WSU BIOL209 Microbiology

Scientists are reporting "laboratory resurrections" of several 2-3-billion-year-old proteins that are ancient ancestors of the enzymes that enable today's antibiotic-resistant bacteria to shrug off huge doses of penicillins, cephalosporins and other modern drugs.

Numerous food scares have made global headlines in recent years, which instigated a study in which a professor from the University of Missouri developed a technique that may make food contamination testing more rapid and accurate. This could open so many doors by promoting public health!

Global diarrhoea deaths in children aged 5 years may be attributable to rotavirus infection, and studies prove that vaccinations can help if implemented correctly. Supplemental information for Rotavirus presentation.

Data proved that a rotavirus vaccine was effective in young children in families with a middle/low income setting in El Salvador. Supplementary paper for Rotavirus presentation.

Data shows that after the implementation of routine rotavirus vaccination for infants in the United States, rotavirus cases declined substantially in the 2007-2008 season. Supplemental information for Rotavirus presentation.

This study shows that the children with rotavirus gastroenteritis, rather than bacterial gastroenteritis, had more severe cases of the disease. This implies the need for rotavirus vaccinations. Supplemental paper for Rotavirus presentation.

Bioterrorism is something we need to be more aware of in this day in age. The knowledge about the potential affects these agents have needs to be made more public in order for protection against them.

Scientists are developing a device that utilizes retroreflectors to rapidly tell first-responders exactly which disease-causing microbe has been deployed in a bioterrorism attack. Perfecting this device could play a large role in preventing the harmful effects of bioterrorism globally.

An outbreak of morbillivirus caused the death of 5 dolphins in Gulf St Vincent in the past six weeks. Warmer waters due to the recent algal bloom could play a role in the manifestation of this virus.

Researchers have been able to reconstruct the genome sequence of a bacterial strain which bypasses the need for growing bacteria in the lab. This could stop an outbreak in its tracks due to the increased speed of identifying the bacteria.

This paper focused on the reduction in mortality from childhood diarrhoeal disease after species A rotavirus vaccine was introduced in Latin America. Supplemental paper to Rotavirus presentation.

The vaccine routes would use non-toxic fragments of alpha toxin or a non-toxic forms of whole toxin as immunogens. The antibodies would protect the alpha-toxins from binding to the C-domain cell membrane allowing for leukocytes to clear the bacteria.

The main therapy of Gas Gangrene is amputation even before systemic infection, hyperbaric oxygen, or penicillin treatment therapy. Combination therapies were tested on mice with Gas Gangrene, which proved that metronidazole and penicillin together produced a higher mortality rate than that of metronidazole alone. But, metronidazole and clindamycin were more effective than penicillin alone. So some combination therapies are effective, while others are more dangerous.

Clostridial toxins are the main cause of gas gangrene. The toxins produce PLC and PFO, which lead to shock, vascular dysfunction, acute inflammatory response, and decreases endothelial cell and neutrophil function

Focus paper for presentation.

This paper compares vaccine efficacy of rotavirus and SES. Supplemental paper for presentation.

The NSP4 protein is a multifunctional protein that plays a role in the morphogenesis and pathogenesis of the rotavirus, but studies continue to show the relationship between gastroenteritis severity and amino acid variations in the genome of NSP4 of the human rotavirus remains uncertain. Focus paper for presentation.

Researchers found that bacteria in the vagina could cause pre mature births. The bacteria Gardnerella vaginalis has shown to eat away at mucous membranes resulting in pre mature birth.

Looking at the micro flora in the gut researchers are showing that this correlates to heart disease. Another story of the great importance of bacteria in our bodies.

Good food doesn't mean good infection control!!