Publications by authors named "Giulia Destro"
Article Synopsis
- Streptococcus pneumoniae is a harmful bacterium that causes over one million deaths each year and often infects people, especially young kids, without showing symptoms at first.
- It can become dangerous when conditions change, like during a viral infection, allowing it to cause serious illness.
- The study focused on understanding how a special transporter, PotABCD, helps the bacteria form biofilms, which are protective layers that keep them alive; more polyamines (a type of chemical) in their environment made it easier for the bacteria to form these biofilms, especially in complex settings.
The alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance in the last decades has prompted the search for alternatives to control infectious diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a heterogeneous class of molecules with ample antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects. They can be found in many organisms, including all classes of vertebrates, providing a valuable source of new antimicrobial agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ability to form biofilms is a crucial virulence trait for several microorganisms, including - a Gram-negative encapsulated bacterium often associated with nosocomial infections. It is estimated that 65-80% of bacterial infections are biofilm related. Biofilms are complex bacterial communities composed of one or more species encased in an extracellular matrix made of proteins, carbohydrates and genetic material derived from the bacteria themselves as well as from the host.
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