Microbes, Bacteria, Viruses

A wave carrying plastic washes up in Thailand. For microbes in the ocean, floating plastic is a new potential ecosystem. And those microbes include pathogens that can make people sick. 

Human Pathogens Are Hitching a Ride on Floating Plastic

Studies show that various harmful bacteria cling to microplastics in seawater

The vaccine, known as BPL-1357, was developed by experts at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and contains four strains of non-infectious, chemically inactivated avian influenza, thought to be not highly pathogenic.

Universal Flu Vaccine Enters Clinical Trials in Humans

The test will inoculate 100 volunteers with a vaccine that protected mice from lethal doses of six different flu strains

The bacterium, roughly the shape and size of an eyelash, was first discovered in 2009 in the mangrove swamps of Guadeloupe, an island in the Lesser Antilles. The bacteria appeared as long translucent centimeter-long strings on decaying leaf matter in the water.

World’s Largest Bacterium Discovered in Caribbean Mangrove Swamps

The bacterium is the size of an eyelash and visible to the naked eye

As of June 15, the World Health Organization had recorded a total of 2,103 confirmed monkeypox cases in 42 countries. Pictured: a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (green) cultivated and purified from cell culture

What You Need to Know About the History of Monkeypox

Mired in misconception, the poxvirus is endemic in certain African countries but was rarely reported in Europe and the U.S. until recently

 Researchers speculate that type two inflammation that occurs in allergic conditions may reduce levels of the ACE2 receptor on the surface of airway cells, where SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein binds to. (Pictured: Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 under and electron microscope)

Some Allergies Associated With Lower Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

An NIH study found that food allergies reduced risk of infection by 50 percent

At a time of widespread public health crises and evolving ideas about how illnesses spread, kissing was an easily avoidable vector of disease. Unfortunately for Imogene Rechtin, most people proved unwilling to give it up.

The Woman Who Fought to End the 'Pernicious' Scourge of Kissing

New understandings of how disease spread informed Imogene Rechtin's ill-fated 1910 campaign to ban a universal human practice

Grotto Geyser in Yellowstone National Park

Scientists Map Yellowstone’s Underground ‘Plumbing’

The new survey could be useful for everything from microbiology to thermal energy

At least 36 bald eagles have died since February because of the H5N1 strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The virus is also causing the death of millions of commercial chickens and turkeys.

Bald Eagles Are Dying From Bird Flu

The highly contagious H5N1 strain is also infecting commercial chickens and turkeys

Mapping out where these RNA viruses are found globally can help scientists understand how they interact with organisms driving the planet's ecological processes.

Virologists Identify More Than 5,000 New Viruses in the Ocean

The new study focused on under-researched RNA viruses, which often infect animals and humans

Researchers examined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brains of 785 British participants before and after Covid-19 infection.

Even Mild Covid-19 Infections May Change the Brain, New Study Finds

Scans taken before and after a case of coronavirus reveal tissue damage and accelerated loss of gray matter

Coronavirus has been found in white-tailed deer in the northeastern United States and central Canada.

First Possible Case of Covid-19 Spreading From Deer to Humans

Experts say the discovery is not reason for panic, but underscores the importance of monitoring wildlife for diseases that could infect humans

Air pockets in a sponge mimic healthy soil, which has various nooks and crannies to host microbial communities. 

Your Kitchen Sponge Is a Better Home for Bacteria Than a Petri Dish

Its porous structure provides the ideal physical environment for different kinds of bacteria to thrive, according to new research

A new way of recycling has grabbed the attention of some of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, including L’Oréal, Nestlé, and PepsiCo, who collaborated with startup company Carbios to produce proof-of-concept bottles.

The Future of Recycling May Be in Microbes

An enzyme-based recycling technology is poised to go commercial, but questions about cost and scalability linger

This seven-foot statue of Pearl Kendrick, center, and Grace Eldering, left, was unveiled in Grand Rapids in 2019. Lab assistant Loney Clinton stands to the right with a microscope.

The Unsung Heroes Who Ended a Deadly Plague

How a team of fearless American women overcame medical skepticism to stop whooping cough, a vicious infectious disease, and save countless lives

Large amounts of plastic trash accumulated in Ballona Creek in Culver City, California.

Plastic-Degrading Enzymes May Be Increasing in Response to Pollution

One in every four organisms in the microbiomes they surveyed carries a plastic-degrading protein sequence

The researchers note that the gum looks and feels like the type of gum found in convivence stores and can be stored at normal temperatures for years without damaging the ACE2 protein molecules that trap the SARS-coV-2 particles.  

Could This Chewing Gum Reduce the Spread of Covid-19?

Preliminary results show the viral load in infected saliva was reduced viral load by 95 percent, but the research has a long way to go

Scientists have created other living inks out of bacteria, but this is the first that doesn't require the addition of other materials like acids, extracts and silica.

'Living Ink' Made From E. Coli Could One Day Be Used in Cancer Treatments or Self-Healing Buildings

Though the microbial material is still in the very beginning stages of development, researchers are hopeful about future applications

Metal sulfides left behind by anaerobic bacteria and the breakdown of iron artifacts were sopped by the wood while the ship was submerged.

'Bacteria Poop' Is Breaking Down Henry VIII's Favorite Ship

When the ship sunk in 1545, marine bacteria started eating away at the hull

An advisory panel says most fully vaccinated Americans are still well-protected from Covid-19.

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Covid-19 Booster for Older and High-Risk Americans

The committee says most Americans don’t need a booster shot just yet

Instead of giving the same mRNA shot a third time, the group suggests boosters could be tweaked to better handle new variants as the emerge, similar the annual flu shot.

Some Experts Say Most Vaccinated Americans Don't Need Booster Shot Yet

A new analysis concludes vaccines still offer substantial protection against Covid-19

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