Diversity is the key to survival for beneficial bacteria living in your gut. Now, scientists have new tools to explore this diversity.
bacteria
When Antibiotics Deplete Our Gut Microbiome, a Human Gut Pathogen Takes Advantage
A deleterious bacterial infection can take hold when the diverse community of bacteria in the gut microbiome are killed with antibiotics.
Interstellar biological experiments could aid human space travel
If humans are to live in outer space for years at a time, it’s important to understand how the microbes in and on their bodies are affected by space conditions. Humans have trouble performing the most basic tasks when in space thanks to microgravity and they must wear protective gear to safeguard them from the interstellar radiation. But how do microbes experience these effects that aren’t present on Earth?
Radiation-resistant E. coli evolved in the lab give view into DNA repair
In a study published online this month in the Journal of Bacteriology, biochemistry professor Michael Cox and his team describe blasting E. coli bacteria with ionizing radiation once a week, causing the bacteria to become radiation resistant. In doing so, they have uncovered genetic mutations and mechanisms underlying this resistance.
Chasing the tail: Biochemists zone in on bacterial transporter’s tip as its secret to antibiotic resistance
Professor Henzler-Wildman and her team have found that proton and drug movements are not as strictly coupled as they thought in EmrE. This transporter can actually also move drugs and protons across the membrane in the same direction, as well as the opposite direction — introducing the option of moving molecules both into or out of the cell.
Biochemists search for new weapon against bacterial disease
Biochemistry professor Srivatsan (“Vatsan”) Raman hopes to harness the power of phages — viruses that infect bacteria but leave humans unscathed. With help from a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Raman’s team is designing phages to specifically target bacteria that are causing diseases in infants.