PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New method reveals bacterial reaction to antibiotics in five minutes

2023-05-22
(Press-News.org) “We are confident and hope that this can be one of many tools that doctors need to tackle antibiotic resistance, which is a serious and growing problem,” says principal investigator Vicent Pelechano, associate professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet.

The method is called 5PSeq, is simple to use, and is based on sequencing the messenger RNA (mRNA) that the bacteria break down as they synthesise proteins. The measurements reveal how the bacteria are affected by different environmental factors, such as antibiotic treatments and other types of stress.

Rapid test for clinical use

The researchers tested the method on a total of 96 bacterial species from different phyla in complex clinical samples taken, for example, from faecal matter and the vagina, but also in compost samples. After only a matter of minutes, they were able to see whether or not the bacteria responded to antibiotic treatment; the effect was most salient after about half an hour.

3N Bio is a company that Dr Pelechano and some of his colleagues have started up in the KI Innovations incubator to develop the method and create a rapid molecular test for clinical use. They have now received financing from the Swedish Research Council to demonstrate proof of concept for such a test in collaboration with the Karolinska University Hospital.

“It’s crucial that doctors can quickly find the right antibiotics for seriously ill patients with bacterial infections to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics,” says Dr Pelechano. “Current methods of testing antibiotic resistance can take hours or even days, but often treatment needs to be given more promptly than that to avoid serious consequences for the patient. Because of this, a broad-spectrum antibiotic is often prescribed, which increases the risk of resistance.”

Examine how bacteria interact

Apart from measuring antibiotic resistance, the method can be used to help researchers understand how bacteria handle stress and interact with each other and with their hosts. The researchers will continue to study complex gut samples to examine how the bacterial communities interact in our gut and contribute to health and disease.

The research was financed by the Ragnar Söderbergs foundation (Swedish Foundations’ Starting Grant), the Swedish Research Council, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (a Wallenberg Academy Fellowship), EU’s Horizon 2020, among others. See the scientific article for a complete list. 3N Bio was co-founded by Vicent Pelechano and the two first authors of the paper, Susanne Huch and Lilit Nersisyan.

Publication: “Atlas of mRNA translation and decay for bacteria”, Susanne Huch, Lilit Nersisyan, Maria Ropat, Donal Barrett, Mengjun Wu, Jing Wang, Valerie D Valeriano, Nelli Vardazaryan, Jaime Huerta-Cepas, Wu Wei, Juan Du, Lars M Steinmetz, Lars Engstrand, Vicent Pelechano. Nature Microbiology, online 22 May 2023, doi: 10.1038/s41564-023-01393-z.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Uncovering new mechanisms for wheat rust resistance

Uncovering new mechanisms for wheat rust resistance
2023-05-22
Researchers have cloned the wheat rust resistance genes Lr9 and Sr43 and identified that they encode unusual kinase fusion proteins[1][2]. Their research will enable new options for addressing resistance to disease in bread wheat. Each year about 20 percent of global wheat production is lost to pests and disease, the equivalent of 3,500 grain ships. Breeding resistant cultivars is one of the most economical and environmentally friendly ways to address the problem. The wild relatives of wheat provide a ...

Importance of neuroscientific evidence for rape trials

2023-05-22
The law should take into consideration neuroscientific evidence that suggests fear and threat can cause victims to become ‘frozen’ in cases of rape or sexual assault, argue UCL experts. In a comment article, published in Nature Human Behaviour, Professor Patrick Haggard and former UCL undergraduate, Ebani Dhawan, state that victims of sexual assault are often blamed for not fighting or fleeing their attackers. Thirty per cent of women are thought to experience sexual assault or rape in their lifetime. And, of those who have attended an emergency clinic, 70% reported being “frozen” during ...

Communities should reconsider walking away from curbside recycling, study shows

2023-05-22
Curbside recycling can compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions from garbage destined for landfills, says a new study that encourages towns and cities to continue offering recycling services to meet their climate goals.   The study’s authors took a deep dive into the economic and environmental value of community recycling efforts and compared it to the value of other climate change mitigation practices. They concluded that recycling provides a return on investment similar to or better than environmentally friendly strategies like transitioning to electric vehicles or purchasing green power, which is electricity from clean, renewable energy sources.  “Eliminating ...

A commonly used tool is suboptimal in predicting osteoporosis fracture risk in younger post-menopausal women

2023-05-22
FINDINGS The commonly used Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX), which includes self-identified race and ethnicity information, and the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool (OST), which does not, had suboptimal performance in determining major osteoporotic fracture risk across racial/ethnic categories in younger postmenopausal women. But OST was excellent for identifying who had osteoporosis within each racial/ethnic category.    BACKGROUND The researchers sought to compare the ability of FRAX and OST ...

Prevalence of mental health diagnoses in children and adolescents before, during pandemic

2023-05-22
About The Study: The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that trends in mental health diagnoses among children and adolescents in the U.S. differed greatly by age and sex over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Female youth, especially female adolescents, represented the most vulnerable population with regard to marked increases in the prevalence of mental health diagnoses during the pandemic, the most pronounced being the prevalence of eating disorders.  Authors: Loreen Straub, M.D., M.S., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard ...

Safety of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 17

2023-05-22
About The Study: Among 20 health outcomes that were monitored in near real time in this study including more than 3 million children ages 5 to 17 who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, a safety signal was identified for only myocarditis or pericarditis. Consistent with other published reports, these results provide additional evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe in children.  Authors: Steven A. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.P., of the Food and Drug Administration in Silver Spring, ...

HPV transmission, persistence in pregnant women and neonates

2023-05-22
About The Study: In this study of 1,050 pregnant women and their neonates, vaginal human papillomavirus (HPV) was frequently detected in pregnant women. Perinatal transmission was infrequent, and in this cohort, no infection detected at birth persisted at six months. Although HPV was detected in placentas, it remains difficult to differentiate contamination versus true infection.  Authors: Helen Trottier, M.Sc., Ph.D., of the Universite de Montreal in Montreal, is the corresponding author. To ...

A giant leap forward in wireless ultrasound monitoring for subjects in motion

A giant leap forward in wireless ultrasound monitoring for subjects in motion
2023-05-22
A team of engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed the first fully integrated wearable ultrasound system for deep-tissue monitoring, including for subjects on the go. It facilitates potentially life-saving cardiovascular monitoring and marks a major breakthrough for one of the world’s leading wearable ultrasound labs. The paper, “A fully integrated wearable ultrasound system to monitor deep tissues in moving subjects,” is published in the May 22, 2023 issue of Nature Biotechnology. “This project gives a complete solution to wearable ultrasound technology—not ...

'Lost' immune cells partly to blame for reduced vaccine response in older people

Lost immune cells partly to blame for reduced vaccine response in older people
2023-05-22
Understanding the ways our immune response changes as we age holds the key to designing better vaccines and boosting protection for people most at risk. Research published by Dr Michelle Linterman and her group today in Nature Immunology has explained that the organisation of the germinal centre, which is vital to the generation of longer-lived protection following vaccination, is altered in ageing. By demonstrating that these age-related changes can be reversed in mice, the research sets the foundation for interventions that bolster an effective vaccine response. After a vaccination ...

Stretching metals at the atomic level allows researchers to create important materials for quantum, electronic, and spintronic applications

Stretching metals at the atomic level allows researchers to create important materials for quantum, electronic, and spintronic applications
2023-05-22
A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team has developed a first-of-its-kind, breakthrough method that makes it easier to create high-quality metal oxide thin films out of “stubborn” metals that have historically been difficult to synthesize in an atomically precise manner. This research paves the way for scientists to develop better materials for various next-generation applications including quantum computing, microelectronics, sensors, and energy catalysis. The researchers’ paper is published in Nature Nanotechnology, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI model offers accurate and explainable insights to support autism assessment

Process for dealing with sexual misconduct by doctors requires major reform

Severe pregnancy sickness raises risk of mental health conditions by over 50%

Early humans may have walked from Türkiye to mainland Europe, new groundbreaking research suggests

New study shows biochar’s electrical properties can influence rice field methane emissions

Guangdong faces largest chikungunya outbreak on record

Tirzepatide improves blood sugar control in children aged 10-17 years with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on existing therapies (SURPASS-PEDS trial)

An old drug, in a low dose, shown to be safe and effective in preventing progression of type 1 diabetes in children and young people (MELD-ATG trial)

Study reports potential effects of verapamil in slowing progression of type 1 diabetes

Fresh hope for type 1 diabetes as daily pill that slows onset confirms promise at 2-year follow-up

New estimates predict over 4 million missing people who would be alive in 2025 if not for inadequate type 1 diabetes care

So what should we call this – a grue jay?

Chicago Quantum Exchange-led coalition advances to final round in NSF Engine competition

Study identifies candidates for therapeutic targets in pediatric germ cell tumors

Media alert: The global burden of CVD

Study illuminates contributing factors to blood vessel leakage

What nations around the world can learn from Ukraine

Mixing tree species does not always make forests more drought-resilient

Public confidence in U.S. health agencies slides, fueled by declines among Democrats

“Quantum squeezing” a nanoscale particle for the first time

El Niño spurs extreme daily rain events despite drier monsoons in India

Two studies explore the genomic diversity of deadly mosquito vectors

Zebra finches categorize their vocal calls by meaning

Analysis challenges conventional wisdom about partisan support for US science funding

New model can accurately predict a forest’s future

‘Like talking on the telephone’: Quantum computing engineers get atoms chatting long distance

Genomic evolution of major malaria-transmitting mosquito species uncovered

Overcoming the barriers of hydrogen storage with a low-temperature hydrogen battery

Tuberculosis vulnerability of people with HIV: a viral protein implicated

Partnership with Kenya's Turkana community helps scientists discover genes involved in adaptation to desert living

[Press-News.org] New method reveals bacterial reaction to antibiotics in five minutes