We were the first to make the connection between P. gingivalis and fully diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease. While evidence of a link is growing, it must be interpreted in context.
Scientists still rely on a set of 19th century postulates to identify disease-causing organisms but more than 100 years of research shows why we need to move on.
Antibiotics are only useful for treating infections caused by bacteria, not viruses or fungi.
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Christine Carson, The University of Western Australia et Tim Inglis, The University of Western Australia
It’s hard to predict how long it will take to feel better after you start taking antibiotics. But if you start feeling worse one to two days after starting the therapy, you must see your doctor.
A capsule with a genetically engineered bacterium for therapeutic purposes.
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Researchers are exploring the possibility of creating living drugs – designer microbes that can live in our guts and provide critical components that our body needs but can’t make itself.
Human poo is a concoction made up mostly of water with a sprinkling of the solid stuff.
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Millions of bacteria live on our skin without making us sick. It’s when they manage to get through that they can be dangerous – particularly if they’re resistant to antibiotics.
An artist depiction of a biofilm harboring antibiotic-resistant rod-shaped and spherical bacteria.
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Smooth surfaces often provide nooks and crannies for bacteria to hold onto and create a colony. New research with nanoparticles is revealing the secrets of surfaces that prevent bacterial attachment.
Lung plague attacks cattle causing disease and death, and more than US$60 million in losses annually in Africa. A new vaccine could prevent the disease.
A foldable, biodegradable battery based on paper and bacteria opens a new opportunity in electronics.
Seokheun Choi/Binghamton University
These single-celled organisms naturally respond to the Earth’s weak magnetic field. Scientists are untangling how it all works, looking to future biomedical and other engineering applications.
When bacteria change, antibiotics can stop working.
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The average office desk is said to contain 400 times more germs than a toilet seat.
Bacteria exchange genes easily, but a newly discovered set of rules that regulate these exchanges could help us to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.
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The discovery of molecular rules that regulate the transfer of genetic material between bacteria could help prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.
By the time they turn one, half of Australian babies have had a course of antibiotics.
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There may be additional long-term health harms from antibiotic exposure in early life and before birth, including an increased risk of infection, obesity and asthma.
If you eat a healthy diet, it’s probably not worth it.
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Probiotics have been proclaimed by many as the answer to all sorts of health issues and conditions. But what exactly are probiotics? And, more importantly, should you be taking them?