New source of natural antibiotics hidden within our own proteins identified
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Jun-2025 19:10 ET (20-Jun-2025 23:10 GMT/UTC)
A team of scientists led by the UAB has identified a new type of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in human proteins that are capable of selectively eliminating multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly of the gram-negative type, responsible for serious hospital acquired infections. The discovery, published in Molecular Systems Biology, could pave the way for more effective treatments against infections resistant to conventional antibiotics.
Extractive activity in international waters - including fishing, seabed mining, and oil and gas exploitation - should be banned forever, according to top scientists.
Microplastics (MPs) and freshwater acidification jointly threaten aquatic ecosystems. This 21-day study on Eriocheir sinensis revealed synergistic toxicity: combined low pH (6.5) and MPs exacerbated oxidative stress and immune suppression, disrupted the TCA cycle and arginine biosynthesis, and altered gut microbiota function. While MPs alone affected pyrimidine metabolism, acidification amplified MPs' toxicity via immune-metabolic crosstalk. The findings underscore the need to evaluate multiple stressors under climate change, providing critical insights for aquatic risk assessment.
It supports milk production and stimulates caregiving behaviour in mothers, now a University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka study has found prolactin also regulates body temperature during pregnancy.
On May 22-23, a select group of scientists from around the world gathered in the small town of Acciaroli in the Cilento-Salerno region of Italy to review a decade’s worth of research in the ongoing Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes (CIAO), a longitudinal study of local residents 100 years and older.