Bad drug, good weedkiller: “Failed” antibiotic repurposed as herbicide

Just as antibiotic resistance is a problem for human health, herbicide resistance represents a huge problem for the agricultural sector. Researchers have devised a novel strategy to address the issue by repurposing a “failed” antibiotic as a herbicide…. Continue reading Bad drug, good weedkiller: “Failed” antibiotic repurposed as herbicide

New antibiotic trial shows promise against dangerous pneumonia superbug

A new antibiotic combo has proven promising in a clinical trial for treating an often-deadly form of pneumonia. The experimental drug was found to be at least as effective in preventing death as the current standard, but with far milder side effects.Co… Continue reading New antibiotic trial shows promise against dangerous pneumonia superbug

Hang in there: Sloths could be our surprise superbug superheroes

Ever since French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, first described the sloth in 1749, the planet’s slowest moving mammal has had its work cut out for it.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Superbugs, Antibiotic-resistant b… Continue reading Hang in there: Sloths could be our surprise superbug superheroes

Population’s antibiotic use can affect individual health, study shows

Antimicrobial resistance, particularly resistance to antibiotics, is a worldwide problem. A new study has, for the first time, shown how the consumption of antibiotics by an entire population can affect an individual’s health.Continue ReadingCategory: … Continue reading Population’s antibiotic use can affect individual health, study shows

Bacteria-activated, self-assembling “nanonets” trap and kill superbugs

Bacteria are fast developing resistance to our best antibiotics, potentially ushering in a new “dark age of medicine” where currently treatable infections become lethal once again. Now, scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have deve… Continue reading Bacteria-activated, self-assembling “nanonets” trap and kill superbugs

Your gut may hold the key to better, faster healing from muscle injury

Scientists are only just scratching the surface of the power that the gut’s microbiome holds. It’s already been linked to memory, depression and mood, and shifts in its bacterial makeup offers clues to the development of prediabetes and multiple sclero… Continue reading Your gut may hold the key to better, faster healing from muscle injury

Maternal sepsis and death greatly reduced by single-dose antibiotic

According to a recent large, multi-country clinical trial, the risk of postpartum sepsis and death in women who plan to deliver vaginally can be reduced by one-third by administering a single dose of the antibiotic azithromycin.Continue ReadingCategory… Continue reading Maternal sepsis and death greatly reduced by single-dose antibiotic

Dessert stomach: Gut microbiome may influence overindulgence of sweets

If you’ve ever found room for dessert even though you thought you were full, the bacteria in your gut might be to blame. Caltech scientists have shown that mice whose gut microbiome had been disrupted by antibiotics ate far more sugary snacks than norm… Continue reading Dessert stomach: Gut microbiome may influence overindulgence of sweets