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Infectious Fungus, Thought to Be Asexual, Isn’t

By Guest PostDecember 6, 2011Scienceallison m porman, asexual, brown university, candida albicans, candida genus, candida tropicalis, drug resistance, fungi, genetic switch, genus, infections, kevin alby, mating, matthew hirakawa, richard bennett, sex, sex as a survival tactic, sexual nature, species, the mating habits, wor1

*Candida tropicalis turns out to have sex, making it the second medically important member of the genus to be capable of mating. Sex may improve the survival of the species, particularly when it’s under pressure. It may also mean the species can achieve greater virulence or drug resistance more quickly than previously thought.*

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The fungi of the Candida genus, known to millions of patients worldwide for their ability to cause serious infections, were once all thought to be asexual. Even after scientists discovered that the mating habits of Candida albicans were many and varied, they remained convinced that many of the more infectious ones did not mate. Now with the first report that Candida tropicalis can mate sexually as well, the chastity of the whole genus comes into further doubt. (more…)

WHOI Teaming with Flatley Discovery Lab in Search for Effective Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis

By Guest PostOctober 13, 2011Health, Scienceantibiotics, biological and chemical processes of ocean microbes, cf, cftr, cftr gene, charlestown, chemical extracts, cystic fibrosis, cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator, flatley discovery lab, fungi, gene, john flatley, marine actinomycetes, marine microbes, marine microbial extracts, membrane, microbes, microbial infection biofilm, mutation, phytoplankton, respiratory disease, richard fitzpatrick, sodium transport, susan k. avery, therapeutic agents for cystic fibrosis, tracy mincer, whoi, woods hole oceanographic institution

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has signed a $1.18 million agreement with the Flatley Discovery Lab in Charlestown, Mass., to investigate and supply marine microbial extracts as possible treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF).

The life-shortening respiratory disease has eluded attempts at a cure, although researchers have been successful in some cases at adding years to a person’s lifespan, primarily through treatment with antibiotics. (more…)

Yale Students’ Trip to Rainforest Yields New Way to Degrade Plastic

By Guest PostAugust 7, 2011EnvironmentAmazon rainforest, biological activity, bioremediation, degrade polyurethane, endophytes, enzyme, equador, fungi, howard hughes medical institute, jeffrey huang, jonathan r russell, kaury kucera, new haven, organisms, plastic, pria anand, rainforest plants, yale rainforest expedition, yale students, yale undergraduates

Organisms discovered by Yale undergraduates growing within fungi in the Amazon Rainforest can degrade polyurethane, a findings that may lead to innovative ways to reduce waste in the world’s landfills.

The paper, accepted for publication in July by the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, is the work of undergraduates who participated in Yale’s Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory course, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (more…)

How Pathogens Hijack Host Plants

By Guest PostNovember 27, 20101 commentSciencearabidopsis, bacteria, cell membrane, cells, diabetes, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, frank white, fret, fungi, global crop, infestation, li-qing chen, mustard, mutation, novel transporters, organism, pathogen infection, pathogenic bacteria, pathogens, plant nutrients, pore proteins, protein genes, sensor-based technology, sugar efflux, sugar-pumping mechanism, sweets

Palo Alto, CA — Infestation by bacteria and other pathogens result in global crop losses of over $500 billion annually. A research team led by the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology developed a novel trick for identifying how pathogens hijack plant nutrients to take over the organism. They discovered a novel family of pores that transport sugar out of the plant. Bacteria and fungi hijack the pores to access the plant sugar for food. The first goal of any pathogen is to access the host’s food supply to allow them to reproduce in large numbers. This is the first time scientists have a direct handle on controlling the food supply to pathogens and thus a new means to prevent a wide range of crop diseases and losses. (more…)

The Natural World of the Human Mouth

By PravdaAugust 21, 20102 commentsHealthanaerobic bacteria, bacilli, bacteria, bacterial equilibrium, bacteroids, chromosome number, dental plaque, fungi, fuziformis, gene-villains, human oral cavity, jeff hillman, lactic acid bacteria, lactobacilli, microorganisms, oral microflora, oral mucosa folds, pathogenic microflora, pathogenic microflorabacteria, periodontitis, porphyromonas gingivalis, prevotelly, protozoa, saprophytic, saprophytic microflora, spirochetes and actinomycetes, streptococcus, veillonella, viruses

According to scientists, the number of species of microorganisms that permanently reside in the human oral cavity amounts to 200-500. Of those, only fifty are named and studied. They have various looks: balloons, ovoids, bacilli, those that look like corn on the cob, bottle brushes, spirals, zippers, etc. What of the inhabitants of the mouth are our enemies, and what are friends?

(more…)

Tag Archives: fungi

Infectious Fungus, Thought to Be Asexual, Isn’t

WHOI Teaming with Flatley Discovery Lab in Search for Effective Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis

Yale Students’ Trip to Rainforest Yields New Way to Degrade Plastic

How Pathogens Hijack Host Plants

The Natural World of the Human Mouth