Type 1 diabetes is an attack on the body by the immune system — the body produces antibodies that attack insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas. Doctors often diagnose this type of diabetes in childhood and early adulthood. The trigger that causes the body to attack itself has been elusive; but many research studies have suggested viruses could be the root. The latest links that viruses that live in our intestines may yield clues as to which children might develop type 1 diabetes.
As unappealing as it sounds, transplants with fecal material from healthy donors help treat tough Clostridium difficile gastrointestinal infections. Researchers credit the treatment's success to its ability to restore a healthy bacterial balance to the bowels, and new research has shown that the transplanted bacteria doesn't just do its job and leave. The good fecal bacteria and its benefits can persist for years.
Your refrigerator is designed to keep your food free of mold and bacteria, but they aren't perfect for the task. Storing your good in the refrigerator in the right places will make your fridge much more effective, and this video will show you how to do it.
The Winogradsky column, invented by Sergei Winogradsky, is a device for culturing a large diversity of microorganisms. Pond mud and water are mixed into a column using carbon sources like newspapers and sulfur sources like egg yolks. Left in the sun for a few months, the column becomes a colony rich with microorganisms, bacteria, cyanobacteria, and algae. In this video, scientist Karen Dodson shows you how to make your own.
Without washing your makeup brushes, you're just spreading dirt and bacteria, aggravating your skin, and causing makeup to look worse than it should. This how-to video offers some tips for getting those brushes clean. Good brushes are very sensitive, so they require special handling. Learn how to clean makeup brushes by watching this video makeup lesson.
Ultra violet lights can easily be installed in your air handler to reduce the airborne bacteria and molds in your home. Check out this instructional appliance video that shows how easy it is to install one. Just follow the step by step instructions and you'll be able to install ultra violet lights in your air handler.
If there's a sudden hearing loss without an apparent loud noise cause, an ear inflammation may be the culprit. Doctor Katz, Surgeon Director of Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, explains the varying causes of hearing loss such as inflammation, bacteria, and a virus, and the corresponding treatments for each cause. Watch this video tutorial to learn how a sudden hearing loss without a loud noise cause is treated.
You've heard or read about Salmonella in the media, and its dangers are often blamed on reptiles. What exactly is it? Is it dangerous? Should you be concerned about it? Watch this video for a clear and balanced orientation on this often-misunderstood bacterium.
Laser can refresh your air by kill the bad bacteria and fungus in the air.You can make a cool lamp too. All with the usb power.
As the fish farming industry struggles to become more environmentally friendly, it just gained another problem. Fish food loaded with antibiotic-resistant genes.
For as long as 14,000 years, the First Nations people of the Heitsuk Nation have made their home along the Central Coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Among the territory's inlets, islands, rivers, and valleys lie a clay deposit on the north side of Kisameet Bay, near King Island. For as long as most can remember, the tribe has used the clay as medicine. Now science says microbes that live in that clay may have important antibacterial properties.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill that began on April 20, 2010, was the largest maritime oil spill in history. Killing 11 people and discharging 4.1 million barrels of oil and natural gas into the Gulf of Mexico, the event was an unparalleled personal, environmental, and business disaster. It was also the first major oil spill to take place in the deep ocean.
Microbial cells can improve the functionality of clothes in creative and useful ways, including cooling us down during a workout or making clothing glow for better visibility.
On October 17, 1943, a story in the New York Herald Tribune read "Many laymen — husbands, wives, parents, brothers, sisters, friends — beg Dr. Keefer for penicillin," according to the American Chemical Society. Dr. Chester Keefer of Boston was responsible for rationing the new miracle drug, penicillin.
The culprit probably wasn't what doctors were expecting when a 57-year-old man in Hong Kong came to the hospital. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition. A clue to the cause of the infection would lie in the man's profession—he was a butcher.
If you want to appreciate the value of microbes, look no further than a chunk of cheese. Because cheese roughly traces back to the Neolithic Era, we might say the earliest cheesemakers were the first humans to manipulate microbes—without even knowing it. Now, thanks to microbiologists and the long tradition of cheesemaking, we know a lot more about the microbes that make our favorite types of cheese possible.
We all know you are what you eat—or so the expression goes—but it's good to remember that what you are (at least intestinally) is mainly bacteria. A new study has shown that what you eat, and how your gut microbiome reacts to that food, might be a key player in your risk of developing a certain type of colon cancer—and changing your diet can help decrease your risk.
No matter how fresh, sharp, or clean a razor is, it can still create an itchy, inflamed trail of razor burn bumps. When razor burn appears, it's unpleasant, and can even affect your next shave.
For a company more associated with debugging computer programs, Google's parent company, Alphabet, is making a name for itself by taking on the real thing — mosquitoes.
Sex makes the world go 'round, and when it does, so does gonorrhea. Finally some good news on the growing menace of drug-resistant gonorrhea — a large, long-term study shows a vaccine may work in reducing the incidence of an increasingly dangerous infection.
The evolution of our infection-fighting systems may have something to teach modern scientists. That's what a group from the University of Granada in Spain found when they studied a protein that's been around for over four billion years. Their work, by senior author José Sánchez-Ruiz and colleagues in the Department of Physical Chemistry, was published in the journal Cell Reports.
An outbreak of anthrax from contaminated meat in Tanzania sickened dozens of people and moves the danger of this deadly bacteria back into focus.
A robust appetite for imported foods is leading to increased disease outbreak in the US. Despite the locovore and slow food movements, America's demand for foreign foods is picking up. According to a study published in the journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases, demand for imported fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafoods has jumped in recent years.
Seagrass may help your favorite beach stay a little less toxic. A new study, led by Joleah Lamb, a postdoctoral researcher in the Harvell Lab at Cornell University, found that coastal seagrasses reduce levels of pathogens dangerous to humans and marine organisms in near-shore waters.
The pathogen referred to as a "nightmare bacteria" is quietly adapting and spreading faster than anticipated.
Lack of appetite often signals a cold or flu. Eating can be the last thing we want to do when we have a sore throat or are too fatigued or achy to even get out of bed. When hungry, we don't feel as strong as when we are well fed—and we more than likely aren't as strong.
Sourdough is a delightful twist on your traditional bread, but creating and maintaining a sourdough starter can be a headache for many home bakers.
Let's take a minute and talk about something you're doing wrong — using the restroom. Many view the subject as improper or even taboo, but why? Thanks to your upbringing, you've assumed you know the basics... But you don't. Avoiding discussion on the subject has led many of us to unwittingly interact incorrectly during our private time with our old friend, Jon.
Thawing frozen food on the countertop or in warm water may put your family at risk from food-borne bacteria. Keep them safe by following these methods.
For once there is good news — surprising news, but good news — in the fight against antibiotic-resistant organisms. A recent study found that Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is becoming more sensitive to some key drugs used to treat it.
A vegetable juicer is a wonderful appliance to have, but if not cleaned properly, juicers can become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Learn how to clean and maintain your juicer.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that 73,000 people contract E. coli O157:H7 each year. The primary source of these illnesses is ground beef that has been improperly handled and cooked. Watch this video to learn how you can avoid the spread of this bacteria.
On July 20, 1969, humans set foot on the moon for the first time. But some say our microbes beat us there. With the Space Age came new questions about microscopic invaders from outer space and concern about where we are leaving our microbial footprints. The questions are even more relevant today.
Add antibiotics to the possible list of culprits responsible for honeybee decline around the world. While it may come as a surprise, antibiotics are commonly mixed into feed used by commercial beekeepers to maintain their hives. In a recent study published in PLOS Biology, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin found antibiotics used to treat honeybees may be a contributing factor in individual bee death and colony collapse.
How do I get rid of these zits?! Whether its pimples, blackheads, or whiteheads, the name is the same, and the name is acne.
Suffer from an upset stomach more often than not? Put down that donut. Tweak a few unhealthy habits, and you can beat those chronic stomach problems before they flare up.
While intestinal gas is a normal occurrence within the digestive process, it can also cause bloating, burping and flatulence. Follow these tips to remedy the problem.
Prevent infection by keeping your ear, nose, lip, tongue, navel, eyebrow, and other body piercings clean.
It’s easy to make those telltale sweat spots disappear if you know what to use on them. Don't throw away those white shirts, learn how to get rid of sweat stains instead.
Preventing S cracks in ceramic work can be simple when using these expert tips. Learn how to prevent S cracks with this free ceramics video series.
