Antibiotics have been effectively utilized for decades in the treatment against infectious agents. However, antibiotic use has been known to have detrimental effects, including the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria and alterations to the microbiota. The microbiota is a community of bacteria that colonize the body and can influence metabolism, physiology, nutrition, and immune function.
3D Enzyme Imaging Could Help Scientists Create New Antibiotics Antibiotics are drugs that fight bacterial infections, either by killing the bacteria or impeding their reproduction. First discovered in the early 20th century, antibiotics transformed medicine and have saved countless lives. However, an increasing number of bacteria have developed antibiotic resistance and no longer respond to
The Zika virus has been in the news lately as a recent outbreak in Brazil has been linked to cases of microcephaly (smaller than usual head and brain) in newborn babies. Leading to travel advisories for pregnant women by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and recommendations by Brazilian authorities that pregnant women stay
At Kerafast, our mission is to advance life science research by facilitating access to unique laboratory-made reagents. In 2015, we continued our rapid growth, adding new institutions, investigators and research tools to our global community while reinvesting a portion of our proceeds back into research. To keep our community updated on this progress, we developed
In nature, adenoviruses and lentiviruses can be dangerous – HIV is a lentivirus, and adenoviruses can cause ailments such as the common cold, bronchitis and pneumonia. But in research, the two viruses are extremely useful, serving as powerful gene delivery tools that can introduce genes of interest into target cells. Here you’ll find an
During the week of June 5, 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mentioned the occurrence of an acute lung infection in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Between October 1980 and May 1981, five Los Angeles-based gay men had sought medical attention for a variety of symptoms including fever, oral fungal inflammation
In December 2014, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was linked to a widespread measles outbreak, reported NBC News. The outbreak swept through the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Over 300 individuals contracted the measles as a result. This event encapsulated a troubling trend: the reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Call it a comebackOver the past eight years, a number of
In November researchers for the Tsimane Health and Life History Project, a University of Mexico program for tracking the Bolivian indigenous group the Tsimane, discovered that helminths or parasitic roundworms may help women conceive, reported Stat. Roundworms prompt an anti-inflammatory response in humans. This reaction modulates the immune system and enables women with conception issues
While most geneticists pontificate on the ethical and technical implications of the latest gene-editing technology, others are busy perfecting preexisting techniques. Recently, DNA sequencing, a decades-old methodology, underwent democratization. A handful of enterprising companies revolutionized the technique, producing DNA-sequencing technology that cuts costs and production times. Out with the old order An industry-standard DNA-synthesis machine
Over the past year, researchers have made startling advances in the area of gene-editing, reported the MIT Technology Review. Using a new genetic engineering methodology called Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, or CRISPR, scientists have modified human embryos, increased muscle mass in dogs and produced horn-less dairy cows. However, these achievements haven’t come without controversy.