Staphylococcus aureus News and Research

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Staphylococcus aureus is a spherical bacterium (coccus) which on microscopic examination appears in pairs, short chains, or bunched, grape-like clusters. These organisms are Gram-positive. Some strains are capable of producing a highly heat-stable protein toxin that causes illness in humans.

Basic hygienic practices and adherence to decolonization protocols can reduce MRSA infections

A new study found that following basic hygienic practices and complying with protocols for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decolonization reduces the time to clearance of the bacteria more quickly than a treatment regimen of antibiotic ointment and antiseptic body wash.

29 Jul 2016

UNMC researcher aims to find workable solution for tackling antibiotic resistance

Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., a research associate professor in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, recently secured an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health to find a workable solution to the problem of antibiotic resistance.

28 Jul 2016

Study finds link between eczema and S. aureus bacteria

A new study published in the British Journal of Dermatology has shown that, on average, 70% of eczema patients are colonised with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (S. aureus, including MRSA) on their skin lesions.

26 Jul 2016

Rare antibiotic compound detected in fungi for first time

Besides mushrooms such as truffles or morels, also many yeast and mould fungi, as well as other filamentous fungi belong to the Ascomycota phylum. They produce metabolic products which can act as natural antibiotics to combat bacteria and other pathogens. Penicillin, one of the oldest antibiotic agents, is probably the best known example.

18 Jul 2016

Researchers receive $9 million grant to develop novel platform to quickly identify new antibiotics

In September 2014, President Obama issued an executive order for "Combating Antibiotic- Resistant Bacteria." Why the urgency? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the order noted, "estimates that annually at least 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths are caused by antibiotic- resistant bacteria in the United States alone."

11 Jul 2016

New superbug test developed by TGen-NAU receives Australian patent

Antibiotic-resistant infections should be easier to detect, and hospitals could become safer, thanks to a technology developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute and Northern Arizona University, and protected under a patent issued by Australia.

16 Jun 2016

Revolutionary technology can prevent spread of hospital-acquired infections

Nano Textile, introduces a revolutionary technology that can transfer any type of fabric to one that kills bacteria.

15 Jun 2016

Tiny molecular scaffolding could be key to fight against antibiotic resistance

Tiny molecular scaffolding that joins molecules together could be the key to our battle against antibiotic resistance. Research published in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters shows that carbon nanodot scaffolding assembled with small molecules called polyamines can kill some dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, including Acinetobacter baumanii and Klebsiella pneumonia.

14 Jun 2016

New experimental antibiotic can help combat MRSA infections

A new experimental antibiotic developed by a team of scientists at Rutgers University successfully treats the deadly MRSA infection and restores the efficacy of a commonly prescribed antibiotic that has become ineffective against MRSA.

14 Jun 2016

New method helps speed up bacterial identification

Pinpointing the type of bacteria that are at the root of an infection in clinical samples removed from living tissues, such as blood, urine or joint fluids, to quickly identify the best anti-microbial therapy still poses a formidable challenge.

10 Jun 2016

Researchers examine pan-genome of deadly Staph bacteria

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are the leading cause of skin, soft tissue and several other types of infections. Staph is also a global public threat due to the rapid rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

7 Jun 2016

Cigarette smoke promotes bacteria colonization, immune invasion

The mouth is one of the "dirtiest" parts of the body, home to millions of germs. But puffing cigarettes can increase the likelihood that certain bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis will not only set up camp but will build a fortified city in the mouth and fight against the immune system.

1 Jun 2016

OIE’s new strategy aims to provide necessary tools to fight antimicrobial resistance more effectively

At the 84th General Session of the World Assembly of National Delegates, the OIE presented to its Members, and proposed for adoption, the basic principles of its new strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance.

26 May 2016

Natural product darwinolide may help combat fatal MRSA infection

A serious and sometimes fatal bacterial infection, known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), may soon be beatable thanks to the efforts of University of South Florida scientists who have isolated and tested an extract from a sponge found in Antarctica.

19 May 2016

Pathogen-selective approach to antibiotic development less disruptive to gut microbiome

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists report the first evidence that a pathogen-specific antibiotic was less disruptive to the gut microbiome than broad-spectrum antibiotics.

10 May 2016

Study emphasizes benefits of newborn screening for CF patients

A new study led by a team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and Cystic Fibrosis Canada reinforces the benefits of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

5 May 2016

Scientists identify novel way of synthesising promising new antibiotic

A novel way of synthesising a promising new antibiotic has been identified by scientists at the University of Bristol. By expressing the genes involved in the production of pleuromutilin in a different type of fungus, the researchers were able to increase production by more than 2,000 per cent.

4 May 2016

Small doses of cancer drug may be potential treatment for sepsis and other pandemics

Results from laboratory experiments and mouse studies suggest that small doses of drugs from a specific class of approved cancer medications called topoisomerase 1 (top1) inhibitors may protect against the overwhelming immune response to infection that sometimes leads to sepsis, a bacterial condition that kills as many as 500,000 people in the United States each year.

30 Apr 2016

Exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles increases bacterial infection of HeLa cells

When human cells are exposed to titanium dioxide without the presence of UV light from the sun, the risk for bacterial infection more than doubles. This finding by a Stony Brook University-led research team, published early online in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology, raises concerns about exposure to titanium dioxide, a nanoparticle commonly used in millions of products worldwide ranging from cosmetics to toothpaste, gum, food coloring, and medicines.

27 Apr 2016

Scientists evaluate phage-based therapy to battle antibiotic-resistant bacterial superbug infections

Flinders University scientists are looking to bacteriophages – highly specific viruses - as the as the best way to attack antibiotic-resistant bacterial superbug infections.

21 Apr 2016