Bacteria sense and respond to their environment, enabling adaptation to diverse niches, including multicellular eukaryotes. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Torres et al. describe how the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus responds to heme as a molecular marker of the mammalian host environment. It is likely that mechanisms for sensing such markers evolved from systems that recognized cues present in microbial communities before the emergence of eukaryotes.
Polymyxin B is one of the last lines of defense in infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Aeromonas hydrophila are important fish pathogens and the occurrence of polymyxin B-resistant A. hydrophila isolates is increasing.
Imaging spectral information of materials and analysis of its properties have become an intriguing tool for consumer electronics used for food inspection, beauty care, etc. Those sensory physical quantities are difficult to quantify. Hyperspectral imaging cameras, which capture the figure and spectral information simultaneously, can be a good candidate for nondestructive remote sensing.
Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address:
Transmission of immune responses from one generation to the next represents a powerful adaptive mechanism to protect an organism's descendants. Parental infection by the natural C. elegans pathogen Pseudomonas vranovensis induces a protective response in progeny, but the bacterial cues and intergenerational signal driving this response were previously unknown.
Traditional microneedle (MN) technology offers unique advantages in treating wound infections; however, its single-function design lacks the capability for real-time monitoring of wound conditions, often resulting in uncontrolled drug release. Herein, an anti-infective and intelligent MN patch (SP-CSMN) integrating three functional modules is developed, including temperature monitoring, Bluetooth wireless communication, and responsive drug release. The patch employed chitosan (CS) as a porous substrate, filled with temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) to encapsulate and release the antibiotic rifampicin.
The persistent increase in multidrug-resistant pathogens has catalyzed the creation of novel strategies to address antivirulence and anti-infective elements. Such methodologies aim to diminish the selective pressure exerted on bacterial populations, decreasing the likelihood of resistance emergence. This review explores the role of biofilm formation as a significant virulence factor and its impact on the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
