H5N1 controversy from a scientist's perspective

What's all the fuss about? Flu isn't so bad, right? Seasonal flu is an annoyance for most people but, in the young or elderly, or immunocompromised individuals, it can still be fatal. Each year, there are around 4,000 deaths attributed to flu in the UK, despite these people having access to health care and anti-viral medicines. So...

Lag phase adapts bacteria to new environments

Forgotten to defrost the chicken overnight in the fridge? That’s fine—you can leave it to thaw at room temperature, right? It will be quicker, after all… But, within just a few hours, the tiny bacteria hiding in frozen food such as chicken, beef or that left over Chinese takeaway can start to divide. Fail to cook the meal...

Gut Inflammation and Antibiotic Resistance

A Salmonella infection has some very obvious and unpleasant effects on the unfortunate person who failed to wash or cook their food correctly. But it also messes with the bacteria that live in our guts, and that’s not a good thing when it comes to the emergence of new pathogens that can make us extremely sick....

Susceptibility to Tuberculosis

What does an Egyptian mummy have in common with one-third of the world’s population? The answer is tuberculosis (TB)—a disease which has been affecting mankind since prehistoric times. But, I hear you muttering, didn’t we already cure TB? Um, not really. Around 1.7 million people die from TB every year and the HIV epidemic is only...

Living Machines and Flashing Lights

Researchers at UC San Diego have created living 'neon signs' from glowing bacteria which flash on and off in unison. As described in this week's Nature, the researchers used this technology to create a bacterial sensor for detecting low levels of arsenic. I like to imagine that the scientists working in Jeff Hasty’s lab at...