Microbiology in the News
Week of: January 7, 2013
Breast Milk Contains More Than 700 Species of Bacteria, Spanish Researchers Find
“The most common bacterial genera in the colostrum samples were Weissella, Leuconostoc, Staphylococcus,Streptococcus and Lactococcus. In the fluid developed between the first and sixth month of breastfeeding, bacteria typical of the oral cavity were observed, such asVeillonella, LeptotrichiaandPrevotella.
‘We are not yet able to determine if these bacteria colonise the mouth of the baby or whether oral bacteria of the breast-fed baby enter the breast milk and thus change its composition,’ outline the authors.”
Smile: Gingivitis Bacteria Manipulate Your Immune System So They Can Thrive in Your Gums
“Specifically, the report shows that this pathogen [Porphyromonasgingivalis] prompts the production of the anti-inflammatory molecule Interleukin-10 (IL-10). This, in turn, inhibits the function of T-cells, which would otherwise help to protect the host from this particular microbial infection.”
Week of: January 14, 2013
Breath Test Identifies Bacteria’s Fingerprint
“Scientists have identified the chemical 'fingerprints' given off by specific bacteria when present in the lungs, potentially allowing for a quick and simple breath test to diagnose infections such as tuberculosis.
Publishing their study January 11, in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research, the researchers have successfully distinguished between different types of bacteria, as well as different strains of the same bacteria, in the lungs of mice by analysing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in exhaled breath.
It is hoped that a simple breath test could reduce the diagnosis time of lung infections from days and weeks to just minutes.”
Medicinal “Toothbrush Tree” Yields Antibiotic to Treat TB in New Way
“A compound from the South African toothbrush tree inactivates a drug target for tuberculosis in a previously unseen way. Tuberculosis causes more deaths worldwide than any other bacterial disease. At the same time as rates are increasing, resistance strains are emerging due, in part, to non-compliance with the treatment required. Many current drugs are nearly 50 years old and alternatives are needed to the long, demanding treatment schedules.
The compound under research, diospyrin, binds to a novel site on a well-known enzyme, called DNA gyrase, and inactivates the enzyme. DNA gyrase is essential for bacteria and plants but is not present in animals or humans. It is established as an effective and safe drug target for antibiotics.”
Week of: January 28, 2013
HIV-like Viruses in Non-Human Primates Have Existed Much Longer Than Previously Thought
“Viruses similar to those that cause AIDS in humans were present in non-human primates in Africa at least 5 million years ago and perhaps up to 12 million years ago, according to study published January 24 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Until now, researchers have hypothesized that such viruses originated much more recently.”
Misconceptions About a Popular Pet Treat
“A popular dog treat could be adding more calories than pet owners realize, and possibly be contaminated by bacteria, according to a study published this month by researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the University of Guelph.”
“All 26 treats were tested for bacterial contaminants. One (4 percent) of the sticks was contaminated with Clostridium difficile; one (four percent) was contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics; and seven (27 percent) were contaminated with Escherichia coli, including one tetracycline-resistant sample.”
Week of: February 11, 2013
Unchecked Antibiotic Use in Animals May Affect Global Human Health
“The increasing production and use of antibiotics, about half of which is used in animal production, is mirrored by the growing number of antibiotic resistance genes, or ARGs, effectively reducing antibiotics' ability to fend off diseases -- in animals and humans.”
“On Chinese commercial pig farms, researchers found 149 unique ARGs, some at levels 192 to 28,000 times higher than the control samples, said James Tiedje, Michigan State University Distinguished Professor of microbiology and molecular genetics and of plant, soil and microbial sciences, and one of the co-authors [of a study in the current issue of PNAS].”
Week of: February 18, 2013
Defect in Immune Memory May Cause Repeat Bladder Infections
Recurrent bladder infections, which are especially common among women, may result from a defect among the bladder's immune fighters that keeps them from remembering previous bacterial infections. The immune memory lapse can hamper a timely and effective attack, according to researchers at Duke Medicine and Duke-National University of Singapore.
"A third of recurring bladder infections are from the same strain of bacteria, so that suggested to us that there is some sort of defect in the bladder that is causing this," said Soman N. Abraham, PhD, professor of pathology at Duke and Duke-NUS and senior author of the paper published Feb. 14, 2013, in the journal Immunity. "We have identified how a muted immune response to bacterial infections in the bladder occurs, making it unable to fully eradicate a persistent population of bacteria."
Week of: April 8, 2013
New Link Between Heart Disease and Red Meat: New Understanding of Cardiovascular Health Benefits of Vegan, Vegetarian Diets
Gut bacteria of those who eat lots of red meat metabolize carnitine to LMAO, which alters cholesterol metabolism and may contribute to atherosclerosis.