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Insignia -- A new way to identify viruses and bacteria
May 18, 2007Now that the genome sequences of hundreds of bacteria and viruses are known, we can design tests that will rapidly detect the presence of these species based solely on their DNA. These tests can detect a pathogen in a complex mixture of organic material by recognizing short, distinguishing sequences-called DNA signatures-that occur in the pathogen and not in any other species. Adam Phillippy and colleagues from the University of Maryland, USA, have developed a computer program that can identify these signatures with a higher degree of accuracy than ever before. They describe this new computational system, called Insignia, and the results of its successful application on 46 Vibrio cholerae strains this week in the Open Access journal PLoS Computational Biology.
Insignia uses highly efficient algorithms to compare known bacterial and viral genomes against each other and to background genomes including plants, animals, and humans. These comparisons are stored in a database and used to rapidly compute signatures for any particular target species. The program can have a wide range of applications, from diagnosing infections in humans to detecting harmful microbes in a water supply. To maximize its use by scientists in a variety of disciplines, Insignia is freely available on the authors' website (http://insignia.cbcb.umd.edu).
Bacterial and viral pathogens have always represented one of the greatest threats to human health, and in recent times this threat increased due to the possibility of engineered biological agents. The genome sequencing field has targeted and sequenced the complete genomes of hundreds of bacteria and thousands of viruses over the past decade, which now make it possible to develop programs like Insignia, capable of detecting any given virus or bacterium by its DNA pattern in a sample.
Public Library of Science
Public Library of Science
Bacteria Current Events and Bacteria News RSSFactors from common human bacteria may trigger multiple sclerosis
Current research suggests that a common oral bacterium may exacerbate autoimmune disease. The related report by Nichols et al, "Unique Lipids from a Common Human Bacterium Represent a New Class of TLR2 Ligands Capable of Enhancing Autoimmunity," appears in the December 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Exposure to both traffic, indoor pollutants puts some kids at higher risk for asthma later
New research presents strong evidence that the "synergistic" effect of early-life exposure to both outdoor traffic-related pollution and indoor endotoxin causes more harm to developing lungs than one or the other exposure alone.
New study finds MRSA on the rise in hospital outpatients
The community-associated strain of the deadly superbug MRSA-an infection-causing bacteria resistant to most common antibiotics-poses a far greater health threat than previously known and is making its way into hospitals, according to a study in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Researchers establish common seasonal pattern among bacterial communities in Arctic rivers
New research on bacterial communities throughout six large Arctic river ecosystems reveals predictable temporal patterns, suggesting that scientists could use these communities as markers for monitoring climate change in the polar regions.
Biologists discover bacterial defense mechanism against aggressive oxygen
Bacteria possess an ingenious mechanism for preventing oxygen from harming the building blocks of the cell.
Saving the single cysteine: new antioxidant system found
We've all read studies about the health benefits of having a life partner. The same thing is true at the molecular level, where amino acids known as cysteines are much more vulnerable to damage when single than when paired up with other cysteines.
Beyond sunlight: Explorers census 17,650 ocean species between edge of darkness and black abyss
Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that have never known sunlight - creatures that somehow manage a living in a frigid black world down to 5,000 meters (~3 miles) below the ocean waves.
Surface bacteria maintain skin's healthy balance
On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the skin surface trigger a pathway that prevents excessive inflammation after injury.
On the Trail of a Vaccine for Lyme Disease: Yale Researchers Target Tick Saliva
A protein found in the saliva of ticks helps protect mice from developing Lyme disease, Yale researchers have discovered. The findings, published in the November 19 issue of Cell Host & Microbe, may spur development of a new vaccine against infection from Lyme disease, which is spread through tick bites.
Cigarettes Harbor Many Bacteria Harmful to Human Health
Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher and microbial ecologists at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France.
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A Field Guide to Bacteria (Comstock Book) by Betsey Dexter Dyer (Author) Pocket-guide to observing bacteria without a laboratory or fancy equipment. Presents all the major taxonomic groups of bacteria in a useable, accessible format for amateur naturalists who may or may not have access to a microscope. Includes ideas for planning field trips to explore bacteria in their natural environments. Illustrated, some color. Softcover, hardcover available. |
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60 Minutes - Superbug (November 11, 2007) Airdate 11/11/07 MRSA is a superbug, a staff infection that has moved out of hospitals and nursing homes and is now infecting healthy people, sometimes killing them. That's because once the MRSA infection gets into the blood stream, it is largely resistant to antibiotics. For now, the best medicine is prevention. What does this mean? Scrubbing down school desks? Hosing down team locker rooms? Sending infected kids home? Lesley Stahl reports. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
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Magic School Bus World of Germs Science Kit by Young Scientist Club The World of Germs- Magic School Bus Science Kit FUN |
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Disposable EARLOOP Face MASK, Filters Bacteria 3 Ply - (Box of 50) by EVERREADY FIRST AID Tie-on surgical face mask with high bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), low breathing resistance, soft, odorless, non-irritating, comfortable superior fit, fiberglass free. |
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Essick Air #1970 Quart Bacteria Treatment by ESSICK AIR PRODUCTS QT, Humidifier Bacteria Treatment, Helps Fight Bacteria & Algae Build Up, Keeps Water Smelling Clean, EPA Registered, For Use In All Evaporative Console & Room Size Humidifiers. |
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Enzymatic Therapy Acidophilus Pearls (90 Pearls) by Enzymatic This formula provides a combination of Acidophilus and Bididiobacterium species to support the overall health of the intestinal tract. |
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