1,213 results match your criteria: "Center for Microbiology[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • Volatile aroma compounds significantly influence insect behavior, with different species responding uniquely to specific odors, although the exact molecules responsible are often unidentified.
  • Beer, containing a diverse range of plant and microbial aromas, serves as an effective attractant for various insects, prompting research into its chemical composition and effects on pest species like fruit flies.
  • The study revealed that certain combinations of aroma compounds enhanced the specificity of traps for different insect species and genders, highlighting the potential for using complex natural scents to improve pest control strategies.
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Differential contributions of the gut microbiota and metabolome to pathomechanisms in ulcerative colitis: an analysis.

Gut Microbes

November 2024

Translational Research in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

The gut microbiota has been implicated in onset and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC). Here, we assess potential causal involvement of the microbiota and -associated fecal water (FW) metabolome in altering key functional parameters of the colonic epithelium. Fecal samples were collected from  = 51 healthy controls (HC),  = 36 patients with active UC (UC-A), and  = 41 subjects in remission  = 41 (UC-R).

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During growth, cells need to synthesize and expand their envelope, a process that requires careful regulation. Here, we show that the GTPase ObgE of E. coli contributes to the regulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis, an essential component of the Gram-negative outer membrane.

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Microbial formation and oxidation of volatile alkanes in anoxic environments significantly impacts biogeochemical cycles on Earth. The discovery of archaea oxidizing volatile alkanes via deeply branching methyl-coenzyme M reductase variants, dubbed alkyl-CoM reductases (ACR), prompted the hypothesis of archaea-catalysed alkane formation in nature (alkanogenesis). A combination of metabolic modelling, anaerobic physiology assays, and isotope labeling of Candidatus Syntrophoarchaeum archaea catalyzing the anaerobic oxidation of butane (AOB) show a back flux of CO to butane, demonstrating reversibility of the entire AOB pathway.

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PPARα exacerbates Typhimurium infection by modulating the immunometabolism and macrophage polarization.

Gut Microbes

November 2024

Center for Microbiology and Immunology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Typhimurium (STm) is a causative pathogen for robust inflammatory gastrointestinal disease and can lead to systemic infection. Eicosanoids, bioactive lipid mediators, play a crucial role in modulating both the induction and resolution of inflammatory responses during an infection. A subset of eicosanoids activates PPARs, nuclear receptor/transcription factors that regulate fatty acid metabolism, lipid body formation, and macrophage function.

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Metabolic exchanges between strains in gut microbial communities shape their composition and interactions with the host. This study investigates the metabolic synergy between potential probiotic bacteria and Saccharomyces boulardii, aiming to enhance anti-inflammatory effects within a multi-species probiotic community. By screening a collection of 85 potential probiotic bacterial strains, we identified two strains that demonstrated a synergistic relationship with S.

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Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to both human and animal health. This is mainly because the same antimicrobial molecules are used for the treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial diseases in both cases, and about 60% of human pathogens are shared with animals. For effective control of AMR in any country, the current situation has to be established; this is done through surveillance exercises.

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Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by microorganisms play an important role in biotolerance and reducing heavy metal (HM) contamination by limiting the migration of HMs into plants. However, research on the application of EPS-producing marine bacteria for soil heavy metal remediation remains limited, particularly regarding their mechanisms of HM immobilization in soil and impact on plant growth. In this study, the EPS-producing marine bacterium HZ was investigated for its ability to immobilize Pb and produce EPSs in soil filtrate.

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Using free microorganisms for industrial processes has some limitations, such as the extensive consumption of substrates for growth, significant sensitivity to the microenvironment, and the necessity of separation from the product and, therefore, the cyclic process. It is widely acknowledged that confining or immobilizing cells in a matrix or support structure enhances enzyme stability, facilitates recycling, enhances rheological resilience, lowers bioprocess costs, and serves as a fundamental prerequisite for large-scale applications. This report summarizes the various cell immobilization methods, including several synthetic (polyvinylalcohol, polyethylenimine, polyacrylates, and Eudragit) and natural (gelatin, chitosan, alginate, cellulose, agar-agar, carboxymethylcellulose, and other polysaccharides) polymeric materials in the form of thin films, hydrogels, and cryogels.

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Article Synopsis
  • Human microbiomes play a crucial role in health by impacting metabolism, immune functions, and neurological processes, but their complete complexity is still not fully understood.
  • The definition of a "healthy" microbiome is controversial due to variations in microbial communities and the difficulty in establishing a standard definition for health across different individuals and conditions.
  • The article highlights progress in microbiome research and identifies gaps in knowledge, proposing a roadmap that utilizes epidemiological methods to better understand the relationship between microbiomes and health.
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Article Synopsis
  • Viral diseases significantly affect the health and population dynamics of pinnipeds, making viral metagenomic studies crucial for health assessments in these marine mammals and for "One Health" initiatives.
  • This research used high throughput sequencing to analyze the viral diversity in Caspian seals, which are unique to the Caspian Sea.
  • The study revealed sequences from multiple viral families and identified novel species, highlighting that Caspian seals share a similar viral repertoire with other pinnipeds, and also provided important data for understanding disease risks in marine mammals.
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From competition to cure: the development of live biotherapeutic products for anticancer therapy in the iGEM competition.

Front Bioeng Biotechnol

September 2024

Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality globally, often diagnosed at advanced stages with metastases already present, complicating treatment efficacy. Traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy face challenges such as lack of specificity and drug resistance. The hallmarks of cancer, as defined by Hanahan and Weinberg, describe tumors as complex entities capable of evolving traits that promote malignancy, including sustained proliferation, resistance to cell death, and metastasis.

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First Case Report of Mycotic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Caused by in Serbia.

Pathogens

September 2024

Department of Microbiology with Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.

Article Synopsis
  • A rare case of a mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm was reported in a 68-year-old male, linked to a specific pathogen, highlighting its unusual association with severe vascular infections.
  • The patient presented with severe abdominal pain, and imaging revealed a significant aneurysm, which was successfully surgically removed and treated with targeted antibiotics after identifying the pathogen from the aneurysm wall.
  • The case underscores the need for better guidelines and surveillance for vascular infections caused by this pathogen, particularly in immunocompromised patients.
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Recent observations document that long-term soil warming in a temperate deciduous forest leads to significant soil carbon loss, whereas chronic soil nitrogen enrichment leads to significant soil carbon gain. Most global change experiments like these are single factor, investigating the impacts of one stressor in isolation of others. Because warming and ecosystem nitrogen enrichment are happening concurrently in many parts of the world, we designed a field experiment to test how these two factors, alone and in combination, impact soil carbon cycling.

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Background: Dogs in close contact with humans can serve as a source of potentially dangerous reassortant influenza viruses (IVs) with zoonotic potential. The dog's body can serve as a vessel for the emergence of new IVs. These new viruses can become a source of infection for other animals and humans.

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Metal and metal oxide nanocomposites have unique properties and are promising for antibacterial and anticancer applications. In this work, we aimed to highlight the relationship between the biosynthesis ways of silver and gold-doped zinc oxide nanocomposites and their functions as anticancer on cell lines (MCF-7 and HepG2). The propolis was used to biosynthesize four different nanoparticles with the same components, including zinc, gold and silver.

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Mosquito salivary apyrase regulates blood meal hemostasis and facilitates malaria parasite transmission.

Nat Commun

September 2024

Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • The evolution of blood-feeding insects, like mosquitoes, involves adaptations that help them consume blood while avoiding the host's immune responses.
  • Anopheles gambiae salivary apyrase (AgApyrase) plays a key role in blood meal hemostasis by inhibiting platelet aggregation and facilitating the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, which helps in degrading fibrin and promotes Plasmodium transmission.
  • Immunizing against AgApyrase can inhibit Plasmodium infection and transmission, suggesting potential strategies for preventing malaria spread.
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Potential mitochondrial ROS-mediated damage induced by chitosan nanoparticles bee venom-loaded on cancer cell lines.

Int J Biol Macromol

November 2024

Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza 12578, Egypt; Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, Arish 45511, Egypt. Electronic address:

Recently, numerous studies have confirmed the importance of chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) as a viable drug delivery carrier for increasing the efficacy of anticancer drugs in cancer treatment. It is a macromolecule and natural biopolymer compound, more stable and safer in use than metal nanoparticles. Bee venom (BV), a form of defense venom, has been shown to have anti-tumor, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-infectivity properties.

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A ubiquitin-mediated post-translational degradation of Cyp51A contributes to a novel azole resistance mode in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Microbiol Res

December 2024

Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pathogens and Ecosystems, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address:

The airborne fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is a major pathogen that poses a serious health threat to humans by causing aspergillosis. Azole antifungals inhibit sterol 14-demethylase (encoded by cyp51A), an enzyme crucial for fungal cell survival. However, the most common mechanism of azole resistance in A.

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Many cancer cells share with yeast a preference for fermentation over respiration, which is associated with overactive glucose uptake and breakdown, a phenomenon called the Warburg effect in cancer cells. The yeast mutant shows even more pronounced hyperactive glucose uptake and phosphorylation causing glycolysis to stall at GAPDH, initiation of apoptosis through overactivation of Ras and absence of growth on glucose. The goal of the present work was to use the yeast strain to screen for novel compounds that would preferentially inhibit overactive glucose influx into glycolysis, while maintaining basal glucose catabolism.

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Exploration of the pneumocandin biosynthetic gene cluster based on efficient CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing strategy in Glarea lozoyensis.

Int J Biol Macromol

November 2024

Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pathogens and Ecosystems, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address:

Pneumocandin B (PB) is a lipopeptide produced by the fungus Glarea lozoyensis. The existing challenges with the low-yield and the extended-fermentation cycle emphasize necessity for strain improvement. In this study, we optimized conditions to obtain high-quality protoplasts and screened effective selection markers, leading to the construction of three CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing systems.

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Purifying selection drives distinctive arsenic metabolism pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes.

ISME Commun

January 2024

Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment, MARA, Beijing 100081, P.R. China.

Article Synopsis
  • Microbes are essential in the arsenic biogeochemical cycle, using unique metabolic pathways to cope with arsenic toxicity, but the differences in how prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes detoxify arsenic are not well understood.
  • Research identified a variety of arsenic biotransformation genes in 670 microbial genomes, revealing that prokaryotes have a broader range of genes for arsenic reduction and efflux while fungi possess more genes related to arsenic oxidation.
  • Findings show significant differences in gene expression and evolutionary rates between prokaryotes and fungi, underscoring the need to understand the diverse strategies microbes use for arsenic detoxification rather than focusing on individual genes.
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Article Synopsis
  • Cryptococcosis poses a major global health risk, prompting the need for fast and dependable diagnostic methods, particularly through point-of-care tests (POCTs) like the cryptococcal antigen semi-quantitative lateral flow assay (CrAgSQ).
  • Researchers developed an AI platform to automate the interpretation of LFA results, using a dataset of 1272 images collected from various CrAg concentrations, demonstrating improved sensitivity and accuracy compared to manual readings.
  • The AI system shows strong potential in transforming how cryptococcosis is diagnosed by providing consistent and efficient results, with implications for broader diagnostic applications beyond just cryptococcosis.
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() is a growing cause of nosocomial and antibiotic-resistant infections. Treating drug-resistant requires novel approaches. The use of bacteriophages (phages) against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria has recently garnered global attention.

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Acetate-producing var. strains could exert improved effects on ulcerative colitis, which here, was preclinically evaluated in an acute dextran sodium sulphate induced model of colitis. Nine-week-old female mice were divided into 12 groups, receiving either drinking water or 2.

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