bacteria

Stories 161 - 180 | << Prev   Next >>

Simple Test May Help Diagnose Autism Early

Stomach microbes could signal onset at 6 months old

(Newser) - Children with and without autism show marked differences in the makeup of their intestinal bacteria, and a simple urine test may help doctors diagnose the condition in children as young as 6 months old. Children typically aren't diagnosed until they're 2, delaying the start of intervention and other treatments. With...

FDA Probes 'Hormone Disrupter' in Soap, Toothpaste

Studies in animals point to risk

(Newser) - The Food and Drug Administration is taking a closer look at an antibacterial found in soap and toothpaste. Animal studies of the substance, triclosan, suggest it may alter hormone regulation or help develop resistance to antibiotics, Reuters notes. "There are many troubling questions about triclosan's effectiveness and potentially harmful...

Bacteria on Skin May Be Used to ID Criminals

Study shows people can be identified by their bugs

(Newser) - Forget fingerprints: The latest crime fighting tool may be the traces of bacteria we carry on our skin. A new study shows it is possible to identify people based on their personal brand of bacteria. "Each one of us leaves a unique trail of bugs behind," a researcher...

Harmful Bacteria Found in Hand Sanitizers

FDA issues warning on two Puerto Rican brands

(Newser) - The FDA has issued a warning on two Puerto Rican brands of hand sanitizer that are liable to coat your hands in dangerous bacteria instead of sanitizing them. Bee-Shield Hand Sanitizer and MD Quality Hand Sanitizer, made in Puerto Rico and sold only there, have high levels of Burkholderia cepacia....

Slim-Fast Recalls Ready-to-Drink Shakes

Canned products may be contaminated with bacteria

(Newser) - Put down the Slim-Fast, folks; it might make you sick. Unilever is issuing a voluntary nationwide recall of all Slim-Fast canned, ready-to-drink products—regardless of flavor, "best by" date, lot code, or UPC number. The company fears the product may be contaminated with Bacilus cereus bacteria, which can cause...

P&G Recalls Contaminated Vicks Nasal Spray

Lots affected by bacteria were sold in US, UK, Germany

(Newser) - Procter & Gamble has voluntarily recalled batches of its Vicks nasal spray contaminated with bacteria. Though the bacteria are likely harmless to healthy people, CNN reports, the contamination could prove disastrous for those with compromised immune systems. The product is in the Vicks Sinex line in the US and UK,...

Gut Bacteria Can Make You Fat
 Gut Bacteria Can Make You Fat 
Nov 12, 2009 2:33 PM CST

Gut Bacteria Can Make You Fat

Unhealthy diet encourages efficient micro-organisms

(Newser) - Eating junk food may do a double whammy on your waistline: In addition to the calorie influx, high-fat foods alter intestinal bacteria, actually making it easier to get fat. Obese mice in a new study had significantly more of a specific type of bacteria, Firmicutes, that easily convert food into...

Map of Cell's Machinery Wins Chemistry Nobel

Trio of laureates includes first woman to win prize in 45 years

(Newser) - The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded today to three scientists who mapped the structure of the ribosome, the part of the cell that reads DNA and uses its information to  create proteins. All three chemists constructed three-dimensional models of the ribosome, using X-ray crystallography to chart hundreds of thousands...

Plague Bacteria Linked to Death of Scientist

University of Chicago geneticist exposed to weakened strain

(Newser) - A 60-year-old researcher at the University of Chicago died earlier this month from an infection that may have been set off by the bacteria that causes the plague. Malcolm Casadaban was working with a weakened strain of the bacteria that is normally harmless, and the CDC has been called in...

Lather, Rinse, Disinfect the Showerhead

But even bleach may not kill stealth bacteria invading your bathtub

(Newser) - The showerheads of America are crawling with bacteria that can cause pulmonary disease in people with weakened immune systems, LiveScience reports. Around 20% of showerheads tested for a new study held significant levels of Mycobacterium avium, which can be suspended in air when water flows and be inhaled deep into...

Flu Shots Decrease Use of Antibiotics

Doctors prescribe them less when the shots are available

(Newser) - Providing flu shots to the public decreases the prescription of antibiotics, say Canadian researchers. The results of a 10-year study in Ontario will be good news to public health officials who worry that over-prescription of antibiotics is creating more resistant bacteria, reports Miller-McCune. Researchers found that doctors prescribed 64% fewer...

Cow E. Coli in Cookie Dough Stumps Feds

How could E. coli have invaded the supply?

(Newser) - Feds are scouring Nestle's Virginia plant for clues as to how E. coli 0157, which is found in cow intestines, ended up in cookie dough products the company recalled last week, the Washington Post reports. “It's a fascinating outbreak," said one of the bacterial mystery. "By just...

1,000 Species of Bacteria Crawling on Our Skin

(Newser) - We're not alone. A new study by the National Institutes of Health estimates that 1,000 different species of bacteria inhabit our skin, reports the Los Angeles Times. Some specialize in the terrain of the armpit or the belly button, while others prefer drier (and less populated) locales such as...

'Biohackers' Create New, DIY Organisms

Feds try to asses threat from part-time Frankensteins

(Newser) - Katherine Aull is creating new forms of life in her closet. Armed only with jury-rigged equipment and some DNA she bought online, the 23-year-old is creating custom E. coli bacteria she thinks could help cancer research. Aull is part of a growing movement of “biohackers,” amateur biologists crafting...

Infected Concrete Heals Self: Study

Scientists create self-healing concrete

(Newser) - Bacteria that secrete minerals are a well-known tool for "healing" cracked limestone statues, and the process got a Dutch scientist thinking. He theorized that concrete seeded with bacteria and a substance they transform into calcium carbonate would create a material that's able to seal cracks as they form. It...

Swine Flu Confirmed in UK
 Swine Flu Confirmed in UK 
Apr 27, 2009 1:48 PM CDT

Swine Flu Confirmed in UK

Pair brings disease home from a trip to Mexico

(Newser) - Two British citizens have contracted swine flu, the virus that has killed at least 149 people in Mexico and sickened 20 in the US, the Guardian reports. The pair returned from a trip to Mexico last week and fell ill, the Scottish health minister said today. Seven others who had...

Swine Flu Hits Hardest Among Young Adults

Excessive immune reaction may be at fault in Mexican deaths

(Newser) - The swine flu sweeping through Mexico is wreaking havoc among young adults in particular, reports the Washington Post, with the entire death toll as of yesterday comprised of those between 25 and 50. Some believe the trouble for young adults is an overpowering immune reaction that ravages throat and lung...

Salmonella Outbreak Raises a Red Flag

'We're lucky,' but drug-resistant bacteria lie in wait, experts warn

(Newser) - The ongoing salmonella outbreak has sickened hundreds of people and played a part in eight deaths, and that's the good news, experts tell MSNBC. The strain in question responds to the standard treatment, but other varieties of the salmonella bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics in recent decades."...

Methane Hints at Life on Mars
 Methane Hints at Life on Mars 
Jan 15, 2009 4:38 PM CST

Methane Hints at Life on Mars

Gas released in high concentrations could be from bacteria

(Newser) - The discovery of high methane concentrations on Mars may hint that underground life exists on the red planet, the Houston Chronicle reports. Scientists funded by NASA and other institutions, using Earth-based telescopes, have found plumes of methane in such high concentrations they believe bacteria, which can also produce the gas...

Beer 101? Now, That's a Party School!

UWisconsin offers course in bacteriology of fermentation

(Newser) - The University of Wisconsin is starting a class with one thing you’d think its students would already know well: beer. But the offering is about the science of brewing, focuses on fermentation, and is taught by the bacteriology department, the Chicago Tribune reports. “This is not a...

Stories 161 - 180 | << Prev   Next >>
Most Read on Newser