http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. On May 8th JoVE will publish research that demonstrates how a biosensor can detect antibiotic resistance in bacteria. This new technology is a preliminary step in identifying and fighting superbugs, a major public health concern that has led to more deaths than AIDS in the United States in recent years. The technology is the result of collaboration between Dr. Vitaly Vodyanoy at Auburn University and the Keesler Air Force Base with funding from the United States Air Force. http://phys.org/news287229884.html Chemistry Wed, 08 May 2013 11:04:54 EST news287229884 Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have invented a "nanosponge" capable of safely removing a broad class of dangerous toxins from the bloodstream – including toxins produced by MRSA, E. coli, poisonous snakes and bees. These nanosponges, which thus far have been studied in mice, can neutralize "pore-forming toxins," which destroy cells by poking holes in their cell membranes. Unlike other anti-toxin platforms that need to be custom synthesized for individual toxin type, the nanosponges can absorb different pore-forming toxins regardless of their molecular structures. In a study against alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA, pre-innoculation with nanosponges enabled 89 percent of mice to survive lethal doses. http://phys.org/news285141470.html Nanotechnology Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:00:25 EST news285141470 Scientists are reporting "laboratory resurrections" of several 2-3-billion-year-old proteins that are ancient ancestors of the enzymes that enable today's antibiotic-resistant bacteria to shrug off huge doses of penicillins, cephalosporins and other modern drugs. The achievement, reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, opens the door to a scientific "replay" of the evolution of antibiotic resistance with an eye to finding new ways to cope with the problem. http://phys.org/news281177263.html Chemistry Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:48:46 EST news281177263 Researchers recently created a biophysical model of the response of a Gram-positive bacterium to the formation of a hole in its cell wall, then used experimental measurements to validate the theory, which predicted that a hole in the bacteria cell wall larger than 15 to 24 nanometers in diameter would cause the cell to lyse, or burst. http://phys.org/news277038327.html Biology Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:05:49 EST news277038327 Researchers have developed models of bacterial outer membranes that can help develop better antibiotics to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. http://phys.org/news272278281.html Chemistry Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:51:46 EST news272278281 Washington State University researchers have found an unlikely recipe for antibiotic resistant bacteria: Mix cow dung and soil, and add urine infused with metabolized antibiotic. The urine will kill off normal E. coli in the dung-soil mixture. But antibiotic-resistant E. coli will survive in the soil to recolonize in a cow's gut through pasture, forage or bedding. http://phys.org/news272215048.html Biology Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:23:02 EST news272215048 Antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to be a global concern with devastating repercussions, such as increased healthcare costs, potential spread of infections across continents, and prolonged illness. http://phys.org/news254577382.html Biology Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:00:18 EST news254577382 A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have successfully reengineered an important antibiotic to kill the deadliest antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The compound could one day be used clinically to treat patients with life-threatening and highly resistant bacterial infections. http://phys.org/news233422263.html Chemistry Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:42:56 EST news233422263 A coalition of consumer groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the US Food and Drug Administration over the use of human antibiotics in animal feed, saying it creates dangerous superbugs. http://phys.org/news225553968.html Space & Earth Wed, 25 May 2011 14:53:01 EST news225553968 Hate insects? Afraid of germs? Researchers are reporting an alarming combination: bedbugs carrying "superbug" germs. http://phys.org/news224337646.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 May 2011 13:02:02 EST news224337646 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have discovered a new way to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria by using the bacteria's own genes. http://phys.org/news215721201.html Biology Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:33:48 EST news215721201 Superbugs are not just a problem in hospitals but could be also coming from our animal farms. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Microbiology indicates insects could be responsible for spreading antibiotic resistant bacteria from pigs to humans. http://phys.org/news215238502.html Biology Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:28:38 EST news215238502 Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a chemical compound that, when used in conjunction with conventional antibiotics, is effective in destroying biofilms produced by antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as the Staphylococcus strain MRSA and Acinetobacter. The compound also re-sentsitizes those bacteria to antibiotics. http://phys.org/news189963378.html Medicine & Health Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:00:01 EST news189963378 Antibiotic over-prescription is promoted by pediatricians' perception of parents' expectations. Research published in the open access journal BMC Pediatrics shows that pediatricians are more likely to inappropriately prescribe antibiotics for respiratory tract infections if they perceived parents were expecting a prescription. http://phys.org/news176702660.html Medicine & Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:05:22 EST news176702660 Bacteria that cause chronic lung infections can communicate with each other to form a deadly shield against the body's natural defenses. Studying these interactions could lead to new ways of treating bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, according to an article in the November issue of Microbiology. http://phys.org/news176352755.html Biology Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:53:31 EST news176352755 A new study published in the September 11, 2009 issue of Science by researchers at the NYU School of Medicine reveals a conceptually novel mechanism that plays an important role in making human pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis resistant to numerous antibiotics. http://phys.org/news171811284.html Medicine & Health Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:21:55 EST news171811284 Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found evidence that houseflies collected near broiler poultry operations may contribute to the dispersion of drug-resistant bacteria and thus increase the potential for human exposure to drug-resistant bacteria. The findings demonstrate another potential link between industrial food animal production and exposures to antibiotic resistant pathogens. Previous studies have linked antibiotic use in poultry production to antibiotic resistant bacteria in farm workers, consumer poultry products and the environment surrounding confined poultry operations, as well as releases from poultry transport. http://phys.org/news156424656.html Medicine & Health Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:18:05 EST news156424656 A new approach to fighting bacterial infections, developed at MIT and Boston University, could help prevent bacteria from developing antibiotic resistance and help kill those that have already become resistant. http://phys.org/news155239566.html Biology Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:06:40 EST news155239566