Mostly Microbes and Infection

Highlights • Mice spleen contained a diverse array of microbiotas • Different intensities exercise alters the compositions of the spleen microbiome • Lactobacillus johnsonii  may contribute to the production of Treg cells  

"What's my Research?", organized by David Ojcius. Interdisciplinary presentation at  University of the Pacific  by  chemistry  professor Skylar Carlson and  conservatory  professor Eric Dudley.  Skylar spoke on understanding the role molecules play in nature. Through teamwork and undergraduate research, her team screens natural products for molecules with biological activity, looking for anticancer, antibiotic, or other activity. Eric spoke (and sung) on poly-stylistic practices in singing and the exploration of new musical works at the boundaries of genre, including some work that was nominated recently for a Grammy.

Increasing incidence of fungal infections of recent times requires immediate intervention. Fungal infections are seldom construed at initial stages that intensify the severity of infections and complicate the treatment procedures. Fungal pathogens employ various mechanisms to evade the host immune system and to progress the severity of infections. For the treatment of diverse superficial and systemic infections, antifungal drugs from the available repertoire are administered. However, well documented evidence of fungal resistance to most of the antifungal drugs hampers disease control and poses challenges in antifungal therapy. Several physiological adaptations and genetic mutations followed by their selection in presence of antifungal agents drive the resistance development in fungi. The availability of limited antifungal arsenal, emergence of resistance and biofilm-conferred resistance drives the need for development of novel drugs and alternate approaches for the better treatment ou...