antibiotics

An ingenious social behavior that mobilizes yeast cells to cooperate in protecting each other from stress, antibiotics and other dangers is driven by the activity of a single gene, scientists report in the journal Cell.

The cooperating cells use the same gene, dubbed FLO1, as a marker for detecting "cheaters:" cells that try to profit from the group's protection without investing in the group's welfare.

A teaspoon of dirt contains an estimated 10,000 species of bacteria, but it's only one percent of these microbial bugs -- the ones that can be grown easily in a lab -- that have brought us antibiotics, anticancer agents and other useful drugs.

Giving women antibiotics to delay premature labour increases the risk of developmental problems for their baby, according to a University of Leicester study in The Lancet.

Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain.

(Emory University) The selective gene-silencing technique called RNA interference holds promise for medicine if it can be adapted to work in humans.

Certain antibiotic compounds called fluoroquinolones enhance the effectiveness of RNA interference in cells and could reduce potential side effects.

Bacteria that cause pneumonic plague can evade our first-line defenses, making it difficult for the body to fight infection.

In fact, a signature of the plague is the lack of an inflammatory response. Now, scientists have discovered a way to protect against death following infection with plague bacteria, by using molecules that can mimic the pathogens.

A small molecule that locks an essential enzyme in an inactive form could one day form the basis of a new class of unbeatable, species-specific drugs, including antibiotics.

PBGS, an enzyme used by nearly all cellular life, is a morpheein -- a molecule that spontaneously "shape-shifts," -- turning from an active octamer (eight part) protein to a hexamer (six part).

Morphlock stabilizes the hexamer, thereby turning off the enzyme.

While consumers are increasing demand for pork produced without antibiotics, more of the pigs raised in such conditions carry bacteria and parasites associated with food-borne illnesses, according to a new study.

A comparison of swine raised in antibiotic-free and conventional pork production settings revealed that pigs raised outdoors without antibiotics had higher rates of three food-borne pathogens than did pigs on conventional farms.

(Society for General Microbiology) Big pharma gave up on soil bacteria as a source of antibiotics too soon, according to research published in the June issue of Microbiology.

Scientists have been mining microbial genomes for new natural products that may have applications in the treatment of MRSA and cancer and have made some exciting discoveries.

(University of Illinois at Chicago) Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered how some bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment by turning on resistance mechanisms when exposed to the drugs.

The findings could lead to more effective antibiotics to treat a variety of infections.