Collaborate Disseminate
Decades of work has seemingly paid off with scientists developing a potent new synthetic molecule that swiftly knocked out 285 strains of bacteria it was tested on, setting it up as a valuable ally in our fight against a looming superbug infection cris… Continue reading Novel ‘fast, tenacious’ molecule can KO drug-resistant superbugs
While “don’t mess with Texas” may have originated as a littering campaign catchphrase, scientists from the southern state have aimed that mantra at waterborne bacteria, creating a powered drinking cup that kills pathogens that cross its energy-efficien… Continue reading This inexpensive cup zaps pathogens to purify poor-quality water
We’re locked in an arms race with bacteria – and worryingly, it looks like we’re losing, as they increasingly develop resistance to our best drugs. Now, scientists at the University of Oklahoma have identified a new class of molecules that disable a ma… Continue reading “Molecular wedge” renders superbugs vulnerable to antibiotics again
Plastic is one of the most useful materials in our modern world, but unfortunately it’s also one of the worst in a sustainability sense. Now, scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a way to engineer bacteria to produce raw materials that can be made… Continue reading Bacteria recruited to build endlessly recyclable plastic
Viruses may get a bad rap, but some of them can be helpful to fight off bacterial infections. Scientists at ETH Zurich have demonstrated a new way to use them to diagnose which bacteria is causing a UTI, and then launch a stronger attack against them.C… Continue reading Bacteria-hunting viruses help diagnose and treat UTIs
Scientists have developed a new way to tap into the incredible data storage density of DNA in a more scalable way. A “biological camera” imprints images into the DNA of living cells, tagged with barcodes to retrieve data.Continue ReadingCategory: Scien… Continue reading “Biological camera” stores data in DNA of living bacteria
From penicillin to rapamycin, the route to discovering remarkable medicines has often been a fortuitous one. Now, researchers are hoping that another surprise find, once again linked to bacteria, can be harnessed for its medical potential and even be u… Continue reading Caterpillar toxin could ‘punch holes’ in cancer cells for future therapies
When testing for infections such as strep throat, saliva sampling is often used as a less invasive alternative to taking throat swabs. Collecting that saliva could soon be easier than ever, by using a lollipop to do the job.Continue ReadingCategory: Me… Continue reading This diagnostic lollipop collects your saliva
How small a canvas can evolution work on? Scientists have experimented with a synthetic lifeform designed to have the simplest possible genome, and found that given the chance it can evolve lost fitness back, showing that indeed, “life finds a way.”Con… Continue reading Synthetic lifeform regains lost “fitness” in evolution experiment
Nylon can be found everywhere in modern life, from the clothes we wear to the seatbelts in our cars. The problem is that producing it can be a dirty business, but researchers say a new method can make nylon production significantly greener.Continue Rea… Continue reading Bacteria, electricity, and wood waste used to create greener nylon