Researchers Find Tissue Damage from Covid-19
Researchers are finding extensive tissue damage from COVID-19, a systemic illness that damages cells and organs throughout the body.
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Stopping Bacteria from Stealing Our Iron
Many pathogenic bacteria use “stealth siderophores” to steal iron from humans. Find out how scientists are stopping bacteria from stealing our iron. By Ada Hagan As we discussed last time, bacteria that infect the human body face a major challenge, iron, which is essential for bacterial growth, is hard to obtain from human tissues. Many pathogenic bacteria solve this problem by deploying “stealth siderophores,” which steal iron from human iron-binding proteins while evading our defenses. In the battle between humans and pathogenic bacteria, our best weapons—antibiotics—are being weakened by widespread…
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Spinach and Siderophores: The Bacterial Battle for Iron
Human cells need iron, and so does bacteria. Bacteria make siderophores, scavenger molecules that leave the cell to poach iron from hosts.
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Methane-Munching Microbes Limit Global Warming
By Kate Stone Methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, is constantly leaking out of holes on the ocean floor. Now, an international team of scientists have found that these “methane seeps” are home to unique communities of microbes that play an invaluable role in maintaining life on Earth. Microbes that Eat Methane Methane seeps in the sea floor release methane into the surrounding water, which is fed on by microorganisms that live on or near these leaks. By consuming the gas, they prevent it from entering our atmosphere.…
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