Bacteria

Microbes that live on our intestines protect us from pathogens. A healthy gut microbiome will help keep harmful diseases at bay.

Health, Science & Environment

Want a healthy gut? Exposures in first year of life have long-lasting effects

Emily Woodbury

The gut microbiome you develop early in life can have a lasting effect on your health.

Washington University microbiologist Arpita Bose collected vials of bacterial samples from Trunk River Estuary in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, shown here. "There are all of these invisible microorganisms that are doing big jobs for us and they're just not getting noticed," Bose said.

Health, Science & Environment

These Bacteria Could Help Fight Climate Change, A 'Serendipitous' Finding

Shahla Farzan

Found in wetlands from Missouri to Massachusetts, the bacteria could be absorbing carbon dioxide on a large scale, underscoring the importance of conserving these threatened habitats, Washington University scientists say.

The gulf coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is expanding its range northward across Missouri. A research collaboration between the Missouri Department of Conservation and AT Still University in Kirksville will map the distribution of tick species statewide and the bacterial pathogens they carry.

Health, Science & Environment

Find A Tick In Missouri? These Researchers Want You To Mail It To Them

Shahla Farzan

As part of a two-year statewide effort to track ticks, scientists from A.T. Still University in Kirksville and the Missouri Department of Conservation are asking residents to mail in samples of the tiny parasites. The team plans to map the distribution of tick species on a county-by-county basis, along with their bacterial pathogens.

The pandemic forced many large buildings to close, including theaters, schools and stadiums. Researchers warn that the stagnant water sitting in the pipes of these buildings may have accumulated pathogens and heavy metals.

Health, Science & Environment

As Buildings Reopen, Stagnant Water May Harbor Unseen Risks

Shahla Farzan

After sitting empty for months, offices and commercial buildings in St. Louis are beginning to reopen — many with freshly installed Plexiglas barriers to…

Washington University researchers collected bacteria samples from more than 100 families with children who had been treated for MRSA infections. They found MRSA on multiple household surfaces, including towels and bedsheets.

Health, Science & Environment

All In The Family: How MRSA Bacteria Spread At Home

Shahla Farzan

People treated for drug-resistant MRSA often develop infections again and again — even multiple times in a single year.Part of the problem is the…

Washington University postdoctoral researcher Corey Westfall, shown here, is part of a team investigating how the chemical triclosan interferes with antibiotic treatment.

Health, Science & Environment

Germ-Killing Chemical Shields Bacteria From Antibiotics

Shahla Farzan

A common chemical used to kill bacteria is making them more capable of surviving antibiotics.According to new research from Washington University,…

Understanding how bacteria detoxify and eat antibiotics might help us develop ways to address antibiotic contamination in the environment.

Health, Science & Environment

Wash U researchers reveal how some bacteria are able to eat antibiotics

Shahla Farzan

Ten years ago, Gautam Dantas stumbled across a strange phenomenon in the lab: bacteria that were able to feed on antibiotics.“The story really starts very…

This medical illustration shows a computer-generated image of a group of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter bacteria. The artistic recreation was modeled after images taken using an electron microscope.

Health, Science & Environment

Wash U researchers find potential new strategy in fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Researchers at Washington University have found that some multidrug resistant bacteria intentionally get rid of the genes that protect them from…

Health, Science & Environment

Early-Stage Wash U Vaccine Could Prevent The Most Common Hospital Infection

Researchers at Washington University have developed a new vaccine to prevent urinary tract infections caused by catheters. This type of infection is the…

Health, Science & Environment

Wash Your Hands, People!

Saint Louis County is seeing an unusual spike in a bacterial disease that affects children in daycare centers.The county has received 71 reports of…