Antibiotic-resistant bacteria is one of the greatest threats to public health. The bacteria are so pervasive, they’re spilling over to penguins, sea lions, wallabies and more.
Estimating the cost of antibiotic resistance to economies and health-care systems is fraught with difficulty, but new research says Australia will be hit harder than we think.
The process of turning a newly dead animal into a bony skeleton relies on an explosion of life that ushers in decomposition.
(Shutterstock)
Nutrients and energy contained within dead animals are repurposed and repackaged into living, breathing insects.
Schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania have already found Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, in their water systems.
Andrew Whelton/Purdue University
When water stagnates in pipes, harmful metals and bacteria can accumulate and make people sick. Buildings that were shut down for weeks during the pandemic may be at risk.
Don’t think you’re alone when working from home - the typical office desk has more than 10 million bacteria. Here’s how to stop your WFH setup leaving you needing sick leave.
Bacteria can become more deadly and antibiotic-resilient in space. And while more research is needed to figure out how severe the risks are, they could be catastrophic.
Lorna Jane landed in hot water this week after promoting a new line of its activewear as “antiviral”. They’ve pulled back, but are still claiming the line is antibacterial – and that’s worrying too.
One thing everyone agrees on: Hand-washing helps prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Getty Images / Isabel Pavia
The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted interest in home gardening. Three scientists who garden explain some basic methods for controlling common insects and microbes that can spoil your crop.
Not all clouds are the same, and climate models have been predicting the wrong kinds of clouds over the Southern Ocean.
Kathryn Moore
Climate models have been overestimating how much sunlight hits the Southern Ocean. This is because the clouds there are different from clouds anywhere else. Bacterial DNA helped us understand why.
OM85 harnesses molecules extracted from bacteria, and has shown promise in preventing severe respiratory infections. It seems to work by training the immune system.
CDC/Antibiotic Resistance Coordination and Strategy Unit. Medical Illustrator: Meredith Newlove
S. pneumoniae, the bacteria responsible for pneumonia, causes about one million deaths each year. Now we know how it uses the sugar raffinose to spread through the body to cause disease.
Cash is unlikely to give you the coronavirus.
Rolf Bruderer/Getty Images
A CSIRO survey has found many people are confused about common infections, believing antibiotics can treat colds, flu and other viruses. This could fuel a dangerous rise in drug-resistant superbugs.
An exoplanet and its atmosphere pass in front of its star (artist’s impression, from an imaginary point near to the planet).
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
New research expands the pool of habitable worlds to include super-Earths with hydrogen-rich atmospheres.
Discolored water can be caused by heavy metals, such as iron or copper. Iron can also act as a nutrient for organisms to grow in the pipes.
Kyungyeon Ra/Purdue University
Office buildings have been left mostly empty for weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic, leaving standing water in pipes where harmful organisms can grow. What happens when those buildings reopen?
Hand sanitisers can contain ingredients that may cause antimicrobial resistance.
Maridav/ Shutterstock