In recent years, superbugs have become one of the biggest threats to modern human health. At present, the CDC estimates that some 23,000 people die every year from multidrug-resistant infections in the United States. The threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to global health is big enough that this year the World…
A new experiment shows that long-term exposure to microgravity affects bacteria at the genetic level—conferring reproductive advantages that persist even after the bacteria is reintroduced to unaffected colonies and normal levels of gravity here on Earth.
Over the past nine months, the number of US cases of an emerging, multi-drug resistant fungus has ballooned from 7 to more than 122. What’s more, the fungus, Candida auris, seems to be spreading, according to a field report the Centers for Disease Control released Thursday.
For the first time ever, the World Health Organization has published a list of the 12 superbugs that pose the greatest threat to human health.
When folks talk about the gene-editing tool CRISPR, they’re usually talking about CRISPR-Cas9, a combination of DNA and enzymes that together act like scissors to cut and paste genes. CRISPR-Cas9 has already been hailed a potential game changer in the fight against cancer, crop pathogens, and environmental problems.…
Fifteen years ago, US public health officials declared that infections resistant to antibiotics could become a major threat. That threat, it seems, has arrived.
On January 1, a set of long-awaited FDA rules went into effect that could mark a major shift in the agency’s approach to antibiotics for livestock animals. First, the new policies place an outright ban on the use of any antibiotics considered “medically important” to help animals gain weight. The rules also require…
The US Centers for Disease Control has released a report in which it identifies over a dozen cases of a deadly, antibiotic-resistant fungus called Candida auris. It’s the first time this super-strain has been found in the US, and disturbingly, four of the first seven patients infected with it have died.
Researchers from Australia have discovered that chemical compounds found in the milk of Tasmanian devils are capable of killing some of the most deadly bacterial infections—a surprising finding that could introduce a new class of weapons in the war against superbugs.
Earlier this month, a frightening report warned of an antibiotic-resistant superbug which might kill as many as 10 million people worldwide by 2050. Now it looks like the first case of that superbug has been documented in the US.
An 18-month review into antimicrobial resistance warns that superbugs will kill upwards of 10 million people a year by 2050, a frightening prospect that’s being described as “the antibiotic apocalypse.”
You’ll find nisin in quite a lot of your food—particularly the food that has to be shelf-stable. Some people look askance at preservatives, but not only is this one all-natural, it has just been shown to kill tumor cells and antibiotic resistant bacteria.
The structure you see above has been nicknamed a “comet,” but it’s really bacteria streaking across an agar plate. Scientists have found out that superbugs, antibiotic resistant bacteria, can move, helping them spread and establish new colonies.
Gird your immune system because what you're about to read will make you sick. No, seriously, it's dangerous. Like Contagion-level dangerous.
Would you cuddle up with a quilt stained with MRSA? Artist Anna Dumitriu challenges the relationship between humans and bacteria by staining textiles with superbugs.
As we continue fighting the most dastardly pathogens with new and improved antibiotics, the list of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains only grows longer—leaving us somewhat helpless against the threat of superbugs.
Hospital infection rates are on the rise with 1 in 20 Americans already being admitted to the hospital this year, according to CDC estimates, and in some instances, winding up more sick than when they arrived. These infections kill around 100,000 vulnerable patients and cost the healthcare industry $30 billion…
Pandas aren't exactly renowned for their health and hardiness — if anything, they've earned a reputation as a fragile, sex-averse species that needs constant human conservation just to keep from going extinct. Well, they might be about to repay the favor in a big way, thanks to a powerful antibiotic locked inside…
A drug-resistant superbug could be catastrophic for our species, but how are we supposed to stop an incurable illness? By stunting it before it takes hold. Scientists have discovered a molecule that some virulent bacteria need in order to latch onto a host. They think they might be able to create a treatment that…
Lechuguilla Cave has been completely isolated from the outside world for over four million years, making it one of the world's most pristine ecosystems. And yet it's full of bacteria that are resistant to modern antibiotics. This is fantastic news.
