears. ...> Full Article

New cell type offers immunology hope (6/27/2011)

A team of Australian scientists has discovered a new type of cell in the immune system. ...> Full Article

Using living cells as an 'invisibility cloak' (6/26/2011)

The quest for better ways of encapsulating medicine so that it can reach diseased parts of the body has led scientists to harness -- for the first time -- living human cells to produce natural capsules with channels for releasing drugs and diagnostic agents. The report appears in ACS' journal Nano Letters. ...> Full Article

Two isolates from E. coli outbreak available (6/25/2011)

Two isolates from the e.coli outbreak that has sickened more than 2,000 people have been sequenced. Both strains, TY-2482 and LB226692, have been annotated and are now available from Virginia Bioinformatics Institute's Pathosystems Resource Integration Center patricbrc.org). ...> Full Article

Size matters -- in virulent fungal spores -- and suggests ways to stop a killer (6/24/2011)

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have found that larger fungal spores can be more lethal. Their findings about two different spore sizes of the fungus Mucor circinelloides, a pathogen that kills half or more of its victims, could help to develop new treatments and fight other types of fungal infections. Mucor infection is in the news as an environmental fungus contracted by people who had trauma in the wake of tornadoes in Joplin, Mo. ...> Full Article

Fighting massive declines in frog populations with bacteria and fungicides (6/24/2011)

A microscopic chytrid fungus is causing massive declines in frog populations all over the world and even the extinction of certain species. Together with colleagues from Europe and the US, researchers from the University of Zurich present methods as to how the chytrid fungus can be combated in the journal Frontiers in Zoology: namely with bacteria and fungicides. However, the possibility of vaccinating the frogs is also being considered. ...> Full Article

Team sheds new light on how blood clots form (6/24/2011)

Scripps Research Institute scientists have discovered new elements of the blood clot-formation process. The findings could lead to better drugs for preventing heart attacks and other clot-related conditions. ...> Full Article

How cells' sensing hairs are made (6/23/2011)

New research from UC Davis provides insights into how sensory hairs, or cilia, on the surface of cells are assembled. ...> Full Article

The sweet growth of plant cells (6/23/2011)

An international collaboration team unravels the fundamental role that carbohydrates play in the root hairs of Arabidopsis thaliana and shows how cell growth is modulated in this species. ...> Full Article

Scientists develop a fatty 'kryptonite' to defeat multidrug-resistant 'Super bugs' (6/22/2011)

"Super bugs," which can cause wide-spread disease and may be resistant to most, if not all, conventional antibiotics, still have their weaknesses. A team of Canadian scientists discovered that specific mixtures of antimicrobial agents presented in lipid (fatty) mixtures can significantly boost the effectiveness of those agents to kill the resistant bacteria. This discovery was published online in the FASEB Journal. ...> Full Article

Researchers develop biological circuit components, new microscope technique for measuring them (6/22/2011)

Electrical engineers have long been toying with the idea of designing biological molecules that can be directly integrated into electronic circuits. University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed a way to form these structures so they can operate in open-air environments, and, more important, have developed a new microscope technique that can measure the electrical properties of these and similar devices. ...> Full Article

Not just another brick in the (plant cell) wall (6/21/2011)

In a new study revealing key steps for controlling plant growth, Australian researchers have shown how the assembly of components of the plant cell wall regulates growth of root hairs. Root hairs are important structures that allow plants to absorb essential nutrients and water from the soil. The research will assist in contributing to the sustainability of Australia's plant -based industries such as, agriculture, horticulture and forestry. ...> Full Article

Historic first images of rod photoreceptors in the living human eye (6/21/2011)

Scientists today reported that the tiny light-sensing cells known as rods have been clearly and directly imaged in the living eye for the first time. Using adaptive optics, scientists can see through the murky distortion of the outer eye, revealing the eye's cellular structure with unprecedented detail. This innovation, described in two papers in the Optical Society's open access journal Biomedical Optics Express, will help doctors diagnose degenerative eye disorders sooner. ...> Full Article

Lyme disease bacteria take cover in lymph nodes (6/20/2011)

The bacteria that cause Lyme disease appear to hide out in the lymph nodes, triggering a significant immune response, but one that is not strong enough to rout the infection, report researchers at UC Davis. ...> Full Article

Finnish twin study yields new information on how fat cells cope with obesity (6/20/2011)

The mechanisms by which obesity leads towards metabolic comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus, are poorly understood and of great public health interest. A study led by Matej Ore?ič from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland suggests that adaptation of fat cell membranes to obesity may play a key role in the early stages of inflammatory disorders. ...> Full Article

An alternative to antibiotics (6/19/2011)

Antibiotics are among the greatest achievements of medical science. But lately the former multi-purpose weapon fails in the battle against infectious diseases. Bacteria are increasingly developing resistance to antibiotics. Researchers have now found a therapeutic equivalent which could replace penicillin and related pharmaceuticals. ...> Full Article

Researchers identify caffeine-consuming bacterium (6/18/2011)

As it turns out, humans aren't the only organisms that turn to caffeine for a pick-me-up. University of Iowa scientists have identified four different bacteria that actually can live on caffeine. ...> Full Article

Scientists identify how major biological sensor in the body works (6/17/2011)

A type of biological sensor known as the "gating ring" can open a channel that allows a flow of potassium ions through the cell's wall. This flow of ions is involved in the regulation of crucial bodily activities. But the biophysical functioning of the gating ring sensor has not been clearly understood. Now, UCLA researchers have uncovered for the first time the sensor's molecular mechanism, shedding new light on the complexity of cells' control systems. ...> Full Article

Researchers link cell division and oxygen levels (6/17/2011)

Cells grow abundant when oxygen is available, and generally stop when it is scarce. Although this seems straightforward, no direct link ever has been established between the cellular machinery that senses oxygen and that which controls cell division. Now, in the June 10 issue of Molecular Cell, researchers at Johns Hopkins report that the MCM proteins, which promote cell division, also directly control the oxygen-sensing HIF-1 protein. ...> Full Article

How muscle develops: A dance of cellular skeletons (6/16/2011)

Revealing another part of the story of muscle development, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown how the cytoskeleton from one muscle cell builds finger-like projections that invade into another muscle cell's territory, eventually forcing the cells to combine. ...> Full Article

Scientists use super microscope to pinpoint body?s immunity 'switch' (6/15/2011)

Using the only microscope of its kind in Australia, medical scientists have been able for the first time to see the inner workings of T-cells, the front-line troops that alert our immune system to go on the defensive against germs and other invaders in our bloodstream. The discovery overturns prevailing understanding, identifying the exact molecular "switch" that spurs T-cells into action -- a breakthrough that could lead to treatments for a range of conditions from autoimmune diseases to cancer. ...> Full Article

Genome of the deadly E. coli in Germany and reveals new super-toxic strain (6/14/2011)

The recent outbreak of an E. coli infection from cucumbers in Germany raises serious concerns about the potential appearance of a new deadly bacteria strain. The University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf and BGI-Shenzhen began working together immediately to sequence the bacterium and assess its human health risk. Within three days BGI-Shenzhen completed the sequence and carried out a preliminary analysis that shows the current infection is caused by an entirely new super-toxic E. coli strain. ...> Full Article

Microscopic worms could help open up travel into deep space (6/13/2011)

A space flight by millions of microscopic worms could help us overcome the numerous threats posed to human health by space travel. The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have also given experts an insight into how to block muscle degradation in the sick and elderly. ...> Full Article

First wood-digesting enzyme found in bacteria could boost biofuel production (6/13/2011)

Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council-led Integrated Biorefining Research and Technology Club have identified an enzyme in bacteria which could be used to make biofuel production more efficient. The research is published in the June 14 issue of the American Chemical Society journal Biochemistry. ...> Full Article

Exploring the deep biosphere (6/12/2011)

Over the last two decades, scientific drilling into sediments and rocks in the ocean and on continents has revealed the presence of physiologically and phylogenetically complex microbial life in the deep subsurface. Microorganisms, most of which have no cultured or known relatives in the surface biosphere, have been discovered in sediments and rock at depths as great as 1 km below the seafloor and more than 3 km below the surface of the continental land. ...> Full Article

Bacterial protein caught in the act of secreting sticky appendages (6/11/2011)

New atomic-level "snapshots" reveal details of how bacteria such as E. coli produce and secrete sticky appendages called pili, which help the microbes attach to and infect human cells. These crystal structures unravel a complex choreography of protein-protein interactions that will aid in the design of new antibacterial drugs. ...> Full Article

New bitter blocker discovered (6/11/2011)

Bitter taste often causes rejection that can interfere with food selection, nutrition and therapeutic compliance. This is especially true for children. Now, scientists from the Monell Center and Integral Molecular describe the discovery of a compound that inhibits bitterness by acting directly on a subset of bitter taste receptors. ...> Full Article

Researchers uncover mechanism in saliva production (6/10/2011)

University of Louisville researchers are one step closer to helping millions of people whose salivary glands no longer work because of disease or damage from treatment of diseases. ...> Full Article

Algal turf scrubbers clean water with sunlight (6/10/2011)

By pulsing contaminated water over screens on which algae are allowed to grow, algal turf scrubbers can use sunlight to purify agricultural runoff while yielding byproducts that can be used as fertilizer, biofuel, or higher-value commodities such as nutraceuticals. Hectare-scale demonstration projects are in operation. ...> Full Article

New antibiotics a step closer with discovery of bacterial protein structure (6/9/2011)

Scientists have uncovered the structure of the protein complex that assembles the tiny hair-like strands that cover the outside of bacteria. Called pili, these "hairs" allow bacteria to group together and stick to human cells to cause infection -- and are therefore a key target for a new generation of antibiotics. ...> Full Article

Research scientists find way to block stress-related cell death (6/9/2011)

Scientists from the Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute have uncovered a potentially important new therapeutic target that could prevent stress-related cell death, a characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, as well as heart attack and stroke. ...> Full Article

Bacterial roundabouts determine cell shape (6/8/2011)

Max Planck scientists decipher important mechanisms of bacterial cell wall synthesis. ...> Full Article

Cells do talk to one another, but the question remains how (6/8/2011)

Systems biology and tissue engineering experts are using liver mimic to study inter-cellular communication. ...> Full Article

Green and lean: Secreting bacteria eliminate cost barriers for renewable biofuel production (6/7/2011)

A Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University research team has developed a process that removes a key obstacle to producing low-cost, renewable biofuels from bacteria. The team has reprogrammed photosynthetic microbes to secrete high-energy fats, making byproduct recovery and conversion to biofuels easier and potentially more commercially viable. ...> Full Article

Small change makes a big difference for ion channels (6/7/2011)

Using a high-resolution single-molecule study technique, University of Illinois researchers have seen the very subtle differences between two branches of an important family of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels. In cation-selective channels, basic amino acid residues lining the channel seem to be tucked into the protein structure and remain neutral rather than positively charged. ...> Full Article

'Policing' stops cheaters from dominating groups of cooperative bacteria (6/6/2011)

For cooperation to persist in the often violently competitive realm of bacteria, cheaters must be kept in line. Two Indiana University Bloomington biologists have learned that in one bacterium, at least, bacterial cooperators can evolve to "police" the cheaters and arrest their bids for dominance. ...> Full Article

Improving health assessments with a single cell (6/5/2011)

There's a wealth of health information hiding in the human immune system. Accessing it, however, can be very challenging, as the many and complex roles that the immune system plays can mask the critical information that is relevant to addressing specific health issues. Now, research led by scientists from the California Institute of Technology has shown that a new generation of microchips developed by the team can quickly and inexpensively assess immune function. ...> Full Article

The role of bacteria in weather events (6/4/2011)

Researchers have discovered a high concentration of bacteria in the center of hailstones, suggesting that airborne microorganisms may be responsible for that and other weather events. They report their findings today at the 111th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans. ...> Full Article

Innate immune system proteins attack bacteria by triggering bacterial suicide mechanisms (6/3/2011)

A group of proteins that act as the body's built-in line of defense against invading bacteria use a molecular trick to induce bacteria to destroy themselves, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have determined. The research could point the way toward new anti-bacterial treatments that could take on bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. ...> Full Article

Study of stem cell diseases advanced by new technique (6/2/2011)

A rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, caused by the rapid shortening of telomeres (protective caps on the ends of chromosomes), can be mimicked through the study of undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, according to new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine. ...> Full Article

Liquid crystal droplets discovered to be exquisitely sensitive to an important bacterial lipid (6/1/2011)

A discovery reported from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that micrometer-sized droplets of liquid crystal, which have been found to change their ordering and optical appearance in response to the presence of very low concentrations of a particular bacterial lipid, might find new uses in a range of biological contexts. ...> Full Article

Intestinal cell defense mechanism against bacteria (6/1/2011)

An international team of researchers, led by Prof. Ivan Dikic from the Goethe University in Frankfurt has now found out how body cells recognize salmonella and render it harmless. Understanding this process at a molecular level is crucial in identifying new targets for treatment. Tropical and sub-tropical countries in particular, where various sub-species of salmonella are common, are experiencing a rapid increase in resistance to antibiotics, with children at greatest risk. ...> Full Article