Bacterial Research: Researchers resolve structure of a key component of bacterial decision-making ♦ How bacterial predators evolved to kill other bacteria without harming themselves

How bacterial predators evolved to kill other bacteria without harming themselves How predatory bacteria function has been little understood to date. Predators have been found to produce a protein 'antidote' that protects them from their own weapons. Understanding how these predators attack bacteria could provide new ways of combatting antimicrobial resistance.

First look at gut microbes in an American Indian community Very little is known about how the diversity of gut microbes might vary among different groups of people, and whether and how those variations might play into well-recognized health disparities. Now, researchers have taken a step toward filling those gaps with the first descriptions of the gut microbiomes of individuals in a Native-American community

New clues for battling botulism Scientists have discovered new details about how 'cloaking' proteins protect the toxin that causes botulism, a fatal disease caused most commonly by consuming improperly canned foods. That knowledge and the cloaking proteins themselves might now be turned against the toxin -- the deadliest known to humankind.

Researchers resolve structure of a key component of bacterial decision-making For bacteria that swim, determining whether to stay the course or head in a new direction is vital to survival. A new study offers atomic-level details of the molecular machinery that allows swimming bacteria to sense their environment and change direction when needed.