E.coli Archives

Exploring the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes within poultry litter

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Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human and animal health. Bacteria containing antibiotic resistance genes are found in poultry litter, usually from commercial chicken production. Since poultry litter is often used as a soil fertiliser, there is a risk that this antibiotic resistance could be transferred into the soil. Professor John Maurer at Virginia Tech University, USA, has shown […]

From friend to foe: Food strains share their toxic genes in E. coli

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The team investigates plasmid content in food isolates of E. coli and its role as a reservoir for the horizontal transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes to clinical isolates.

Food-borne bacteria can cause life-threatening disease, yet it is still unclear why some strains are tolerated by the host. To find an answer, a project led by Professor Rosa del Carmen Rocha-Gracia (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico) and Professor Manel Camps (University of California Santa Cruz, USA) analysed the genetic diversity of Escherichia coli populations, comparing isolates from food […]

Epidemiology–laboratory interactions for developing resilience against future infectious diseases

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Salmonella is the leading cause of deaths caused by foodborne illnesses in the USA.

Bacteria are one of the leading causes of public health burden associated with food and waterborne diseases. In addition, they have many abilities that allow them to survive decontamination methods, such as biofilm formation. With the rise in antibiotic resistance and climate change also driving bacterial proliferation, new approaches are needed to mitigate the public health burden of infectious diseases. […]

One cell’s death is a microbe’s DINNR: How intestinal bacteria use our dying cells as fuel

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Dr CJ Anderson and Professor Kodi Ravichandran research the relationship between programmed cell death and bacterial infections in the intestinal tract, with an aim to understand the potential impact that this could have on chemotherapy patients

Until now, a great deal has remained unknown about the relationship between programmed cell death and bacterial infections. However, recent work by Dr CJ Anderson and Professor Kodi Ravichandran from VIB-UGent, Belgium, has shed new light on this topic and introduced a new layer to the complex host–pathogen interaction. The team has shown that dying mammalian cells produce and shed […]

Clostridium difficile infection: Risk factors and potential vaccines

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Antibiotics treatment is one of the main factors of risk for developing Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection, a condition responsible for nearly 500,000 infections and 30,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone. Dr Joseph Shiloach, Dr Ashish Sharma and their collaborators at the Biotechnology Core Laboratory of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) optimised […]

Bacterial biofilms: A persisting public health challenge

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Bacterial biofilms are a notable public health challenge.

Foodborne and waterborne diseases are major global health threats, exacerbated by the ability of bacteria to gain new characteristics, constantly evolve towards increased fitness in their environment, and by developing resilience through biofilm formation. Utilising emerging technologies such as elevated hydrostatic pressure and application of novel bacteriocin and bactericidal compounds, Professor Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah and his team in the Public […]

Changing climate: A ‘threat multiplier’ for foodborne and waterborne infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance

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Aliyar Fouladkhah examines the risks of foodborne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes.

Dr Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah of Tennessee State University is an Assistant Professor in Public Health Microbiology. His laboratory explores preventive measures for the spread of infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and food security in the landscape of changing climate. His research aims to provide better understanding of the ecology, epidemiology and effectiveness of control measures of enteric and environmental pathogens at […]

Unpacking primary biliary cholangitis and its burden in Japan

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Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) can severely impact a patient's health-related quality of life.

Itch, fatigue, anxiety, abdominal pain. These are just some of the symptoms faced by primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients. The chronic autoimmune disease sees white blood cells attack bile ducts in the liver, causing bile overflow, cell damage and potentially scarring and liver failure. Although it can be successfully managed, some symptoms can linger, hampering patients’ health-related quality of life […]

Directed evolution of CRISPR-Cas9 to increase specificity

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Building upon previous CRISPR research and gene editing methods found in nature, Dr Lee and colleagues from ToolGen have developed a method of screening multiple Cas9 variants. Their method seeks to quickly and effectively screen many mutations of Cas9 to find one which possesses maximised on-target activity and minimised off-target activity. After successful development and implementation of the system, Sniper-Screen, […]