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Throughout human history, pandemics responsible for the deaths of millions have plagued mankind. Unfortunately, experts believe occurrence of another pandemic is not so much a question of “if” as a question of “when.”

Researchers from Lund University and the University of Zurich have developed a way to use mass spectrometry to measure hundreds of proteins in a single blood sample. With the help of protein patterns it is then possible to determine the severity of a patient's sepsis and which organs have been damaged. The method is presented in an article in Nature Communications.

Antibiotics that fight infection can adversely affect the digestive tract and give destructive bacteria a chance to flourish, said assistant professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences Joy Scaria of South Dakota State University. His research seeks to identify probiotic mixes to treat intestinal infections, such as Clostridium difficile.