Phages may help fight drug-resistant infections—but finding the right ones for each bacterium is no mean feat. https://media.wired.com/photos/632e463cd884b4dcc941657a/master/pass/Superbugs_Phages_science_ScienceSource_SS2477568.jpg
Tag: viruses
Bacteria engage in chemical warfare against viruses
Enlarge (credit: Getty / Aurich) Bacteria have plenty of ways to combat the viruses that plague them, called phages. The CRISPR-Cas system and restriction enzymes that cleave phage DNA are the best understood, but there are others. They use a variety of different mechanisms and stop phages at various stages of infection, but they all […]
Game of Viruses? HBO to dramatize ‘Stuxnet’ cyber attack on Iran
The story behind the shadowy US-Israeli cyber attack against the Iranian nuclear program may soon be coming to TV screens. HBO is reportedly working on a miniseries based on ‘Zero Days,’ an award-winning documentary about Stuxnet. The network behind ‘Game of Thrones’ has reportedly partnered with Carnival Films, the production company behind ‘Downton Abbey,’ to […]
Never-before-seen viruses that can kill bacteria stream from women’s bladders
Enlarge / Viral gold. (credit: Getty | UniversalImagesGroup ) Plumbing the depths of women’s bladders may shower researchers with viral gold. In a wee survey, Loyola University Chicago researchers found the sac-like organ brimming with never-before-seen viruses that can kill and manipulate bacteria. Their findings, published this week in the Journal of Bacteriology, offer a […]
Killer viruses from outer space might be more common than we think – study
Could an alien virus arrive from outer space and wipe out the human race? It may sound like the plot of a B-movie, but an international group of scientists is now formally exploring the possibility for the very first time. In a study published in the journal Astrobiology next month, the group sets out its […]
US lifts ban on funding research for gene-modified super viruses
For the past 3 years, the US has maintained a moratorium on backing research that involves genetically modifying viruses to make them more potent, whether it’s their ability to spread or their lethality. You can kiss that de facto ban goodbye, however: the government has lifted the restriction in favor of a new review step. […]
Dementia news: VIRUSES may play a role in Alzheimer’s – discovery hailed as ‘new chapter’
DEMENTIA development could be aided by virus, toxins and heat on cells, according to scientists. Discovery hailed as “new chapter” in Alzheimer’s research. Daily Express :: Health Feed
Don’t Blame Pigs for Swine Flu—Species Hopping Is How Viruses Evolve
The discovery that viruses move between species unexpectedly often is rewriting ideas about their evolutionary history—and may have troubling implications for the threat from emerging diseases. https://media.wired.com/photos/59b97697c9f0c6453874fd60/master/pass/VirusJumpsQuanta-FA.jpg Feed: All Latest
Cancer defense: Scientists create designer viruses that send ‘killer cells’ to fight tumor
Published time: 27 May, 2017 20:19 A team of Swiss scientists have created artificial viruses that stimulate the immune system which in turn activates and sends a “powerful army” of so-called killer cells to fight cancerous tumors. Read more Cancer cells are notoriously good at evading the immune system, but viral infections cause the body […]
‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend:’ Couple turns to viruses to beat back superbug
With her husband sliding close to death after falling ill while on vacation, a Canadian infectious-disease specialist desperately turned to an alternative treatment: She spearheaded an international effort to find bacteria-attacking viruses that would treat her husband. CBC | Health News
