https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/genetically_modified/ Genetically modified food, crops and GMO issues. Read current science articles on genetic engineering including mice with glowing hearts, disease-resistant mosquitos, GM bacteria chips and more. en-us Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:27:30 EDT Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:27:30 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/genetically_modified/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228082723.htm Drug-resistant bacteria are becoming harder to treat, pushing scientists to look for new antibiotic targets. Researchers have now discovered that several unrelated viruses disable a key bacterial protein called MurJ, which is essential for building the bacterial cell wall. High-resolution imaging shows these viral proteins lock MurJ into a single position, stopping cell wall construction and leading to bacterial death. Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:20:04 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228082723.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011017.htm Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that constantly “sense” their surroundings to survive and thrive. New research shows that beneficial gut microbes, especially common Clostridia bacteria, can detect a surprisingly wide range of chemical signals produced during digestion, including byproducts of fats, proteins, sugars, and even DNA. These microbes use specialized sensors to move toward valuable nutrients, with lactate and formate standing out as especially important fuel sources. Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:56:24 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011017.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260118064637.htm When scientists sent bacteria-infecting viruses to the International Space Station, the microbes did not behave the same way they do on Earth. In microgravity, infections still occurred, but both viruses and bacteria evolved differently over time. Genetic changes emerged that altered how viruses attach to bacteria and how bacteria defend themselves. The findings could help improve phage therapies against drug-resistant infections. Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:54:24 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260118064637.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260112211455.htm Some antibiotics stop bacteria from growing without actually killing them, allowing infections to return later. Scientists at the University of Basel created a new test that tracks individual bacteria to see which drugs truly eliminate them. When tested on tuberculosis and other serious lung infections, the method revealed big differences in how bacteria tolerate treatment. The findings could lead to more precise therapies and better predictions of treatment success. Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:33:16 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260112211455.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251215084218.htm Scientists are uncovering a surprising way to influence bacteria—not by killing them, but by changing how they communicate. Researchers studying oral bacteria found that disrupting chemical signals used in bacterial “conversations” can shift dental plaque toward healthier, less harmful communities. The discovery could open the door to new treatments that prevent disease by maintaining a balanced microbiome rather than wiping bacteria out entirely. Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:09:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251215084218.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043038.htm Scientists discovered a small protein region that determines whether plants reject or welcome nitrogen-fixing bacteria. By tweaking only two amino acids, they converted a defensive receptor into one that supports symbiosis. Early success in barley hints that cereals may eventually be engineered to fix nitrogen on their own. Such crops could dramatically reduce fertilizer use and emissions. Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:39:24 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043038.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251123115435.htm UC Davis researchers engineered wheat that encourages soil bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable fertilizer. By boosting a natural compound in the plant, the wheat triggers bacteria to form biofilms that enable nitrogen fixation. This breakthrough could cut fertilizer use, reduce pollution, and increase yields. It also offers huge potential savings for farmers worldwide. Mon, 24 Nov 2025 05:00:24 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251123115435.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104094136.htm Researchers have, for the first time, estimated how quickly E. coli bacteria can spread between people — and one strain moves as fast as swine flu. Using genomic data from the UK and Norway, scientists modeled bacterial transmission rates and discovered key differences between strains. Their work offers a new way to monitor and control antibiotic-resistant bacteria in both communities and hospitals. Tue, 04 Nov 2025 23:25:35 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104094136.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104013006.htm A collaboration between Brazilian and German researchers has led to a sunflower-based meat substitute that’s high in protein and minerals. The new ingredient, made from refined sunflower flour, delivers excellent nutritional value and a mild flavor. Tests showed strong texture and healthy fat content, suggesting great potential for use in the growing plant-based food sector. Tue, 04 Nov 2025 07:40:46 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104013006.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251102205009.htm Penn State scientists uncovered an ancient bacterial defense where dormant viral DNA helps bacteria fight new viral threats. The enzyme PinQ flips bacterial genes to create protective proteins that block infection. Understanding this mechanism could lead to breakthroughs in antivirals, antibiotic alternatives, and industrial microbiology. Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:05:12 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251102205009.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250929054907.htm Researchers have revealed how polymyxins, crucial last-resort antibiotics, break down bacterial armor by forcing cells to overproduce and shed it. Astonishingly, the drugs only kill bacteria when they’re active, leaving dormant cells untouched. This discovery could explain recurring infections and inspire strategies to wake bacteria up before treatment. Mon, 29 Sep 2025 05:49:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250929054907.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250816113522.htm Scientists have engineered a groundbreaking cancer treatment that uses bacteria to smuggle viruses directly into tumors, bypassing the immune system and delivering a powerful one-two punch against cancer cells. The bacteria act like Trojan horses, carrying viral payloads to cancer’s core, where the virus can spread and destroy malignant cells. Built-in safety features ensure the virus can’t multiply outside the tumor, offering a promising pathway for safe, targeted therapy. Sun, 17 Aug 2025 10:28:53 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250816113522.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250709091658.htm Climate change is silently sapping the nutrients from our food. A pioneering study finds that rising CO2 and higher temperatures are not only reshaping how crops grow but are also degrading their nutritional value especially in vital leafy greens like kale and spinach. This shift could spell trouble for global health, particularly in communities already facing nutritional stress. Researchers warn that while crops may grow faster, they may also become less nourishing, with fewer minerals, proteins, and antioxidants raising concerns about obesity, weakened immunity, and chronic diseases. Wed, 09 Jul 2025 09:16:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250709091658.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154856.htm Scientists in Australia have developed a smart, bacteria-repelling coating based on resilin the ultra-elastic protein that gives fleas their legendary jumping power. When applied to surfaces like medical implants or surgical tools, the engineered resilin forms nano-droplets that physically disrupt bacterial cells, including antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA, without harming human tissue. In lab tests, the coating was 100% effective at keeping bacteria from sticking and forming biofilms, a key cause of infection after surgery. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:48:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154856.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123818.htm To achieve the European Green Deal's goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic as well as conventional food production. NGTs -- also known as gene editing --- are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:38:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123818.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162551.htm Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process. Thu, 22 May 2025 16:25:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162551.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522125153.htm Researchers uncover a notorious cholera strain that contains sophisticated immune systems to fend off viruses, which potentially helped it to fuel a devastating epidemic across Latin America. Thu, 22 May 2025 12:51:53 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522125153.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521124626.htm New research demonstrates how specially engineered bacteria taken orally can operate as a delivery system for vaccines and antiviral therapies. Wed, 21 May 2025 12:46:26 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521124626.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507125659.htm Bacterial resistance negates the effect of antibiotics in the treatment of infection. Using mouse models, researchers now show that if antibiotics are administered with an enzyme called endolysin, the combined effect protects against infection by resistant bacteria in all bodily organs -- including the brain, which antibiotics alone have difficulty reaching. Wed, 07 May 2025 12:56:59 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250507125659.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250501122047.htm Scientists inserted DNA-encoding methylmercury detoxification enzymes into the genome of an abundant human gut bacterium. The engineered bacterium detoxified methylmercury in the gut of mice and dramatically reduced the amount that reached other tissues, such as the brain and liver. Mice given an oral probiotic containing the engineered microbe and fed a diet high in bluefin tuna had much lower methylmercury levels than expected, suggesting that a probiotic might eventually make it safer for people to consume fish. Researchers performed the tests using pregnant mice and found lower levels of methylmercury in both maternal and fetal tissues, and lower signs of mercury toxicity in the fetal brain. Thu, 01 May 2025 12:20:47 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250501122047.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250430141623.htm A type of virus thought to be a 'mere curiosity' is plentiful in one common bacteria, and possibly others, a research team has found. The discovery improves understanding of how viruses work and could mean this particular virus is also common in other types of bacteria. Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:16:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250430141623.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428221206.htm Scientists built a model that allows them to diminish phage communities from a mouse gut microbiome -- and then bring them back -- without affecting the bacteria. On a test run of their model, researchers found evidence that phages may increase gut bacteria's sensitivity to antibiotics. Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:12:06 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428221206.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135920.htm Mycobacteria are the world's most deadly bacteria --c ausing infectious diseases including tuberculosis (TB), which alone kills more than one million people each year. New drugs to fight these infections are desperately needed, as the number of cases of antibiotic-resistant mycobacteria is on the rise. Scientists have now used advanced imaging techniques to provide a detailed look at how a tiny virus, known as a phage, invades Mycobacteria. Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:59:20 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135920.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135611.htm Starch and oils are known as storehouses of carbon in plants. However, the way in which carbon resources are allocated during metabolism in plants remained unknown. Now, however, using a forward genetics approach, researchers have identified that a gene named LIRI1 regulates this process, significantly increasing oil storage in leaves while reducing starch levels. Their findings provide insights into carbon allocation mechanisms, offering the potential for the development of renewable biofuel resources or low-starch foods. Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:56:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135611.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250415143247.htm Researchers have produced the most detailed image to date of a bacteriophage -- phage for short -- that has allowed them to see for the first time the structural makeup of the part of the phage that directly attaches to its target Mycobacterium cell. Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:32:47 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250415143247.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250410130527.htm Bacteria play key roles in degrading organic matter, both in the soil and in aquatic ecosystems. While most bacteria digest large molecules externally, allowing other community members to share and scavenge, some bacteria selfishly take up entire molecules before digesting them internally. Researchers now document 'selfish polysaccharide uptake' in freshwater ecosystems. Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:05:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250410130527.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250404122448.htm Antibiotic resistance is a global health challenge that could overtake cancer mortality within a few decades. In a new study, researchers show that the emergence of resistance can be understood in the mechanism of how bacteria build up defenses against being infected by viruses. It is about genes in the bacterium that interfere with the attacking virus's ability to multiply. Fri, 04 Apr 2025 12:24:48 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250404122448.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250402122851.htm An AI model trained on large amounts of genetic data can predict whether bacteria will become antibiotic-resistant. The new study shows that antibiotic resistance is more easily transmitted between genetically similar bacteria and mainly occurs in wastewater treatment plants and inside the human body. Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:28:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250402122851.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250321163551.htm Scientists say they have shed new light on how bacteria protect themselves from certain phage invaders -- by seizing genetic material from weakened, dormant phages and using it to 'vaccinate' themselves to elicit an immune response. Fri, 21 Mar 2025 16:35:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250321163551.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250311121511.htm Researchers at Boston University found that microplastics can help bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. When E. coli grew on microplastics, they formed stronger biofilms that blocked antibiotic treatment. This resistance could have severe effects in crowded, low-resource environments like refugee camps, where plastic waste accumulates. Scientists now warn that plastic pollution might be accelerating the rise of drug-resistant infections worldwide. Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:15:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250311121511.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250303141255.htm A synthetic microbiome therapy, tested in mice, holds promise as a new treatment for C. difficile, a notoriously difficult-to-treat bacterial infection, according to a team of researchers. The targeted treatment was as effective as human fecal transplants in mice against C. difficile infection with fewer safety concerns, protect against severe symptoms and decrease recurrent infections. Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:12:55 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250303141255.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250227125102.htm Researchers use a unique barcoding system to track K. pneumoniae bacteria as it moved throughout the body. Thu, 27 Feb 2025 12:51:02 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250227125102.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250226175928.htm The corn earworm causes the loss of more than 76 million bushels of corn in the United States annually, and there is mounting evidence that increasingly extreme weather events and temperatures will exacerbate the damage done to agricultural output by insect pests. Responding to the threat, a team of researchers has demonstrated that genetic lines of corn have inherent compounds that serve as insecticides, protecting them from the larvae that feed on them. Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:59:28 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250226175928.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250225132252.htm Researchers are investigating whether certain viruses known as bacteriophages, or phages, which specifically infect bacteria but not human cells, affect the development of type 1 diabetes in young children. Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:22:52 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250225132252.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250218114017.htm Biologists converted gut bacteria into miniature protein factories that manufacture and release a sustained flow of targeted proteins inside the lower intestines. This technique solves one of the longstanding problems surrounding gastrointestinal drug delivery. Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:40:17 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250218114017.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250204132538.htm In the face of rising concerns about antibiotic resistant infections, an international group of microbial experts have launched a powerful and flexible free online genomic toolkit for more rapid development of phage therapy. After decades of research, phages or bacteriophage viruses that target and kill specific bacteria are seen as the next frontier in finding fast and effective ways to curb the death toll and serious illnesses caused by antibiotic resistant 'superbugs' every year. Tue, 04 Feb 2025 13:25:38 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250204132538.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250203142142.htm Rice cultivation is responsible for around 12% of global methane emissions, and these emissions are expected to increase with global warming and as the human population continues to grow. Now, scientists have identified chemical compounds released by rice roots that determine how much methane the plants emit. They report that this information enabled them to breed a new strain of rice that emits up to 70% less methane. Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:21:42 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250203142142.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250130161701.htm Increased levels of Streptococcus anginosus, a common type of bacteria that usually lives in the mouth and gut, was found in the gut of recent stroke survivors in Japan. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:17:01 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250130161701.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250123193112.htm While climate change is likely to present significant challenges to agriculture in coming decades, it could also mean that crops such as chickpeas, soyabeans and oranges are widely grown across the UK, and home-produced hummus, tofu and marmalade are a common sight on our supermarket shelves by 2080. A new study predicts that future warmer temperatures in this country would be suitable for a variety of produce such as oranges, chickpeas and okra that are traditionally grown in warmer parts of the world. Thu, 23 Jan 2025 19:31:12 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250123193112.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250116134104.htm Researchers have discovered that bacteria can sense threats in advance through a general danger signal. Bacteria detect when nearby cells are dying and proactively form a protective biofilm. Understanding how bacteria communicate and respond to threats is crucial for combating infections. Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:41:04 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250116134104.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250116133311.htm Scientists have made 'exciting,' patient-friendly advances in developing a non-toxic bacterial therapy, BacID, to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly into tumors. This emerging technology holds promise for very safe and more effective treatment of cancers with high mortality rates, including liver, ovarian and metastatic breast cancer. Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:33:11 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250116133311.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250113134437.htm Researchers have described how the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus genetically adapts to humans, including mutations that allow some strains to evade the immune system and become resistant to antibiotics. Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:44:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250113134437.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250101132043.htm Researchers have come up with a new way to identify more infectious variants of viruses or bacteria that start spreading in humans -- including those causing flu, COVID, whooping cough and tuberculosis. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 13:20:43 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250101132043.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241217130812.htm Superbugs, bacteria that are immune to multiple antibiotics, pose a great challenge to modern medicine. Researchers have now identified a weakness in the bacterial machinery that drives antibiotic resistance adaptation. Tue, 17 Dec 2024 13:08:12 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241217130812.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241212150232.htm Researchers are linking human activity to increased gene transfer from soil bacteria to humans. Thu, 12 Dec 2024 15:02:32 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241212150232.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241212145716.htm A study offers evidence that a single bacterial species -- the host of the phage -- can maintain a diverse community of competing phage species. Knowing how more than one kind of virus can survive over time on a single bacterium could help in designing next-generation viral (phage) cocktails to treat bacterial infections. Thu, 12 Dec 2024 14:57:16 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241212145716.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241206162112.htm Researchers have identified the first mouse strain that is susceptible to severe COVID-19 without the need for genetic modification. This development marks a pivotal step forward in infectious disease research, providing an essential tool to develop vaccines and therapeutics for future coronavirus variants and potential pandemics. Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:21:12 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241206162112.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241127135409.htm A fungus discovered in the mouse stomach may hold a key to fungal evolution within the gastrointestinal tract, according to new research. The finding suggests that preclinical studies until now have overlooked a major influencer of mouse physiology. Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:54:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241127135409.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241126134819.htm Engineers and biochemists have brought their skills together to make it possible for untrained users to confirm contamination in fluids using a biogel test that changes color in the presence of such bacteria as E. coli, listeria and other frequent testing targets. Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:48:19 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241126134819.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241125125026.htm With the rapid development of antibiotics in the 1930s, phage therapy -- using viruses known as bacteriophages or phages to tackle bacterial infections -- fell into oblivion. But as the current rise in antibiotic resistance is making it increasingly difficult to treat bacterial infections, phage therapy is once again sparking interest among physicians and scientists -- although it remains complex in practice because of the great diversity and specificity of phages. Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:50:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241125125026.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241125124920.htm It has been a year ago since bacteria from war-wounded at hospitals in Ukraine were analyzed. The study showed that some of the bacteria types had total resistance to antibiotics. Now, the same researchers have examined the infectiousness of the bacteria. 'The bacterium 'Klebsiella pneumoniae', which is resistant to all antibiotics, is also particularly aggressive and dangerous,' says the lead author of the study. Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:49:20 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241125124920.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241118125810.htm People with chronic liver disease have dramatic changes to the types and functions of bacteria in the gut and mouth, a new study has revealed. Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:58:10 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241118125810.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241116195642.htm To stem the surging antibiotic resistance public health crisis, scientists seek solutions inside the mechanics of bacterial infection. A new study has found a vulnerability related to magnesium availability. This limitation potentially could be exploited to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance. Sat, 16 Nov 2024 19:56:42 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241116195642.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241114125601.htm Scientists have developed a new technology to efficiently isolate a specific subset of gut bacteria from fecal samples that are recognized by IgA antibodies. These 'IgA-coated' bacteria are associated with an array of diseases and this proposed new technology has the potential to uncover the mechanisms behind these correlations and eventually lead to new treatment strategies. Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:56:01 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241114125601.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241113123651.htm Diarrhea claims the lives of 500,000 children each year in low- and middle-income countries. Now researchers have linked chronic diarrhea to a specific pattern of gut bacteria, a discovery that could pave the way for new treatments capable of saving lives. Wed, 13 Nov 2024 12:36:51 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241113123651.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241106132506.htm Why do mice have tails? The answer to this is not as simple as you might think. Research has shown that there's more to the humble mouse tail than previously assumed. Using a novel experimental setup involving a tilting platform, high-speed videography and mathematical modelling, scientists have demonstrated how mice swing their tails like a whip to maintain balance -- and these findings can help us better understand balance issues in humans, paving the way for spotting and treating neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease at earlier stages. Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:25:06 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241106132506.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241104150515.htm Researchers used genomics to investigate the genetic changes causing resistance to transgenic crops in field populations of the corn earworm, also known as cotton bollworm or Helicoverpa zea. They discovered that in this voracious pest, field-evolved resistance was not associated with any of the 20 genes previously implicated in resistance to the pest-killing proteins in transgenic crops. Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:05:15 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241104150515.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031152032.htm Using a new method to isolate and reprogram plant cells into other cell types, biologists explored how banding patterns that increase the stability of plant cell walls are created and how their assembly can go astray in mutant plants. This work could ultimately inform methods to break down plant cells for biofuels. Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:20:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241031152032.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241022153823.htm Researchers describe the full molecular structure of the phage DEV. DEV infects and lyses Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, an opportunistic pathogen in cystic fibrosis and other diseases. DEV is part of an experimental phage cocktail developed to eradicate P. aeruginosa infection in pre-clinical studies. Bacterial viruses, known as phages, are the most abundant biological entities on the planet and are increasingly used as biomedicines to eradicate antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:38:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241022153823.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241021145732.htm Researchers who work with bacteriophages -- viruses that eat bacteria -- had a pleasant and potentially very important surprise after treating samples to view under an electron microscope: they had joined together into three-dimensional shapes that look like sunflowers, but only two-tenths of a millimetre across, taking a form that makes them 100 times more efficient. Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:57:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241021145732.htm