Influenza causes an estimated 500,000 deaths each year and tests that detect the virus are key to treating, and preventing the spread of, influenza. Towards this end, scientists from University of Würzburg are now working on a test that allows people all over the world to taste their flu infection (think: chewing gum, lollipops, lozenges)….
Note: As an Amazon Associate I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from links in this post (affiliate disclosure). It has been a while since I read an actual book so at the beginning of this year, I set a goal: 12 books this year (as of now, I’ve read six). The first of these…
This post is part of the Meet a Microbe series on the blog. Check it out to meet other microbes! We’re deep into tick season in the Eastern US. As dog parents, we give our pup monthly flea and tick medication and check her for ticks if she’s been in fields or wooded areas. We…
It’s the season of respiratory illnesses and with COVID-19, RSV, and flu abound, it’s hard to make it to spring unscathed. Stories in the news talk about the recent rise in respiratory virus activity over the holidays (here, here, and here) and how respiratory symptoms just won’t seem to subside. A winter full of respiratory…
Spooky season is here! While we associate Halloween with ghost stories, haunted houses, zombies, and trick-or-treating, the microbial world contains many eerie, microscopic (and macroscopic) tales. This Halloween, we bring you seven tales of microbial spookiness. (1) Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, the vampire bacteria Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus has many names such as the vampire bacterium or the predatory…