E. coli News and Research

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E. coli or Escherichia coli is the name of a type of bacteria that lives in your intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless. However, some types can make you sick and cause diarrhea. One type causes travelers' diarrhea. The worst type of E. coli causes bloody diarrhea, and can sometimes cause kidney failure and even death. These problems are most likely to occur in children and in adults with weak immune systems. You can get E. coli infections by eating foods containing the bacteria. To help avoid food poisoning and prevent infection, handle food safely. Cook meat well, wash fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking them, and avoid unpasteurized milk and juices. You can also get the infection by swallowing water in a swimming pool contaminated with human waste. Most cases of E. coli infection get better without treatment in 5 to 10 days.

Study finds high levels of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in chickens raised on farms in India

A new study from India raises questions about the dangers to human health of farming chicken with growth-promoting antibiotics--including some of the same drugs used in raising millions of chickens in the United States and worldwide.

20 Jul 2017

Large-scale genetic study of E. coli illustrates complexity of drug resistant 'superbugs'

The first large-scale genetic study of Escherichia coli (E. coli) cultured from patients with bloodstream infections in England showed that drug resistant 'superbugs' are not always out-competing other strains.

18 Jul 2017

Flocking behavior among microorganisms more advanced than previously thought

Many animal species display flocking behavior, but the fact that microorganisms do is not as well known. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now shown that algae and bacteria form flocks at very low concentrations of individuals, a finding that could increase our future understanding of how the organisms infect their host animals.

17 Jul 2017

Salford scientists may have found simple way for designing new antibiotics

CANCER researchers in the UK may have stumbled across a solution to reverse antibiotic drug resistance and stop infections like MRSA.

12 Jul 2017

Brazilian researchers reveal nanoparticle-based strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A new strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been described by Brazilian researchers in Scientific Reports, an online journal owned by Springer Nature.

11 Jul 2017

New molecular technique can clone thousands of long DNA sequences at the same time

Scientists at Johns Hopkins, Rutgers, the University of Trento in Italy, and Harvard Medical School report they have developed a new molecular technique called LASSO cloning, which can be used to isolate thousands of long DNA sequences at the same time, more than ever before possible.

5 Jul 2017

Fluorescent proteins found in jellyfish shed new light on DNA copying

Using these proteins, originally found in jellyfish to make them glow, the team where able to focus laser beams on the brightly lit proteins and track them inside a bacteria that normally lives inside the human gut.

28 Jun 2017

Researchers identify new wound healing properties of ficin

The project is headed by Senior Research Associate of the Microorganism Genetics Lab Ayrat Kayumov and funded by Russian Science Foundation and Project 5-100. The results have been published in Scientific Reports.

27 Jun 2017

Microscopic fungus exacerbates Crohn's disease symptoms, mice study shows

A microscopic fungus called Candida tropicalis triggered gut inflammation and exacerbated symptoms of Crohn's disease, in a recent study conducted at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

22 Jun 2017

Simple method could help reduce ever-growing risk of bacterial resistance

Hebrew University researchers have developed a test for efficiently classifying bacterial strains as tolerant, resistant, or persistent. If implemented in the hospital setting, this innovation could help to guide treatment decisions, and could ultimately reduce the ever-growing risk of bacterial resistance.

21 Jun 2017

Researchers examine formation of functional amyloids by bacteria in real time

A team of scientists from the VIB lab of Han Remaut and the lab of Yves Dufrêne at UCL Louvain-La-Neuve collaborated on a study of functional amyloids -protein aggregates with the typical amyloid structure that do not lead to disease but rather serve a dedicated biological function.

21 Jun 2017

Synergistic drug pairing: New approach to combat MDR bacterial infections

Antibiotics were the wonder drug of the 20th century, but persistent use and over-prescription have opened the door that has allowed bacteria to evolve resistance.

20 Jun 2017

Study finds that molecular decoy can target and reduce UTI-causing bacteria in the gut

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections, and they tend to come back again and again, even when treated. Most UTIs are caused by E. coli that live in the gut and spread to the urinary tract.

15 Jun 2017

Irreversible infertility risk in men linked to urogenital infections

In couples who have not been able to have children, male infertility is the cause in at least half of cases. In 6-10% the cause is a urogenital infection.

14 Jun 2017

Cornell researchers unravel E. coli bacteria's defense secret

By tagging a cell's proteins with fluorescent beacons, Cornell researchers have found out how E. coli bacteria defend themselves against antibiotics and other poisons. Probably not good news for the bacteria.

13 Jun 2017

New biosensor technology could be used in wearable devices to monitor health

Imagine wearing a device that continuously analyzes your sweat or blood for different types of biomarkers, such as proteins that show you may have breast cancer or lung cancer.

13 Jun 2017

New OpenArray system offers simultaneous detection of pathogens in blood samples

The emergence of new pathogens like West Nile Virus, Ebola, Dengue, and Zika, threaten human health on a global scale.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific - Microbiology 13 Jun 2017

Griffith scientists discover new and improved tool to detect cancer

Studying the food poisoning bacteria E. coli may have led scientists to discover a new and improved tool to detect cancer.

8 Jun 2017

Bacterial cell factories produce enzymes that can be used as active ingredients in drugs

Researchers at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability in Denmark have developed a method of producing P450 enzymes - used by plants to defend against predators and microbes - in bacterial cell factories. The process could facilitate the production of large quantities of the enzymes, which are also involved in the biosynthesis of active ingredients of cancer drugs.

2 Jun 2017

Microbiologist explores new methods for analyzing fecal pollution in water

In a project supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the microbiologist Andreas Farnleitner is looking at new methods for analyzing faecal pollution in water. Using DNA analytics, the scientist aims to develop comprehensive and simple methods to determine the extent and origin of faecal pollution.

2 Jun 2017