New mechanisms of 'social networking' in bacteria

Bacteria have traditionally been viewed as solitary organisms that "hang out on their own," says molecular biologist Kevin Griffith of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. However, scientists now realize that in fact, ...

How E. coli passes safely through stomach acid

In some parts of the world, many small children become infected with severe diarrhea which often proves fatal. The condition is usually caused by strains of Escherichia coli (commonly known as E. coli) bacteria, and bacteria ...

When faced with some sugars, bacteria can be picky eaters

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Minnesota have found for the first time that genetically identical strains of bacteria can respond very differently to the presence of sugars and other ...

New membrane-synthesis pathways in bacteria discovered

Biologists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have discovered new mechanisms used by bacteria to manufacture lipids, i.e. fat molecules, for the cell membrane. Those mechanisms are a combination of familiar bacterial synthesis ...

The sting in the tail: Chance finding could lead to new antibiotics

(Phys.org) —A whole new class of antibiotics could be possible after a chance discovery by academics at Newcastle University. In a paper published in the journal Molecular Microbiology, the team describe how they were studying ...

Superbugs may have a soft spot, after all

The overuse of antibiotics has created strains of bacteria resistant to medication, making the diseases they cause difficult to treat, or even deadly. But now a research team at the University of Rochester has identified ...

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