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
Drug resistance
Cheap, filter-based kits developed for TB diagnosis, drug-resistance testing
Three cheap, filter-based kits developed by a multi-institutional team and an industry partner improves the sensitivity of LED fluorescence microscopy by 5%, enable transport of sputum samples at ambient conditions without bio-safe containers and TB drug-resistance testing using molecular methods. To address the TB diagnostic challenges, a multi-institutional team has developed three cost-effective kits that … Continue reading Cheap, filter-based kits developed for TB diagnosis, drug-resistance testing
Cholera bacteria from India show high drug-resistance
The 443 cholera-causing Vibrio cholerae isolates isolated from patients from Kolkata and Delhi show very high drug resistance to 22 antibiotics belonging to nine classes. About 99% of the isolates are resistant to more than two antibiotics, 17% to more than 10 antibiotics, and 7.5% to more than 14 antibiotics. A study of 443 clinical … Continue reading Cholera bacteria from India show high drug-resistance
IMTECH’s novel compound treats colistin-resistant bacteria
A novel compound isolated from a soil bacterium by IMTECH researchers shows promise in killing Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli) that are resistant to colistin. Compared with colistin, 16 times less of the compound is enough to kill colistin-resistant bacteria. The compound also resists spontaneous mutation. A novel compound isolated from a soil … Continue reading IMTECH’s novel compound treats colistin-resistant bacteria
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
IISER Bhopal team strikes at the root of head and neck cancer growth
Researchers at IISER Bhopal have found that depleting the production of a specific protein kinase (PAK2) has a cascading effect in head and neck cancer. The expression of both cancer gene (c-Myc) and cancer-specific metabolic enzyme (PKM2) gets compromised when PAK2 protein is depleted. Inhibitors developed to target the PAK2 protein are more likely to … Continue reading IISER Bhopal team strikes at the root of head and neck cancer growth
Science Chronicle 