Swimming in a pool of syrup would be difficult for most people, but for bacteria like E. coli, it's easier than swimming in water. Scientists have known for decades that these cells move faster and farther in viscoelastic ...
Soft Matter
Nov 25, 2015
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681
Sharks prowl the watery depths for their prey, lions stalk the tall-grass savannah, and bacteriophages, well, they've got snot. The thin layer of mucus that coats epithelial cells serves as the hunting ground for phages, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 19, 2015
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30
Discovered in 1982, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a disease-causing bacterium that survives in our stomachs despite the harsh acidic conditions. It is estimated that one in two people have got it, though most won't ever ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 14, 2015
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993
Researchers from Johns Hopkins have found that dense mats of interacting bacteria, called biofilms, were present in the majority of cancers and polyps, particularly those on the right side of the colon. The presence of these ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 12, 2014
1
0
Coral is really an ecosystem within the reef ecosystem: a colony of invertebrate polyps that excrete a calcium-carbonate skeleton. Living within the polyps are photosynthetic algae that produce nutrients the polyps use as ...
Ecology
Dec 13, 2013
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0
(Phys.org) —A high-angle helix helps microorganisms like sperm and bacteria swim through mucus and other viscoelastic fluids, according to a new study by researchers from Brown University and the University of Wisconsin. ...
General Physics
Aug 13, 2013
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0
(Phys.org) —In a world full of hungry predators, prey animals must be constantly vigilant to avoid getting eaten. But plants face a particular challenge when it comes to defending themselves.
Plants & Animals
Aug 7, 2013
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0
Slimy layers of bacterial growth, known as biofilms, pose a significant hazard in industrial and medical settings. Once established, biofilms are very difficult to remove, and a great deal of research has gone into figuring ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 8, 2012
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0
Naked mole-rats evolved to thrive in an acidic environment that other mammals, including humans, would find intolerable. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago report new findings as to how these rodents have ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 22, 2012
1
0
(Phys.org) -- Researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) have created biodegradable, ultra tiny, nanosized particles that can easily slip through the body's sticky and viscous mucus secretions to deliver a sustained-release ...
Bio & Medicine
Jul 5, 2012
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