Microbe Magazine

Some microbial pathogens depend on metalloproteases to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), and this mechanism may someday be harnessed to deliver drugs to the brain, according to several researchers who spoke at the symposium “This is Your Brain on Microbes,” during the 2014 ASM General Meeting ... More...

Contrary to common lore, bacteria can and do grow on D-amino acids as nutrients, depending on racemase enzymes to convert the D to the more widely used L isomers that are the building blocks of proteins, according to Gaosen Zhang and Henry J. Sun at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas, Nev... More...

When in balance, the microorganisms of the vaginal tract help to protect against HIV infections and also support the activity of the antiviral drug tenofovir, according to Richard Pyles at the University of Texas Medical Branch UTMB), Galveston, and his collaborators. Once the balance is disrupte... More...

Engineering microbes to capture carbon dioxide to produce organic chemicals, especially butanol for use as a fuel for cars and trucks, would be better than raising and then fermenting corn or other crops for that same end use, according to Derek Lovley of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.... More...

Archaea differ from bacteria in how they swim, marking yet another “new point into how different bacteria and archaea are,” says Sonja Albers of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany. She spoke during the plenary session, “A World of Archaea: a Tribute to Carl ... More...

The seriousness of disease often results from the strength of immune response, rather than with the virus itself. Turning down that response, rather than attacking the virus, might be a better way to reduce that severity, says Juliet Morrison of the University of Washington (UW), Seattle. She and... More...

A novel intravaginal ring for prevention of HIV transmission, implanted with antiretroviral drug tablets, demonstrated sustained, controlled drug release and safety over 28 days. The ring, tested in pig-tailed macaque monkeys, is engineered to be inexpensive for use in developing countries, says ... More...

“Understanding the big picture of the microbial interface between food facilities and food products will be important for controlling the safety and quality of many foods and beverages,” says David A. Mills of the University of California, Davis. Now Mills et al. have taken the first step towards... More...

Bacterial colonies generate immense diversity among their inhabitants, often even absent specific selection pressures, according to Ivan Matic of INSERM, Paris, France, and his collaborators. Now, for the first time, Matic et al. have tracked this phenomenon at the level of single cells. Starting... More...

The fungus responsible for an outbreak of contaminated Greek yogurt last year is not harmless after all, but a strain with the ability to cause disease. In September 2013, customers of Chobani brand Greek yogurt complained of gastrointestinal (GI) problems after consuming products manufactured in... More...