Month: October 2019

Antibiotic resistance: How did we get here?

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When bacteria develop antibiotic resistance (in the dish on the right), they can grow even in the presence of antibiotics (in the white discs). Image credit - Dr Graham Beards, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Finding ways to enlist the bacteria living in our bodies to defend against infections while better understanding their role in promoting antibiotic resistance are key to fighting this growing problem, says Dr Nassos Typas, a microbiologist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. Antibiotic resistance is now regarded as one of the largest … Read more

Bacteria passed from mother to baby may play a role in later health

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It is believed that the composition of gut bacteria in newborn babies is a strong indicator of future health. Image credit - Pixabay/ blankita_ua, image under Pixabay license

by Vittoria d’Alessio The bacteria and viruses a baby inherit from its mother play a crucial role in determining the child’s health in later life, according to research that could lead to new interventions to tackle conditions like obesity, allergies and colic. If your mother was obese, there is a good chance you will be … Read more