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Illustration showing how some intracellular bacteria, such as <em >Legionella pneumophila</em>, manipulate the cell's membranes for their own good

Infographic: Intracellular Bacteria’s Tricks for Host Manipulation

Catherine Offord | Dec 1, 2022 | 2 min read

Various microbes, including several human pathogens, hijack the cell’s skeleton, membranes, and protein-making machinery to make themselves at home.

A nine-banded armadillo walking on dry grass.

Leprosy Bacterium Rejuvenates Armadillos’ Livers

Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Nov 15, 2022 | 4 min read

Mycobacterium leprae appeared to reprogram the animals’ livers to a state partially resembling early development, resulting in healthy organ growth.

Vector image of turquoise and green bacteria and viruses on a navy-blue background.

Death by Illumination

Iris Kulbatski, PhD | 3 min read

Researchers use blue light therapy to treat infected burn wounds.

Flu/RSV Coinfection Produces Hybrid Virus that Evades Immune Defenses

Catherine Offord | Oct 25, 2022 | 2 min read

When fused to RSV, influenza A virus is better able to escape antibodies that usually neutralize it, an in vitro study finds.

several blue office chairs sit empty in a carpeted room, with a paper sign saying "Vaccination centre welcome" pasted on the white wall above.

Is a Winter COVID-19 Case Surge Coming?

Katherine Irving | Oct 17, 2022 | 3 min read

Low booster rates and immune-evading SARS-CoV-2 variants could spell bad news, experts say.

COVID-19: Lessons Learned

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 2 min read

An expert panel will discuss what researchers have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and what lessons remain for the future.

A dead northern gannet (Morus bassanus) on a beach

Unprecedented Avian Flu Epidemic Could Presage Year-Round Outbreaks

Christie Wilcox, PhD | Oct 4, 2022 | 2 min read

Nearly 50 million birds have been culled amid efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, which continues to ravage the Northern Hemisphere.

pregnant belly clad in hospital gown with IV line going into hand

Registry Review Casts Doubt on Causal Link Between Maternal Infection and Autism

Charles Q. Choi, Spectrum | Sep 26, 2022 | 4 min read

Maternal infection during pregnancy may be associated with autism, as previous studies have suggested—but perhaps not in a causal way.

Cell-Free DNA as Disease Biomarkers

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read

In this webinar, Stella Goulopoulou and Iwijn de Vlaminck will discuss how they analyze cell-free DNA to identify biomarkers of various diseases and their complications, including preeclampsia, COVID-19, and transplant rejections.

People in protective gear enter a building during an Ebola simulation exercise in Uganda in 2019.

Uganda Declares Ebola Outbreak After Fatality

Katherine Irving | Sep 20, 2022 | 2 min read

The outbreak of the Sudan strain of ebolavirus, which includes eight other suspected cases, is the first to hit Uganda in more than a decade.

Pink and purple <em>Plasmodium</em> parasites inside red blood cells

Malarial Host-Parasite Clash Causes Deadly Blood Sugar Drop

Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 18, 2022 | 4 min read

Scientists say they have finally figured out why some people with severe malaria end up with dangerous hypoglycemia, also reporting that the condition starves the parasite into changing tactics from virulence to transmission.

Researchers use bacterial whole genome sequencing to compare the phylogenetic relationship between environmental and clinical samples.

Aquatic Bacteria Reveal a Common Genetic Link to a Deadly Human Pathogen

Iris Kulbatski, PhD | 5 min read

Researchers use genetic clues to track the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the environment to patients.

illustration of inside of gut with floating bacteria

Finding Could Pave the Way to New, Targeted Antibody Treatments

Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 8, 2022 | 3 min read

IgA antibodies appear to bind to specific species of commensal gut bacteria in mice, according to a study.

animation showing how proximity affects viral transmission

Monkeypox Likely Spread Undetected in US Before Recent Reports

Andy Carstens | Jun 6, 2022 | 2 min read

Two strains of monkeypox have been detected in the US, suggesting the virus has been circulating in the country for some time, the CDC says.

40733-ts-double-edged-sword-webinar-banner-jp800x560

A Double-Edged Sword: When the Immune System Turns Against Us

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read

Klaus Ley and Neeloffer Mookherjee will explore the relationships between inflammation, autoimmunity, and pathology.

Grey and white image of transmission electron tomography of monkeypox virus

US Case Adds to Unusual Monkeypox Outbreak

Natalia Mesa, PhD | May 19, 2022 | 4 min read

Experts are scrambling to understand clusters of the normally rare disease that have been reported in Europe and North America in the last month.

Infographic about SLiMs in SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Infographic: Short Protein Motifs’ Role in SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Conchita Fraguas Bringas and Jakob Nilsson | May 16, 2022 | 4 min read

Known as SLiMs, these stretches of up to 10 amino acids play notable roles in cell biology, including responses to viral invasion.

Understanding Immune-Mediated Damage After Respiratory Infection

The Scientist Creative Services Team in collaboration with 10x Genomics | 1 min read

Paul Thomas from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will discuss how he used single cell and spatial transcriptomics to discover the underlying mechanism of an inflammatory immune response in the lungs.

Conceptual image of coronavirus, SARS?Cov?2 infects a human cell

Viruses Target Super-Short Protein Motifs to Disrupt Host Biology

Conchita Fraguas Bringas and Jakob Nilsson | May 16, 2022 | 10+ min read

Only recently appreciated as critical components of cellular functions, unstructured stretches of amino acids called SLiMs are key to viral-host interactions.