Ancient microbes likely produced natural products their descendants today do not. Tapping into this lost chemical diversity could offer a potential source of new drugs.
Certain factors can disrupt the gut microbiota. These include our diet, alcohol consumption, antibiotics and inflammatory bowel disease.
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This whirlwind tour of social history describes how infectious diseases have shaped humanity at every stage. It suggests reducing inequality will give us our best chance of surviving future plagues.
Tetanus is a rare but potentially fatal disease. Being up to date with tetanus vaccination is your best protection.
Tolerant bacteria are dormant until an antibiotic threat has passed, then reemerge to conduct business as usual.
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Antibiotic resistance has contributed to millions of deaths worldwide. Research suggests that any bacteria can develop antibiotic tolerance, and possibly resistance, when pushed to their limits.
The gut microbiome plays a big role in mediating how the immune system responds to perceived threats, which include the body’s own nerves.
Washing your hands reduces your risk of transmitting and contracting harmful bacteria from other people and the environment.
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Fossil evidence of how the earliest life on Earth came to be is hard to come by. But scientists have come up with a few theories based on the microbes, viruses and prions existing today.
Artificial intelligence can be used to develop new drugs, quickly and cheaply.
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Bacterial infections are a growing global challenge. This is due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and researchers are turning to AI to develop new drugs.
Communal bathing can get pretty disgusting.
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Cancer cells are ‘cheaters’ that do not cooperate with the rest of the body. Certain microbes in your diet can either protect against or promote tumor formation by influencing cell cooperation.
Early treatment with antibiotics can be life-saving.
Red mitochondria in airway cells become coated with green SARS-COV-2 proteins after viral infection: Researchers discovered that the virus that causes COVID-19 damages lungs by attacking mitochondria.
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COVID-19 causes lung injury and lowers oxygen levels in patients because the SARS-CoV-2 virus attacks cells’ mitochondria. This attack is a throwback to a primitive war between viruses and bacteria.
Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms without nuclei and are commonly known as bacteria.
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