bacteria

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Unidentified Life Form Found in Antarctic Lake

Isolated for millions of years, bacteria could hold clues about life beyond Earth

(Newser) - It looks like drilling through 2.3 miles of ice may have paid off: The Russian scientists who did just that last year at Antarctica's Lake Vostok say the samples they recovered contain an "unclassified and unidentified" life form, reports the BBC .The bacteria's DNA measured less...

Ikea's New Food Woe: Fecal Bacteria in Cake

China confiscates tons of it after testing

(Newser) - If you thought horse meatballs were bad, this might cause you to swear off discount furniture store eateries forever. Chinese health authorities have confiscated two tons of Ikea's almond chocolate cakes that were shipped in from Sweden after they tested positive for a high level of coliform bacteria—which...

Living Bacteria Found Beneath Antarctic Ice

Discovery suggests life could exist elsewhere

(Newser) - Scientists drilled through a half-mile of ice into an Antarctic lake and found what is believed to be a first: live bacteria, reports the New York Times . The discovery is intriguing because if the cells can survive there, they could theoretically survive on a frozen planet somewhere. More research is...

Your New Wonder Cure: Fecal Transplants

Patients with bacterial infection are good as new after treatment, says study

(Newser) - Gross-sounding, yes. But "fecal transplants" work like a charm for patients suffering bacterial ailments, according to new research. The Netherlands study found that people with the common Clostridium difficile infection, or CDI, were quickly cured after receiving the feces of a healthy donor. (It can be diluted and transferred...

This Steak May Have Fecal Matter Inside

 This Steak May Have 
 Fecal Matter Inside 
investigation

This Steak May Have Fecal Matter Inside

Mechanical tenderization is a big problem, investigation finds

(Newser) - The next time you order your steak medium rare, consider this: More than 90% of beef producers use a process called mechanical tenderization, which can push bacteria including E. coli deep inside the meat. Typically such bacteria only live on the surface of meat, which is why it's theoretically...

Hospitals Plagued by Unbeatable 'Superbugs'

'USA Today' finds thousands of cases in recent years

(Newser) - US hospitals are quietly fighting an incredibly high stakes war that they look unlikely to win against "superbugs" that resist even the most potent antibiotics available, a USA Today investigation has concluded. The paper has compiled evidence showing that hospitals across the country have seen thousands of infections from...

Antarctic Lake Holds Life—Under 50 Feet of Ice

Long-buried lake teeming with bacteria

(Newser) - Hopes of finding life elsewhere in our solar system have been boosted by a find in one of the least hospitable places on the planet. Researchers who drilled into Lake Vida, a salty lake buried under a 50-foot-thick sheet of ice in Antarctica, have found that its oxygen-depleted water is...

Consumer Reports Finds Widespread Pork Threat

Study cites bacteria, antibiotic danger

(Newser) - Much of the US pork supply is tainted with dangerous bacteria, and the antibiotics given to pigs could be boosting drug-resistant germs, a Consumer Reports study finds. Some 69% of 198 tested pork samples contained bacteria called yersinia enterocolitica, which can cause fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Some 3% to...

Your Smartphone Is Really Disgusting
 Your Smartphone 
 Is Really Disgusting 
in case you missed it

Your Smartphone Is Really Disgusting

And its bacteria could give you a cold, pinkeye, or diarrhea

(Newser) - Bad news for tech-loving germaphobes: Your smartphone, with its cozy warm screen and constant access to your face, is a paradise for bacteria that can make you sick, reports the Wall Street Journal . It doesn't help that we take them with us everywhere, and that most phone cleaners are...

FDA: Drug Co. Knew About Mold, Bacteria Contamination

Months before the meningitis outbreak

(Newser) - Staffers at a pharmacy linked to the deadly meningitis outbreak documented dozens of cases of mold and bacteria growing in rooms that were supposed to be sterile, according to federal health inspectors. In a preliminary report on conditions at the pharmacy, the US Food and Drug Administration said today that...

&#39;Superbug&#39; Killed 6 at NIH Hospital Last Year

 'Superbug' Killed 6 
 at NIH Hospital 
 Last Year 
in case you missed it

'Superbug' Killed 6 at NIH Hospital Last Year

Maryland breakout highlights dangers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

(Newser) - A "superbug"—deadly, antibiotic-resistant bacterium—rampaged through a Maryland hospital last year, killing six patients. The revelation was not made public until today, notes the Washington Post . It all began in June 2011, when a patient harboring the superbug known as Klebsiella pneumoniae checked into the National Institutes...

Computer Simulates Full Organism for 1st Time

Single-cell Mycoplasma genitalium, now available by hard drive

(Newser) - Maybe they'll computerize an entire human brain one day—or even just a couple of cells. For now, Stanford scientists have created the first-ever software simulation of a full single-cell organism, the New York Times reports. It is incredibly small: a bacterium called the Mycoplasma genitalium, which has the...

If Sweat Doesn't Smell, Why Are We Stinky?

Turns out Bacteria is to blame for our smelly parts

(Newser) - Stuck in this week's brutal heat wave? You may be surprised to learn that sweat doesn't actually smell—and NPR has posted a video from the chemistry podcast Distillations to explain why. Turns out that there are two types of sweat glands, eccrine and apocrine; the former covers...

The Nastiest Thing in Your Hotel Room Is...
The Nastiest Thing in Your Hotel Room Is...
study says

The Nastiest Thing in Your Hotel Room Is...

The light switch. Sorry, were you planning to read in bed?

(Newser) - Bad news for germophobes: Light and lamp switches are among the dirtiest things found in hotel rooms, according to a new study. TV remote controls also rank near the top of the most-contaminated list, LiveScience reports. Of course, your remote at home may not be any cleaner, but in a...

Oregon Man Suffering From Black Death

He gets plague after grabbing mouse from stray cat

(Newser) - An Oregon man suffering from the Black Death is in critical condition. The rural Crook County resident, in his 50s, fell ill after he was bitten in the hand as he tried to grab a mouse from a stray cat. It's the fifth plague case in Oregon since 1995....

Men Have More Bacteria in Their Offices: Study

Though it could just be because they're bigger

(Newser) - If you're a guy, chances are your office is swarming with microbial coworkers. OK, it's actually probably true for women as well, but a new study has found that on average, men have 10% to 20% more bacteria in their offices, the New York Times reports. "It...

Flesh-Eating Bacteria to Claim Student's Hands, Foot

But Aimee Copeland responded to news by mouthing, 'Let's do this'

(Newser) - A young Georgia woman fighting a flesh-eating bacteria has learned she will lose her hands and remaining foot , and responded by mouthing the words, "Let's do this." Her father recounted the conversation in an update on his Facebook page today. Andy Copeland wrote about the difficult talk...

Beneath Pacific Lies Ancient, Barely Alive Bacteria

Bacteria 100 feet under ocean floor haven't had new food since time of dinosaurs

(Newser) - Some 100 feet below the most nutrient-starved part of the Pacific Ocean floor, incredibly old life exists. In the most detailed look yet at the lifestyles of "extremophile" bacteria, scientists have determined that the organisms have survived for what could be as long as millions of years solely on...

Now Student Losing Hands to Flesh-Eating Infection

But family is optimistic Aimee Copeland will live

(Newser) - The Georgia grad student who already lost her left leg to amputation will now lose her hands and her right foot to save her from a flesh-eating infection. Aimee Copeland's life turned into a nightmare after a zip-line cut her calf during a kayaking trip. Shortly afterward she was...

India Could Foster Drug-Resistant Bubonic Plague

Superbugs spreading out of the subcontinent

(Newser) - Could the world soon witness an encore performance from a new, drug-resistant Black Death? It's increasingly possible, because thanks to a combination of rampant antibiotic use and poor hygiene and sanitation, India has become a hotbed of "superbugs" that don't respond to antibiotics—not even high-powered remedies...

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