Microbiology nerd
A vaccination against tuberculosis (TB) could be made more effective by injecting it directly into the bloodstream at a higher dose, new research suggests. TB, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the leading causes of infection globally, killing approximately 1.7 million people and infecting around 10 million annually. So far, the only licensed vaccine … Read more
The bacterial species Klebsiella may contribute to a dangerously high level of antibiotic resistance in Kenya, a recent study suggests. Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study is a collaborative effort between institutions including the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). In many developing nations, the occurrence of … Read more
A modified form of vancomycin gives the drug key advantages which could greatly boost its efficiency against dangerous bacteria and reduce the chances of resistant strains developing, new research shows. The study, conducted by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in the US, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of … Read more
Researchers from the National University of Ireland Galway have developed a new antibacterial treatment, effective against drug-resistant bacteria, which takes inspiration from the human immune system. This treatment, called the ‘iodo-thiocyanate complex’, or ITC for short, also showed a low propensity to lead to the development of resistant bacterial strains. The paper was published on … Read more
Researchers have found a method to identify bacteria showing one of the most dangerous forms of antibiotic resistance, in a test that’s both quick and cheap to run. Dr Laurent Dortet, an Associate Professor at South Paris University and his colleagues at Imperial College London, Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus and Professor Alain Filloux, presented their work … Read more
A new dual therapy approach to fight multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria has been uncovered – and, interestingly, it involves an existing antifungal and antiprotozoal drug. Dr. Eric Brown, professor of biochemistry at McMaster University, and his team showed that pentamidine, a drug normally used to treat protozoan and fungal infections, is effective against drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria when … Read more
Nursing homes may be infrequently applying isolation precautions to prevent the spread of infections caused by multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO), a recent study suggests. The study, which was published on the 17th February 2017 in The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, was carried out at Columbia University School of Nursing in an attempt to … Read more
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a list of the 12 bacterial families against which new antibiotics are desperately needed. Unveiling the list on the 27th February 2017, WHO hopes that this list will spur the research and development of new antibiotics at a time when the drugs we’ve come to rely on to … Read more
Scientists have discovered a novel lysin which could be a valuable new tool in the fight against MRSA. The paper, which was published on January 9th in Nature, highlighted a novel chimeric lysin, called ClyF, which showed promising activity against MRSA both in vitro and in murine infection models, in vivo. From a library of … Read more
We may have found a new ally in the fight against antibiotic resistance… though it might not be what you’d expect. Researchers have found exciting evidence to suggest that a predatory bacteria, Bdellovibro bacteriovirus, could be used to deal with dangerous bacterial infections as a ‘living antibiotic’. The study, published on the 23rd November in … Read more