Understanding how pathogens evolve is a fundamental component of learning how to protect ourselves and our world from pests and diseases. Yet we are constantly underestimating pathogen evolution, such ...

Cholera remains a major global public health challenge, with an estimated 1.3 to 4 million cases and tens of thousands of deaths reported worldwide each year. Caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, ...

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI. The second class of TTSS-associated chaperones, which are the subject of this article, specifically and tightly associate with ...

Each pathogen relies on a unique set of strategies and surface & secreted molecules that enable it to colonize and infect host cells, which are collectively known as "virulence factors." Studying ...

Emerging and opportunistic diseases are caused by a microorganism invading a new habitat, either a new host species (as in the case of SARS and tuberculosis) or a new tissue compartment within the ...

During the early stages of a pandemic, viruses tend to evolve in ways that enhance their ability to reproduce and spread, rather than to evade the host's immune system. The genetics and sex of the ...

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has heralded a structural biology breakthrough that advances our understanding of how Vibrio cholerae colonizes the human gut and causes often life-threatening ...

Pathogenic bacteria often delay the activation of their virulence program until they are inside the host. Researchers have identified a new mechanism that controls this process. Some pathogens use ...

New research outlines key information about omicron's older variant sibling, alpha, which emerged late in 2020. It turns out that the mutation that birthed alpha in the first place is very similar to ...

Scientists have identified a new virulence gene from a whole genome analysis of Providencia rustigianii, which can cause severe food poisoning symptoms. Members of the team had previously reported ...

The emergence of new variants of concern (VOC) has slowed down progress against the COVID-19 pandemic in 3 ways: 1. by increasing the transmissibility of the virus and hence the reproduction number; 2 ...