A new study shows that the inflammation caused by Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection gives the pathogen a two-fold advantage: by both creating an inhospitable environment for competing bacteria and providing nutrients that enable C. diff to thrive. C. diff is a bacterium that causes diarrhea, often with severe or even fatal consequences. As part…

A recent study defines a mechanistic role for an understudied bacteria family in gynecologic disease. Led by Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD, a member of the BIO5 Institute and associate professor of basic medical sciences at the College of Medicine — Phoenix, researchers found that members of the Veillonellaceae bacteria family contribute to an increase in inflammation…

An initial infection with dengue virus did not prime monkeys for an especially virulent infection of Zika virus, according to a new study. Nor did a bout with Zika make a follow-on dengue infection more dangerous. As outbreaks on Pacific islands and in the Americas in recent years made Zika virus a pressing public health…

Shuffling of DNA in a single gene might be why the syphilis bacteria can evade the immune system. The change alters a protein on its cell surface to create a distraction. People can become re-infected several times with syphilis because they can’t develop immunity, Untreated syphilis can hide in the body for decades. Genomic findings…

A two-year study in rural Kenya explored the effects of water quality, sanitation, handwashing and nutritional interventions on rates of intestinal worm and Giardia infections. The results indicated that water treatment alone was sufficient to cause an 18 percent reduction in roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) infection rates. Adding sanitation and handwashing increased reduction to 22 percent.…

A new way to replicate what happens inside the heart after cardiac arrest could open new avenues for the study of heart regeneration whilst reducing the use of live animals in research, according to a new study. Researchers have developed a process that involves obtaining and growing thin slices of pig heart tissue which include…

Pregnant African American women are more likely than white women to give birth prematurely, but they’re underrepresented in studies of preterm birth rates. A biostatistics is working to change that. In a recent study, she and her colleagues analyzed how pregnant women’s vaginal microbiomes correlated to preterm birth rates. They identified bacteria species that proliferated…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that’s often associated with a variety of health problems, including chronic muscle pain and insomnia. Psychoactive drug classes, like cannabinoids, are often prescribed to help reduce pain, promote sleep and decrease breathlessness. A study has found that older adults with COPD were twice as likely…

The Asian tiger mosquito does not pose a major risk for Zika virus epidemics, according to a new study. Zika virus has triggered large outbreaks in human populations, in some cases causing congenital deformities, fetal loss, or neurological problems in adults. While the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti is considered the primary vector of Zika…

It started with curiosity. How does a fumigant, commonly used for nematode management in potato cropping systems, influence soil microbial communities? To explore this question, scientists used high-throughput sequencing techniques to investigate changes in soil bacterial and fungal community structure in response to the application of 1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D) in Pacific Northwest potato production fields. Their…