New Research Links Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Reduced Bacterial Diversity
According to a team of Korean researchers, individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have a decreased diversity of bacteria in their intestines compared to healthy…
American Society for Microbiology News
Microbiologists Have Created a Better Tasting Beer
Belgian researchers improve the taste of beer. Researchers in Belgium have enhanced the taste of modern beer by identifying and genetically modifying a gene that…
Plastic Pollution in the Ocean May Harbor Novel Antibiotics
Many environmentalists point to plastic pollution in the ocean as a large and growing problem, pointing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how even…
Study Shines Light on Immune Responses for Long-Lasting Protection From COVID-19
By uniting research from 8 cohorts across the United States, a group of researchers has accelerated the collection of data integral in answering questions about…
Saliva Testing for COVID-19 Is Quicker and Safer Than Nasal Swabs
Genetic testing of saliva samples identifies the SARS-CoV-2 virus more quickly than testing of nasal swabs. The research is published today (March 21, 2022) in…
Combined Treatment Strategy Critical to Minimizing Long-Term Lung Damage in COVID Patients
A combined treatment strategy targeting SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and severe lung tissue injury is essential to minimize lung sequelae—chronic complications resulting from COVID-19 infection, according to…
Immunological Markers for COVID-19 Reinfection Identified – Critical As Dangerous New Variants Emerge
Tracking new hotspots of SARS-CoV-2 will become more important as the virus evolves and becomes endemic. New variants may be more contagious than previous ones—and…
Infection Plus Vaccination Yields Better Protection Against COVID-19 Variants
Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein produced by the immune system can help identify and fend off future infections, but not all antibodies are the…
New Research Paves Way for Better Intranasal Vaccines for COVID-19 and Flu
While gut microbiota play a critical role in the induction of adaptive immune responses to influenza virus infection, the role of nasal bacteria in the…
Unexpected Discovery: Marine Bacteria in Canadian Arctic Capable of Biodegrading Diesel and Oil
Marine bacteria in the frigid waters of the Canadian Arctic are capable of biodegrading oil and diesel fuel, according to a new study published in Applied and…
Probiotic Protection? Gut Bacteria Discovered That Protects the Intestine From Invasion of the COVID-19 Virus
Researchers from Yonsei University in South Korea have found that certain commensal bacteria that reside in the human intestine produce compounds that inhibit SARS-CoV-2. The…
Potential Causes of Increased Transmission in COVID-19 Variants
Patients with B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant/UK) and B.1.351 (Beta variant/South Africa) less likely to be asymptomatic, despite no increase in viral load. Although two SARS-CoV-2 variants…
New Technique Enables Quick Identification of Potential Drugs to Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Researchers from the Miami University in Ohio have optimized a new technique that will allow scientists to evaluate how potential inhibitors work on antibiotic-resistant bacteria….
During COVID-19 Pandemic, Increased Screen Time Linked With Increased Mental Distress
Increased screen time among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic correlated with a rise in pandemic-related distress, according to research led by investigators at the…
New Test Can Predict Severe COVID-19 Cases
As of April 2021, more than 3 million people worldwide have died of COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, researchers developed accurate diagnostic tests and identified…
NSAIDs – Such As Advil and Meloxicam – Might Exacerbate or Suppress COVID-19 Depending on Timing
New research shows that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced both antibody and inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice. The study appears this week in…
Genetic Testing of Wastewater Can Detect New COVID Variants Before They Are Detected by Local Clinical Sequencing
Viral genome sequencing of wastewater can detect new SARS-CoV-2 variants before they are detected by local clinical sequencing, according to a new study reported in mBio,…
New Research Shows Poor Gut Health Connected to Severe COVID-19 – Probiotics May Help Patients
Severe cases of COVID-19 often include GI symptoms Chronic diseases associated with severe COVID-19 are also associated with altered gut microbiota A growing body of…
