The Victorian community is seeing a worsening epidemic of flesh-eating bacteria that causes Buruli ulcer. But how can we prevent this disease if we don’t know where it comes from and how it spreads?
Two people have died after eating rockmelon contaminated with listeria. A total of ten cases have been confirmed in NSW, Queensland and Victoria between Jan 17 and Feb 9, and more are expected.
As the death count in South Africa’s listeriosis outbreak rises, Canadian researchers are isolating bacteria from the microbiome of exotic foods to try to develop a solution.
Antonio Lazcano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Lynn Margulis (1938-2011) was a courageous scholar whose remarkable work on the role of symbiosis in evolution stands as a magisterial contribution of science.
Bacteria are everywhere, even on your drink garnishes and ice. While most are not going to harm you, some can make you very sick. Here are some things to consider at public drink stations.
When jetting off on holiday, we rarely give a second thought to what microbes we might be taking with us. But humans spread trillions of bacteria around the globe, potentially harming ecosystems’ balance.
Inserting a random DNA mishmash into a plant or bacterium directs it to make a novel protein. Sifting through the resulting molecules, researchers may find ones have medical or agricultural uses.
Bugs use their own defecation to defend their young, locate their homes and increase mating opportunities. For humans, insect faeces may even have untapped medicinal properties.