A small study has found evidence of colistin-resistant bacteria in the gut. 77% of such bacteria were found to be food-acquired. There is a possibility of colistin resistant food Klebsiella to spread to human Klebsiella in the gut. A small study involving 65 stool samples taken from patients from a single hospital in Chennai found … Continue reading Presence of colistin-resistant bacteria of food origin in the gut is cause for worry
bacteria
JNCASR’s molecule effective against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
JNCASR researchers have synthesised a molecule that shows high antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. The molecule has no toxicity to human cells. It is effective against A. baumannii bacteria that is dormant as well. A novel molecule developed by chemically linking (conjugate) an amino acid (glycine) to a polymer has been found to possess … Continue reading JNCASR’s molecule effective against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
IISER Pune identifies druggable targets for multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
IISER Pune researchers have identified novel drug targets to kill multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. They increased the small molecule's ability to cross the cell barrier and bind to multiple proteins. A few proteins are crucial for bacteria's survival. Novel protein targets that can be used by candidate drug molecules to kill antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, … Continue reading IISER Pune identifies druggable targets for multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Washing does not remove Salmonella bacteria from tomatoes, IISc team finds
IISc researchers have found that tomatoes get infected with Salmonella typhimurium, which cause gastroenteritis, when the bacteria enter the plant through tiny openings that form on the main root for the lateral roots to emerge. Hence, the bacteria are found inside tomatoes and cannot be removed by washing. As salinity increases the number of lateral roots … Continue reading Washing does not remove Salmonella bacteria from tomatoes, IISc team finds
NCCS finds mass bathing during Kumbh Mela alters bacterial load, diversity
During Kumbh Mela in 2015, microbial diversity dropped by nearly 37.5% while bacterial load increased by about 130-fold at five bathing sites in Nashik from where samples were collected prior to and during the event. The study also found an increase in infectious diseases and drug-resistant microbe genes in the river water samples collected during … Continue reading NCCS finds mass bathing during Kumbh Mela alters bacterial load, diversity
Podcast: How Klebsiella bacteria develop colistin resistance
Abdul Ghafur explains how the team deciphered the mechanism by which Klebsiella bacteria develop resistance to colistin, a last-line antibiotic. Mutations and insertional inactivation of the mgrB gene, which is present in the chromosome, are responsible for colistin resistance in Klebsiella. The inserational sequence that moves out from the chromosome to plasmid before spreading to other … Continue reading Podcast: How Klebsiella bacteria develop colistin resistance
Mechanism of colistin resistance in food Klebsiella bacteria unravelled
Researchers found colistin-resistant bacteria in 49% vegetable, meat samples in Chennai. They have for the first time deciphered the mechanism by which food Klebsiella bacteria develop resistance to colisitin, a last-line antibiotic. Mutations and insertional inactivation of the mgrB gene, which is present in the chromosome, are responsible for colistin resistance in Klebsiella. A study carried out in … Continue reading Mechanism of colistin resistance in food Klebsiella bacteria unravelled
Podcast – Finding new drug target for Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria
IIT Roorkee researchers have identified the RNA protein Hfq as a potential drug target. Once the Hfq gene is removed, the Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria become less virulent, more susceptible to environmental stress, and survival under desiccation is compromised. Targeting the virulence of the bacteria opens up a new opportunity to develop more effective drugs.
IIT Roorkee finds new drug target for antibiotic resistant bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii
IIT Roorkee researchers have identified the RNA protein Hfq as a potential drug target. Once the Hfq gene is removed, the Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria become less virulent, more susceptible to environmental stress, and survival under desiccation is compromised. Targeting the virulence of the bacteria opens up a new opportunity to develop more effective drugs. Researchers … Continue reading IIT Roorkee finds new drug target for antibiotic resistant bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii
Podcast: How cholesterol helps bacterial toxins kill cells
IISc researchers have found cholesterol present in cell membrane playing a central role in the two-step process of stabilising and binding together the pore-forming toxin Cytolysin A. On binding to cholesterol, the structure of the toxin protein that is bound to the cell membrane undergoes a change and is also stabilised. Cholesterol is also essential in … Continue reading Podcast: How cholesterol helps bacterial toxins kill cells
Science Chronicle 