Cell Biologist

  Published online in the journal Cell Reports, the study used a mouse model of stomach injury to provide new insights into how cells heal, or fail to heal, in response to damage, such as from an infection or inflammatory disease. "After an injury, the cell's job is to repair that injury. But the cell's mature cellular machinery for doing its normal job gets in the way," said first author Jeffrey W. Brown, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at WashU Medicine. "So, this cellular cleanse is a quick way of getting rid of that machinery so it can rapidly become a small, primitive cell capable of proliferating and repairing the injury. We identified this process in the GI tract, but we suspect it is relevant in other tissues as well." Brown likened the process to a "vomiting" or jettisoning of waste that essentially adds a shortcut, helping the cell declutter and focus on regrowing healthy tissues faster than...

  Kerala confronted a new health crisis after a cluster of fatal brain infections emerged in Kozhikode and neighbouring districts. The cause was identified as Naegleria fowleri , a rare but deadly amoeba that infects the brain through contaminated freshwater. This outbreak exposed vulnerabilities in the state’s healthcare system despite its reputation for strong public health infrastructure. Naegleria Fowleri Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba found in warm freshwater bodies like ponds, wells, and rivers. It enters the human body through the nose and rapidly destroys brain tissue, causing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). First identified in 1965 in Australia, it has since caused outbreaks globally, especially in warm climates. Kerala reported its first death in 2016, but the 2024 surge marked an unprecedented increase in cases. Recent Outbreaks The 2024 outbreak saw 29 confirmed cases mostly in southern Kerala districts. Unlike global fatality rates exceeding 97%, ...

  Recent research has confirmed the presence of the rare dragonfly species Crocothemis erythraea in the high-elevation areas of the southern Western Ghats . Earlier, this species was often confused with the widespread lowland species Crocothemis servilia. This rediscovery marks the significance of detailed field studies and modern scientific methods in biodiversity documentation. Species Overview The genus Crocothemis in India includes two species – Crocothemis servilia and Crocothemis erythraea. C. servilia is common in lowland regions. C. erythraea, however, prefers cooler, high-altitude habitats. It is known from parts of Europe, Asia, and the Himalayas. The presence of C. erythraea in the Western Ghats was uncertain due to misidentification and lack of physical evidence. Field Expeditions and Identification Between 2019 and 2023, multiple field expeditions were conducted in high-altitude sites such as Wagamon, Rajakumari, Pampadum Shola, and Parambikulam. Specimens were collect...

  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 ...