I hate wars, I cannot understand people that volunteer to go fight in (someone else’s) wars and I cannot possibly fathom research that is being sponsored to help people who get PTSD because they volunteered to go to war and come back totally traumatized (what did they expect?). But.. There are lots of people who…Continue reading Probiotics and Post-traumatic stress disorder
Category: Microbes
The ‘autistic’ gut has less diversity in microorganisms
The Gut-Brain Axis is IN, big time.. A lot of recent research focuses on how the gut microbial flora changes during disease states and another team has now shown that individuals with autism have less diversity in terms of the microbes (bacteria of the genera Prevotella, Coprococcus, and unclassified Veillonellaceae involved in carbohydrate-degradation and/or fermentation)…Continue reading The ‘autistic’ gut has less diversity in microorganisms
Beatrice The Biologist about ‘Your Intimate Surroundings’
Beatrice the Biologist drew this awesome picture.. Exactly what we’re talking about here! Thank you BtB! 👍
Why green veggies are good for your gut – get ‘sulfoquinovosed’
Sulfoquinovose (SQ), it’s quite a mouthful 🙂 SQ is a abundant sugar produced by photosynthetic organisms, such as leafy green vegetables, as a source of carbon and sulfur. It is the only sugar that contains sulfur, required to build proteins that sustain bacteria. Researchers have now found out that good gut bacteria, such as E.…Continue reading Why green veggies are good for your gut – get ‘sulfoquinovosed’
Bacterial virulence factors as target for anti-infectives
Targeting virulence factors, produced by bacteria to evade the immune system, is another approach to find new anti-infectives medications. In this light, Shapiro and Wencewicz investigated the virulence factor acinetobactin and its precursor produced by Acinetobacter Baumanii. The precursor of acinetobactin, creatively called pre- acinetobactin, seems to be most stable in acidic environments, such as wounds.…Continue reading Bacterial virulence factors as target for anti-infectives
A vaccine for Dengue fever?
Sanofi has now received approval for the use of Dengvaxia, a new vaccine against Dengue fever, in Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines. The vaccine has been tested in patients within the age range of 9-45 years, in whom three vaccination rounds resulted in the prevention of the 4 forms of Dengue fever in 65% of…Continue reading A vaccine for Dengue fever?
Fluorescent wound dressings signal infection
Researchers in the UK have developed a wound dressing that produces fluorescent light when it comes into contact with the toxins produced by a biofilm in which pathogenic bacteria are residing in the wound. The visual cue is supposedly helpful in starting antibiotic therapy at an earlier time point, which might be helpful in preventing the…Continue reading Fluorescent wound dressings signal infection
Zika virus outbreak in Brazil
Some facts about the current Zika virus ‘outbreak’ in Brazil: A few deaths have been reported in people who had been diagnosed with dengue fever and who died due to worsening symptoms. These patients were shown post-mortem to be infected with Zika virus. Worsening of dengue-fever-like symptoms hence will need to be treated as such…Continue reading Zika virus outbreak in Brazil
Food Hacking Base at 32C3 needs your support!
And this year again, Food Hacking Base will be at 32C3 to promote all sorts of weird and mad food hacking. Support them via the link below: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/food-hacking-base-in-hamburg-during-32c3-with-you#/
Micro-organisms in paper form
A short moment of WAUW! for this artist! Celebrating life’s diversity by creating micro organisms in paper form.. Paper Life – The artist Rogan Brown cuts thousands of microorganisms in paper The image above comes from http://www.ufunk.net/en/artistes/rogan-brown/