Ocean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic

MIT researchers uncovered the roles of bacterial species from the environment as they consume biodegradable plastic.

Why do some people with clogged arteries have fewer mouth bacteria in their blood?

Quality Score: Moderate Quality (45%). This study investigates whether periodontal pathogenic bacteria translocate into the bloodstream and are associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC...

Bacterial Schlafens mediate anti-phage defense

Human Schlafen proteins restrict viral replication by cleaving tRNA, thereby suppressing protein synthesis. Although the ribonuclease domain of Schlafen proteins is conserved across all domains of life, its function in prokaryotes has remained unclear. Here, we show that prokaryotic Schlafen nucleases (pSlfns) are widespread antiviral effectors that protect bacteria from phages. These nucleases are fused to diverse protein domains that sense phage infection. We focus on a system where Schlafen nuclease is fused to a previously unknown immunoglobulin-like sensor domain and demonstrate that it recognizes T5-like phage tail assembly chaperones and cleaves both bacterial and viral tRNA, triggering abortive infection. Our findings redefine Schlafens as an ancient, mechanistically conserved family of immune effectors, revealing the deep evolutionary origin of tRNA-targeting antiviral immunity in humans. ### Competing Interest Statement A. Nemudryi and A. Nemudraia are inventors on patents and patent applications related to CRISPR-Cas and Schlafen immune systems and applications thereof. National Institutes of Health, R00AI171893

Howard G. Smith MD, AM on Instagram: "Tumor-Eating Bacteria Scientists are developing bacteria that can actually eat cancerous tumors from the inside out, a futuristic approach that targets areas traditional therapies can’t reach. This development comes from bioengineeers at Canada’s University of Waterloo and is published in ACS Synthetic Biology. Their approach utilizes an bioengineered Clostridium bacterium genetically modified to not only thrive inside oxygen-starved tumor centers but also in outer tumor layers where more oxygen is present. The modified bacterium only becomes able to live and proliferate where more oxygen is present after its numbers reach a given level. This prevents its dangerous spread throughout the body. These rapidly proliferating intratumor bacteria hog nutrients literally starving and killing the tumor. The tumor-killing effectiveness of this system has only been demonstrated in laboratory animals. The next step are carefully-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness in humans. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssynbio.5c00628 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260224023101.htm #bacteria #cancer #clostridium"

0 likes, 0 comments - drhowardsmithreports on March 10, 2026: "Tumor-Eating Bacteria Scientists are developing bacteria that can actually eat cancerous tumors from the inside out, a futuristic approach that targets areas traditional therapies can’t reach. This development comes from bioengineeers at Canada’s University of Waterloo and is published in ACS Synthetic Biology. Their approach utilizes an bioengineered Clostridium bacterium genetically modified to not only thrive inside oxygen-starved tumor centers but also in outer tumor layers where more oxygen is present. The modified bacterium only becomes able to live and proliferate where more oxygen is present after its numbers reach a given level. This prevents its dangerous spread throughout the body. These rapidly proliferating intratumor bacteria hog nutrients literally starving and killing the tumor. The tumor-killing effectiveness of this system has only been demonstrated in laboratory animals. The next step are carefully-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness in humans. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssynbio.5c00628 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260224023101.htm #bacteria #cancer #clostridium".

What does the appendix do? Biologists explain the complicated evolution of this inconvenient organ

The appendix has independently evolved at least 32 times across 361 mammalian species. What makes it an evolutionary darling when it’s more of a medical liability today?

How Bacteria Trick Themselves Into Suicide by Antibiotic