Cell Biologist

  The new platform combines the bacteria's tendency to find and attack tumors with the virus's natural preference for infecting and killing cancerous cells. Tal Danino , an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, led the team's effort to create the system, which is called CAPPSID (short for Coordinated Activity of Prokaryote and Picornavirus for Safe Intracellular Delivery). Charles M. Rice, an expert in virology at The Rockefeller University, collaborated with the Columbia team. "We aimed to enhance bacterial cancer therapy by enabling the bacteria to deliver and activate a therapeutic virus directly inside tumor cells, while engineering safeguards to limit viral spread outside the tumor," says co-lead author Jonathan Pabón, an MD/PhD candidate at Columbia. The researchers believe that this technology -- validated in mice -- represents the first example of directly engineered cooperation between bacteria and cancer-targeting viruses...

  The United States recently confirmed its first human case of New World screwworm infestation. The case involved a traveller from El Salvador and was identified in early August 2025. Authorities say the risk to public health remains low. This event marks the potential reemergence of a parasite once eradicated from the region. What Is New World Screwworm? New World screwworms are blue-grey blowflies native to South America and the Caribbean. Female flies lay eggs on open wounds or natural body openings of warm-blooded animals and rarely humans. Each female can lay up to 3,000 eggs during her lifespan of 10 to 30 days. The eggs hatch into larvae, also called maggots, which burrow into living flesh, feeding on tissue. The larvae later drop to the soil and mature into adult flies. The name “screwworm” comes from the larvae’s screw-like burrowing action. Symptoms and Effects Infestation causes painful wounds that often worsen over time. Symptoms include non-healing sores, bleeding, mo...

  Bloom Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder with fewer than 300 cases reported worldwide. Recently, a 12-year-old girl in Chennai underwent a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from her younger brother, marking medical intervention in India. This disorder affects DNA repair mechanisms, leading to multiple health challenges and a high risk of cancer. Genetic Basis and Inheritance Bloom Syndrome is caused by mutations in the BLM gene. This gene produces a protein essential for maintaining DNA structure during replication and repair. When mutated, cells lose the ability to fix damaged DNA, causing abnormal cell growth. The condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Both parents must carry the mutation for a child to be affected. It is most common among the Ashkenazi Jewish population but occurs worldwide. Signs and Symptoms Symptoms vary widely but often include poor growth before and after birth. Affected individuals typically have below-average height and head s...

  New research from Michigan State University finds that microbes play an important role in shaping early brain development, specifically in a key brain region that controls stress, social behavior, and vital body functions. The study, published in Hormones and Behavior, used a mouse model to highlight how natural microbial exposure not only impacts brain structure immediately after birth but may even begin influencing development while still in the womb. A mouse model was chosen because mice share significant biological and behavioral similarities with humans and there are no other alternatives to study the role of microbes on brain development. This work is of significance because modern obstetric practices, like peripartum antibiotic use and Cesarean delivery, disrupt maternal microbes. In the United States alone, 40% of women receive antibiotics around childbirth and one-third of all births occur via Cesarean section. "At birth, a newborn body is colonized by microbes as it ...

  Recent research has uncovered that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibits bistable gene expression , a phenomenon where identical cells show different levels of gene activity. This discovery sheds light on how this deadly pathogen adapts and survives in hostile environments such as hospitals. The study focuses on the glpD gene, which shows variable expression linked to the bacterium’s ability to cause infections. Understanding this mechanism is crucial because P. aeruginosa is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections and is often resistant to antibiotics. Bistability in Microorganisms Bistability refers to the existence of two distinct expression states of the same gene within genetically identical cells. This variation can be inherited by daughter cells, a process called epigenetic inheritance. It allows bacteria to diversify their behaviour and adapt to changing environments. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bistability may help the pathogen survive immune responses and a...

  Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently enabled scientists to create two new antibiotics capable of killing drug-resistant bacteria such as gonorrhoea and MRSA. This breakthrough comes amid a global health crisis caused by antimicrobial resistance, which leads to over one million deaths annually. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used generative AI algorithms to rapidly screen thousands of molecules. The AI predicted which compounds could act as effective antibiotics while avoiding harmful or redundant chemical structures. These newly discovered antibiotics successfully eliminated bacterial strains resistant to existing drugs, signalling a promising advance in medicine. AI in Antibiotic Discovery Scientists employed generative AI to scan large molecular libraries. The AI predicted antibiotic potential based on chemical properties and biological activity. It also filtered out molecules likely to cause human toxicity or mimic existing drugs. This a...

  Recent advances in synthetic biology and bioelectrochemistry have led to the development of self-powered chemical sensors using genetically engineered bacteria Researchers from Imperial College London and Zhejiang University have created living biosensors that convert chemical signals into electrical outputs. These devices promise low-cost, portable, and programmable bioelectronic applications. Limitations of Traditional Biosensors Conventional biosensors often rely on enzymes. They tend to be fragile and expensive. Their response times can be slow, especially in complex environments. Optical signals from whole-cell biosensors are difficult to integrate with portable electronics. These issues limit their practical use in field conditions. Engineering Bacteria for Electrical Signal Output Researchers used Escherichia coli bacteria as biological platforms. The bacteria were genetically modified to include three modules – sensing, information processing, and output. The sensing mod...