Bacterial pathogens must acquire nutrient metals from the host to survive and cause disease. To counter infection, hosts attempt to starve bacteria by hiding metals away in a process called "nutritional immunity." Bacteria ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 15, 2019
0
5
Scientists long puzzled over why bacteria contain so many "redundant" enzymes. Why make several molecules that do the same job, interchangeably, when it would be much more efficient to make just one?
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 9, 2019
0
85
Scientists studying plant cell walls—structural supports that help plants overcome the downward pull of gravity—have discovered mechanistic details of a protein involved in the assembly of lignin, a key cell-wall component. ...
Biotechnology
Apr 8, 2019
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72
When the papaya (Carica papaya) is ripening, its cell walls separate, making the tissue softer and more digestible. The cell contents become accessible and the sucrose in the fruit is more easily extracted. Sugarcane roots ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 3, 2019
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50
Most people think of "strep throat" as a relatively benign infection cured by a round of antibiotics and a few days of rest. But the bacterium that causes strep throat—Group A Streptococcus—is also responsible for a number ...
Biochemistry
Apr 1, 2019
0
152
With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable—but frustratingly untapped—bounty into a replacement for ubiquitous ...
Materials Science
Mar 7, 2019
0
174
Indiana University researchers are advancing knowledge about how bacteria build their cell walls that could contribute to the search for new antibacterial drugs. They have created a new tool to observe living cells in real ...
Biochemistry
Mar 4, 2019
0
7
A significant breakthrough has just been made in the world of biochemistry: a team of international researchers has developed a revolutionary method to monitor in real time an essential element of bacterial growth.
Biochemistry
Feb 27, 2019
0
31
B. multivorans is a notorious pathogen that can cause infections such as pneumonia in immune-compromised individuals with underlying lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis. This pathogen can also cause rapid clinical deterioration ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 19, 2019
0
3
Vaccines have saved millions of lives, but nobody likes getting a shot. That's why scientists are trying to develop oral vaccines for infectious diseases. But to be effective, the vaccine must survive digestion and reach ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 6, 2019
0
80
