Infection Control Today

Exposure to Common Environmental Bacteria May be Source of Some Allergic Inflammation

New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that certain strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cause white blood cells to produce high levels of histamine, which worsens the severity of inflammation and infection. Could some cases of asthma actually be ...More

2 weeks ago

Posted in News

Polar Growth at the Bacterial Scale Reveals Potential New Targets for Antibiotic Therapy

An international team of microbiologists led by Indiana University researchers has identified a new bacterial growth process -- one that occurs at a single end or pole of the cell instead of uniform, dispersed growth along the long axis of the cell -- that could have ...More

3 weeks ago

Posted in News

Scientists Hijack Bacterial Immune System

The knowledge that bacteria possess adaptable immune systems that protect them from individual viruses and other foreign invaders is relatively new to science, and researchers across the globe are working to learn how these systems function and to apply that knowledge in ...More

January 5, 2012

Posted in News

Dried Licorice Root Fights the Bacteria that Cause Tooth Decay and Gum Disease

Scientists are reporting identification of two substances in licorice — used extensively in Chinese traditional medicine — that kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease, the leading causes of tooth loss in children and adults. In a study in the ...More

January 4, 2012

Posted in News

Manipulating the Way Bacteria Communicate Could Have Practical Applications

By manipulating the way bacteria "talk" to each other, researchers at Texas A&M University have achieved an unprecedented degree of control over the formation and dispersal of biofilms – a finding with potentially significant health and industrial applications, ...More

January 4, 2012

Posted in News

Scientists Reveal How Bacteria Build Homes Inside Healthy Cells

Bacteria are able to build camouflaged homes for themselves inside healthy cells - and cause disease - by manipulating a natural cellular process. ...More

December 21, 2011