https://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. Bacteria in the human gut can directly deliver proteins into human cells, actively shaping immune responses. A consortium led by researchers at Helmholtz Munich, with participation from Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Aix Marseille University, Inserm, and international partners, has discovered this previously unknown mechanism of communication between gut bacteria and human cells. The findings reveal a new way in which the gut microbiome can influence the human body and may help explain how changes in gut bacteria contribute to inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-gut-bacteria-immune-responses.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:25:35 EST news688663501 Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB-FORTH) and the University of Crete, together with collaborators from Greece, Europe, the U.S., and India, have discovered a novel role of albumin, the most abundant protein in human blood, in protecting against a rare and often deadly fungal infection called mucormycosis. The study is published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-albumin-abundant-blood-protein-shield.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:10:02 EST news687704502 Early in 2025, scientists discovered a promising new antibiotic in a soil sample from a lab technician's backyard. The molecule, called lariocidin, is produced by the microbe Paenibacillus and shows broad activity against pathogenic bacteria, including several that are multi-drug-resistant. Now, the researchers report in ACS Infectious Diseases how Paenibacillus avoids harm by its own antibiotic—information that is crucial for developing lariocidin or similar compounds into new drug candidates. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-dont-antibiotic-bacteria-destruct.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:01:46 EST news687625261 DNA within dried feces dating from more than 1,000 years ago provides valuable insights into the pathogens that plagued ancient Mexican peoples, according to a study published in PLOS One by Drew Capone of Indiana University, U.S., and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-ancient-dna-clues-intestinal-parasites.html Archaeology Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:00:07 EDT news680282041 Skoltech researchers and their colleagues from the Pasteur Institute and the University of Lorraine, France, have uncovered some of the inner workings of a recently discovered bacterial immune system called PARIS, which can potentially make human pathogens resistant to phage therapy. A promising alternative to antibiotics, phage therapy refers to the use of viruses called phages to infect and destroy bacteria that cause disease in humans. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-paris-virus-smuggles-rna-bacterial.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:07:04 EDT news678013622 Since its emergence in US dairy cattle, highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu, H5N1) has defied control, spreading to other species and disrupting every stage of the dairy sector. A newly published invited review in the Journal of Dairy Science presents the most comprehensive look yet at the virus's impact and calls for a unified response. With current science pointing to complex transmission dynamics and broad consequences, the authors argue that only a One Health approach, taking into account the intersection of animal and human health with that of the environment, can effectively combat H5N1 and prevent future outbreaks. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-comprehensive-urges-health-approach-tackle.html Agriculture Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:13:04 EDT news674410381 A research team at McMaster University has discovered a new drug class that could someday lead to breakthrough treatments for dangerous fungal infections. The new molecules, dubbed coniotins, were isolated from a plant-dwelling fungus called Coniochaeta hoffmannii—the samples of which were collected from the McMaster Biology Greenhouse, located on the university's campus. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-antifungal-drug-candidate-campus-greenhouse.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:00:04 EDT news674136001 A research team led by Eske Willerslev, professor at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Cambridge, has recovered ancient DNA from 214 known human pathogens in prehistoric humans from Eurasia. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-large-scale-dna-years-disease.html Archaeology Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:00:15 EDT news671264581 Mosquito-borne diseases kill more than 700,000 people every year, according to the World Health Organization, and the mosquitoes that spread the disease are difficult to control. Most species have developed resistance to all major classes of synthetic insecticides, many of which pose both environmental and health risks. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-mediterranean-bacteria-harbor-mosquito-solution.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:00:01 EDT news671096461 Nanoplastics are everywhere. These fragments are so tiny they can accumulate on bacteria and be taken up by plant roots; they're in our food, our water, and our bodies. Scientists don't know the full extent of their impact on our health, but new research from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign food scientists suggests certain nanoplastics may make foodborne pathogens more virulent. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-positively-nanoplastics-coli-virulence.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 19 May 2025 13:42:03 EDT news666880921 Antibiotics are a double-edged sword—they should be as toxic as possible to pathogenic bacteria while being harmless to the cells of the human body. An international research team led by the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has now developed drug candidates that achieve precisely that. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-drug-candidates-metabolic-pathway-bacteria.html Biochemistry Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:47:04 EST news655991221 Protein biosynthesis—the process whereby cells produce protein molecules, which are essential for life and growth—is a highly complex and strictly regulated affair. An interdisciplinary team led by LMU biologist PD Dr. Jürgen Lassak has now discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which bacteria control this process. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-discovery-molecular-bacteria-protein-biosynthesis.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 04 Dec 2024 11:23:31 EST news652533809 Wastewater treatment fails to kill several human pathogens when they hide out on microplastics in the water, reports a study led by Ingun Lund Witsø of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, published November 6, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-pathogens-microplastics-survive-wastewater-treatment.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:00:01 EST news650105086 Research conducted at the Center for Dairy Technology (Tecnolat) in Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil, has identified lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that have probiotic properties and are beneficial to human health in samples of traditional Brazilian cheeses. Tecnolat is part of the Food Technology Institute (ITAL), an arm of the São Paulo State Department of Agriculture and Supply. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-probiotics-traditional-brazilian-cheeses.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Aug 2024 16:37:04 EDT news644168222 Microbes are part of the food we eat and can influence our own microbiome, but we know very little about the microbes in our foods. Now, researchers have developed a database of the "food microbiome" by sequencing the metagenomes of 2,533 different foods. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-foods-food-microbiome-database.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:00:01 EDT news644139002 Every plant, animal, and person is a rich microcosm of tiny, specialized cells. These cells are worlds unto themselves, each with their own unique parts and processes that elude the naked eye. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-explore-cell-advanced-ray-imaging.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 23 Jul 2024 10:27:27 EDT news640949243 An invasive fungus that colonizes the skin of hibernating bats with deadly consequences is a stealthy invader that uses multiple strategies to slip into the small mammals' skin cells and quietly manipulate them to aid its own survival. The fungus, which causes the disease white-nose syndrome, has devastated several North American species over the last 18 years. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-stealth-fungus-decimated-north-american.html Plants & Animals Thu, 11 Jul 2024 17:07:04 EDT news639936421 A team of medical researchers and infectious disease specialists affiliated with multiple institutions in China, working with a pair of colleagues, one from Singapore, the other from Canada, has found evidence bolstering theories that suggest as the planet warms, fungi could become more dangerous to humans. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-evidence-climate-fungi-dangerous.html Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:47:35 EDT news638099250 Most antibiotics used in human medicine originate from natural products derived from bacteria and other microbes. Novel microorganisms are therefore a promising source of new active compounds, also for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or viral infections. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-family-bacteria-high-pharmaceutical-potential.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 May 2024 08:57:03 EDT news635068621 Some pathogens hide inside human cells to enhance their survival. Researchers at the University of Basel, have uncovered a unique tactic certain bacteria use to spread in the body without being detected by the immune system. In their study, they reveal the crucial role of a bacterial nanomachine in this infection process. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-enemy-pathogens-unrecognized-body.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:49:03 EDT news633005341 Lettuce and other leafy green vegetables are part of a healthy, balanced diet—even for astronauts on a mission. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-salad-space-healthy-choice.html Space Exploration Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:51:46 EST news625146700 An international team of researchers, led by Professor Gustavo Goldman of the University of São Paulo and Maynooth University's Dr. Özgür Bayram, has unveiled ground-breaking findings on Aspergillus fumigatus, which can cause deadly disease in humans. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-secrets-disease-fungus-aspergillus-fumigatus.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 04 Jan 2024 11:45:03 EST news623591101 The human gut is home to hundreds of different bacterial species collectively known as the gut microbiome. A major health benefit these provide is to protect the gut against invading pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) that could cause harmful infections. But up to now, how this protective effect comes about has been unclear, and whether certain bacterial species have a more important role than others. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-diverse-gut-bacteria-communities-pathogens.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:00:02 EST news621765810 Microbial communities growing on plastic debris in rivers may have the capacity to harbor potentially pathogenic microbes and act as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes, according to a study published in Microbiome. The findings also highlight differences in the potential pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes that new and degraded plastics may have the capacity to harbor. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-river-plastics-harbor-potential-pathogens.html Ecology Tue, 31 Oct 2023 21:00:02 EDT news617990096 Pathogenic viruses that enter the human body can dock onto cells with their tentacle-like extensions, whereupon the cell takes up the viruses. This process, which is already known and occurs in diseases such as HIV, can also be used for therapeutic approaches. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-viruses-molecular-fibers-genetic-material.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:42:04 EDT news612027721 A new powerful antibiotic, isolated from bacteria that could not be studied before, seems capable of combating harmful bacteria and even multi-resistant "superbugs." Named Clovibactin, the antibiotic appears to kill bacteria in an unusual way, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop any resistance against it. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-antibiotic-microbial-dark-powerful-weapon.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:00:01 EDT news611915799 Scientists from Skoltech and research centers in Sweden and Switzerland have presented results that explain the mechanism of interaction between bacteria and phages—viruses that infect bacterial cells. The discovery is an important step on the way to developing new ways to fight infections. The study is published in the journalCell Reports. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-uncover-ways-combat-pathogenic-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:04:55 EDT news611571892 Ancient pathogens that escape from melting permafrost have real potential to damage microbial communities and might potentially threaten human health, according to a new study by Giovanni Strona of the European Commission Joint Research Center and colleagues, published July 27 in the open-access journal PLOS Computational Biology. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-time-traveling-pathogens-permafrost-pose-environment.html Ecology Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:00:01 EDT news609672050 Early detection of infectious diseases can be key to successful treatment, but we often don't know we are infected until symptoms appear. What if our bodies could detect the presence of an infectious pathogen before the onset of disease? https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-dna-sensors.html Biotechnology Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:48:24 EDT news607772898 Two similar strains of a destructive honeybee disease have vastly different origin stories, revealing the ability of viruses to adapt rapidly and the risk this poses to global agriculture, according to new research involving Professor Sasha Mikheyev from The Australian National University (ANU). https://phys.org/news/2023-06-bee-disease-rare-insights-rna.html Evolution Thu, 22 Jun 2023 11:54:03 EDT news606653641