antibiotic resistance

Scientists have isolated a molecule with disease-fighting potential in a microbe living on a type of fungus-farming ant (genus Cyphomyrmex). The microbe kills off other hostile microbes attacking the ants' fungus, a food source.

Bugs Vs. Superbugs: Insects Offer Promise In Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

1:27pm February 13, 2019

by Paul Chisholm

With the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists are exploring nature to find new disease-fighting compounds. They're finding them in surprising new places: the microbiomes of insects.

A customer holds a McDonald's Big Mac. The fast-food giant, one of the world's biggest beef buyers, has announced plans to use its might to cut back on antibiotics in its global beef supply. Environmentalists are applauding the commitment.

Health & Safety

Lots Of Antibiotics Are Used In Beef Production. McDonald's Vows To Change This

3:20pm December 11, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

The fast-food giant, one of the world's biggest beef buyers, announces plans to use its might to cut back on antibiotics in its global beef supply. Environmentalists are applauding the commitment.

Humans would do better to accept many of the life forms that share our space, than to scrub them all away, says ecologist Rob Dunn.

Counting The Bugs And Bacteria, You're 'Never Home Alone' (And That's OK)

2:16pm November 12, 2018

by Terry Gross

Ecologist Rob Dunn's new book describes the tiny life forms, helpful and risky, that live in different parts of the home, including on floors and in water faucets, basements and heating systems.

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Antibiotics are widely overprescribed for the common cold. Doctors' concern for patient satisfaction ratings may be one reason.

Health & Safety

Patients Give Doctors High Marks For Prescribing Antibiotics For Common Sniffles

5:27pm October 03, 2018

by Rachel D. Cohen

People with colds and related infections give physicians higher ratings when they give them a prescription for antibiotics. Could that lead doctors to overprescribe?

Colored transmission electron micrograph of a section through an Escherichia coli bacterium. This rod-shaped bacterium moves via its hair-like flagellae (yellow).

Biologists Trace Genetic Roots Of Evolution, One Cell At A Time

2:29pm March 15, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

E.coli bacteria, each cell trapped in a tiny tube, are giving researchers the chance to study the pace and effects of single genetic mutations. Most mutations, the scientists find, aren't harmful.

Michele Comisky of Vienna, Va., enrolled her 8-year-old son, Jackson, in a study to test the value of probiotics in preventing the gut distress often experienced when taking antibiotics.

Could Probiotics Protect Kids From A Downside Of Antibiotics?

7:26pm December 11, 2017

by Rob Stein

Many marketing claims about the potential benefits of probiotics have raced ahead of the science, say researchers who are now trying to catch up. One NIH study is investigating kids' gut microbes.

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Study: Reducing Antibiotic Use Not Enough To Reverse Resistance

5:00am November 22, 2017

by Bethany Chafin

A new Duke University study shows that curbing antibiotic resistance might be more complicated than we thought.

The old advice seems to hold true: Drinking lots of water helps prevent urinary tract infections.

To Reduce Risk Of Recurring Bladder Infection, Try Drinking More Water

1:20pm October 20, 2017

by Greta Jochem

While it may seem simple, drinking water flushes bacteria out of the urethra, helping to prevent infection in women prone to them. And it also may help reduce the use of antibiotics.

In the 1950s, the poultry industry began dunking birds in antibiotic baths. It was supposed to keep meat fresher and healthier. That's not what happened, as Maryn McKenna recounts in her new book.

'Big Chicken': The Medical Mystery That Traced Back To Slaughterhouse Workers

11:42pm September 10, 2017

by Maryn McKenna

In the 1950s, the poultry industry began dunking birds in antibiotic baths. It was supposed to keep meat fresher and healthier. That's not what happened, as Maryn McKenna recounts in her new book.

A newly detected type of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria (in red) has acquired genes that make it more deadly.

Health & Safety

Triple Threat: New Pneumonia Is Drug-Resistant, Deadly And Contagious

12:59pm September 02, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

When microbiologist Sheng Chen and his team sequenced the microbes found in the pneumonia infections, they were shocked at what they saw.