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pathogens

09/25/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Plants have sophisticated defense systems: They can share proteins, bait and trap pathogens

New research has revealed that specific plant proteins can identify signals linked to disease-causing agents using “baits” and trap them before they can affect a plant. The study, published in Genome Biology, looked at how “bait genes” are distributed in various wild and domestic grasses, as well as how they respond to protect the plant against a pathogen attack. […]

09/16/2018 / By Rhonda Johansson

New DNA testing tool skips the lab, making diagnostics available in remote places

A new “DNA dipstick” could revolutionize disease diagnosis and improve general healthcare in third-world countries. Scientists have simplified genotyping into a tool that purifies DNA and RNA from living organisms in under 30 seconds. Their recent technology is featured in PLOS Biology and shows how genetic material from organisms can be typed in mere seconds. Previous […]

08/28/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Scientists have found antibiotic-resistant bacteria throughout Germany’s waterways

Earlier in February, a group of German scientists warned locals about the presence of bacteria immune to antibiotics in several lakes, rivers, and streams in the country. According to a report by Northern German Broadcasting (NDR), the deadly pathogens, which are resistant to different kinds of antibiotics, were discovered in 12 locations in the northern German state of Lower Saxony last […]

08/24/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Study reveals a bit of fat is necessary: Besides storing energy and maintaining body temperature, it powers your immune system

Try not to spend too much time at the gym – according to a study, a bit of excess fat in the body can actually protect you from infections. Based on the study’s results, body fat stores special cells that remember pathogens, and this makes them more efficient at staving off infection compared to other immune […]

08/17/2018 / By Janine Acero

Just how clean are your kitchen towels? New research suggests that they may be a possible vector for food poisoning

Kitchen towels may seem harmless, but a new study suggests that they may be housing pathogens that could potentially cause food poisoning. The findings of the study suggest that factors such as hygienic practices, type of diet, and family size and composition, to name a few, may impact and even promote the growth of pathogenic […]

08/01/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Unnecessary expense: Fish farmers should skip the vaccines, according to study – they appear to be completely ineffective

Vaccines, touted by some to be a means of preventing certain diseases, are not only an added cost but they also are found to be ineffective – at least in fish. In a study, which was published in Scientific Reports, authors revealed that vaccines used in commercial fish farming do nothing to help protect fish from disease. The findings […]

07/06/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Plant cells that enable photosynthesis found to also play a role in plant self defense

Your biology teacher would tell you that chloroplasts are the parts of plant cells that turn sunlight into food via photosynthesis. However, chloroplasts also pull double duty by warning the plant’s nucleus about a pathogenic infection or an environmental stressor, reported a NewsWise article. This insight comes from a collaborative study between the University of Delaware (UD) and the University of […]

07/02/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Our first line of defense against bacteria includes white blood cells, which use chlorine bleach-like substance to douse invaders

Our cells are just like us in a way: They disinfect harmful pathogens in the same manner we do. In a study led by researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany, it was discovered that certain white blood cells engulf harmful bacteria then shower it with a mixture that includes, of all ingredients, bleach. This oxidizes the proteins […]

05/06/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Unique study concludes that migratory birds move away from diseases to raise their young

Swedish researchers have found that European migratory songbirds leave their warm but disease-laden homes in the tropics to raise their vulnerable young in the healthier environs of Europe. This way, according to an article on ScienceDaily, their species could make do with less robust but also less costly immune systems. The University of Lund researchers came across this discovery […]

03/05/2018 / By Janine Acero

South African herb lance-leaved waxberry found to offer antimicrobial and antitumor benefits

The use of medicinal plants as an alternative treatment to various health conditions is a common practice in many cultures. Many plants have natural antimicrobial activity and other medicinal properties that have yet to be fully explored. One South African herb became the focus of a study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine investigating its antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties. The South […]

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