There have been many advances in modern medicine, many due to the better understanding of how humans and microorganisms interact.  Something that is particularly interesting is how many infectious agents could be to blame for chronic illness.  Often times a chronic illness could be caused by a harmful immune response to parasites or bacteria. An overview [...]

The Phthisis Team attended the Charlottesville Catholic School Science Night last Friday.  We were asked to participate and evaluate 37, 8th grade student projects.  Everyone did an amazing job, and we were glad to see so many students interested in science.  The projects could be on anything the students wanted to identify or understand. They [...]

Well, I bet you never thought that using a color chart and your poop could reach a quick diagnosis.  Again we are surprised by amazing advances in science.  In the Mad Science section of io9.com “a designer color coded bacteria made from E. coli” was featured. The possibilities for the use of E. chromi could [...]

Recently in Microbe magazine, Carol Potera wrote an article about squalamine which is a compound, found in sharks, that has been found to have anticancer activity, but Michael Zasloff of Georgetown University Medical Center conducted studies that have found squalamine may also have antiviral properties. “Squalamine prevents both DNA and RNA viruses from entering host [...]

A new and possibly life changing discovery was made through a study of gut bacteria and the possible role it has in predicting a heart attack.  Medical Xpress published an article and summarized the study. This new research is suggesting that different types and levels of gut bacteria could be used to treat or diagnose [...]