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Tactics of new Middle East virus suggest treating by altering lung cells’ response to infection

By Guest PostJune 7, 2013Healthacute, antiviral reaction, China, DNA, Environment, flu virus, h7n9 influenza virus, host, human coronavirus, human coronavirus emc, immune response, killing the virus, laurence josset, lisa e gralinski, lung cell gene, lung cells, mbio, michael g katze, middle east virus, pathogen interactions, respiratory syndrome virus, response to infection, rna, sars, sudhakar agnihothram, tactics, university of washington, vineet d menachery, virologist

A new virus that causes severe breathing distress and kidney failure elicits a distinctive airway cell response to allow it to multiply. Scientists studying the Human Coronavirus-Erasmus Medical Center, which first appeared April 2012 in the Middle East, have discovered helpful details about its stronghold tactics.

Their findings predict that certain currently available compounds might treat the infection. These could act not by killing the virus directly but by keeping lung cells from being forced to create a hospitable environment for the virus to reproduce. The researchers caution that their lab and computer predictions would need to be tested to see if the drugs work clinically. (more…)

Study Suggests Antibiotics Might be Another Suspect in Honey Bee Die-off

By Guest PostNovember 3, 2012Natureagriculture, american beekeepers, american foulbrood, antibiotics, bacterial pathogen, bacterial species, baoyu tian, bee colonies, bee pollination, bee population, bumblebees, disorder, drug, elijah powell, evolutionary event, factor, genetic analysis, gut bacteria, health hazard, honey bee, livestock, mbio, mysterious colony, nancy moran, nibal fadhil, parasites, pathogen, tetracycline, tylosin, united states, waldan kwong, west campus, william fleming, yale university

The gut bacteria of honey bees have acquired several genes that confer resistance to tetracycline, a direct result of more than five decades of use of antibiotics by American beekeepers and a potential health hazard for bee colonies, a new study by Yale University researchers show.

The genetic analysis of the gut bacteria, which are believed to help in bees’ digestion and ability to ward off parasites, suggests changing antibiotic use by beekeepers might be one factor in the mysterious colony collapse disorder afflicting bee populations. (more…)

Bacteria Make Thrift a Habit

By Guest PostAugust 26, 2010Scienceamino acids, bacteria, bacterial protein, bacterium, balance function, curli, daniel smith, e coli, economic cost, escherichia coli, fibers, flagellu, glycine, illness, matthew chapman, mbio, metabolic, microbes, proteins, smith and chapman, ssga, university of michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— In these lean times, smart consumers refuse to pay a lot for throwaway items, but will shell out a little more for products that can be used again and again. The same is true of bacteria and other microbes, researchers at the University of Michigan have learned.

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Tactics of new Middle East virus suggest treating by altering lung cells’ response to infection

Study Suggests Antibiotics Might be Another Suspect in Honey Bee Die-off

Bacteria Make Thrift a Habit