microbes

Escherichia coli bacteria transferring between humans and mountain gorillas

harminka — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:33:34 -0600

A new study finds that mountain gorillas are at increased risk of acquiring gastrointestinal microbes, such as Escherichia Coli, from humans. The study, published in Conservation Biology, examines the exchange of digestive system bacteria between humans, mountain gorillas and domestic animals with overlapping habitats.

Plants can signal microbial friends for help

harminka — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:33:42 -0500

Researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered that when the leaf of a plant is under attack by a pathogen, it can send out an S.O.S. to the roots for help, and the roots will respond by secreting an acid that brings beneficial bacteria to the rescue.

Microbe diet key to carbon dioxide release

harminka — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:27:24 -0500

As microbes in the soil break down fallen plant matter, a diet "balanced" in nutrients appears to help control soil fertility and the normal release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Symbiotic microbes induce profound genetic changes in their hosts

harminka — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:47:39 -0500

Though bacteria are everywhere — from the air we breathe and the food we eat to our guts and skin — the vast majority are innocuous or even beneficial, and only a handful pose any threat to us. What distinguishes a welcome microbial guest from an unwanted intruder?

Studying little-known but largely useful microbes

harminka — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:53:08 -0500

Montana State University microbiologist Matthew Fields spends his days trying to understand how interactions on a microscopic scale could change how we think of energy production, climate change and even soil contamination.

Microbes beneath sea floor genetically distinct

harminka — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:39:51 -0500

Tiny microbes beneath the sea floor, distinct from life on the Earth's surface, may account for one-tenth of the Earth's living biomass, according to an interdisciplinary team of researchers, but many of these minute creatures are living on a geologic timescale.

New-generation of simpler sensors for detecting disease-causing microbes

harminka — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:20:57 -0500

Scientists in Singapore are reporting development of a complete, palm-sized sensor that can detect disease-causing microbes, toxins, and other biological threats instantly without the need for an external power source or a computer.

A Researcher From Armenia, Auburn Team Make Breakthrough Antimicrobial Coatings

admin_huliq — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:12:20 -0500

A team of researchers in Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has produced new antimicrobial coatings with potential to prevent diseases from spreading on contaminated surfaces - possibly solving a growing problem not only in hospitals but also in schools, offices, airplanes and elsewhere.

Yale researchers discover Legionnaire microbe's tricks

harminka — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:22:13 -0500

Yale University researchers have shed new light how bacteria like the ones that cause Legionnaires' disease and Q-fever raise such havoc in human patients.

Microbes may be smarter than we think

harminka — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:57:51 -0500

A new study by Princeton University researchers shows for the first time that bacteria don't just react to changes in their surroundings -- they anticipate and prepare for them. The findings, reported in the June 6 issue of Science, challenge the prevailing notion that only organisms with complex nervous systems have this ability.

Are microbes the answer to energy crisis?

harminka — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:15:38 -0500

The answer to the looming fuel crisis in the 21st century may be found by thinking small, microscopic in fact. Microscopic organisms from bacteria and cyanobacteria, to fungi to microalgae, are biological factories that are proving to efficient sources of inexpensive, environmentally friendly biofuels that can serve as alternatives to oil, according to research presented at the 108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston.

Climate change could impact vital functions of microbes

harminka — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:45:16 -0500

Global climate change will not only impact plants and animals but will also affect bacteria, fungi and other microbial populations that perform a myriad of functions important to life on earth. It is not entirely certain what those effects will be, but they could be significant and will probably not be good, say researchers today at a scientific meeting in Boston.