This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections have become a public health crisis. Their incidence has increased in the past decades, driven by the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but how these ARGs are acquired by bacteria in the environment is not completely known. Human interaction with the environment can spread resistant bacteria, further influencing the antibiotic resistance properties of environmental microbes. In a new study, researchers sought to characterize how human activities influence the environmental “resistome.” They surveyed the microbiome, resistome, and mobilome of planktonic microbial communities in the Han River. The study was extensive, with samples spanning the length of the river over three seasons. Using integrative metagenomic analyses, they found that fecal contamination from humans influenced the resistome in densely populated areas of the river, but interestingly, fecal bacteria weren’t the main factor influencing the ARG increase..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This is an interactive learning adventure for middle school students and has accompanying classroom activities and magazines. In this challenge, students will perform experiments to identify the germ responsible for a fungal disease. Students will follow rules or postulates worked out by Dr. Koch in the late 1800s for establishing whether a specific germ causes a particular infectious disease: 1. The suspected pathogen must be present in every case of the disease; 2. The suspected pathogen must be isolated from the host and grown in pure culture; 3. The disease must be reproduced when a pure culture of the suspected pathogen is inoculated into a healthy susceptible host; 4. The same pathogen must be recovered from the newly infected host. The Germ Theory of Disease holds that germs or microorganisms cause infectious diseases. Funded through the National Center for Research Resources and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

This is an interactive learning adventure for middle school students and has accompanying classroom activities and magazines. In Mission Five: Zero Hour Zoonoses, students learn about zoonotic pathogens and the diseases they cause, while trying to prevent a bioterror attack.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to global public health. While antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can arise in many different environments, environments with heavy antibiotic use, such as livestock farms and hospitals, are of particular concern. ARGs can then spread to human pathogens via horizontal gene transfer and the inhalation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria presents a particularly dangerous route of exposure. Thus, a recent study characterized the resistome found in the fine particulate matter from hospital air. The hospital airborne particulate samples had nearly twice the ARG abundance of ambient urban air samples, and up to 30% of the hospital microbiome was from human-associated sources, which highlights the risk of potentially resistant pathogens. The resistome varied with clinical activities; in particular the abundance of β-lactam ARGs was associated with the number of in-ward β-lactam resistant cases..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Built environments harbor a wide variety of microorganisms, and these microbial communities include both pathogens and strains carrying antibiotic resistance (AR) genes. One built environment that brings people together in our increasingly modern, urban world is public transit, so it's important to understand the relationships among the public transit environment, passengers, and microbes, including those in the air. Recently, researchers sequenced air microbiomes from public transit in 6 cities in North America, Europe, and Asia. City was the main factor associated with differences in public transit air microbiomes. Most AR genes came from human skin, soil, and wastewater and were found near mobile genetic elements including plasmids. Public transit air microbes were geographically specific, and the AR genes in public transit air came from passengers and the environment, including nearby surfaces..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Amphibians are one of the most vulnerable animal groups on the planet, with over 40% of their species threatened with extinction. A major driver of that vulnerability is the fungal pathogen _Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis_ (Bd). Bd is linked to the decline of at least 500 amphibian species, the greatest loss in biodiversity due to a pathogen ever recorded. The amphibian skin microbiome community structure has been linked to health outcomes of Bd infection, but the functional importance of the microbiota is not yet fully understood. To close this gap and potentially discover biomarkers or disease control methods, researchers investigated the microbiome of midwife toads. They examined both wild populations with naturally occurring Bd infection and controlled laboratory exposure. Infection with Bd led to changes in the microbial community structure, gene profile, and metabolic function in laboratory and wild toad populations..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Fecal microbiota transplantation is a promising procedure for preventing recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), which is the most frequently identified healthcare-associated infection in the US. Unfortunately, the effects of microbiota transplantations on the microbiome and resistome of rCDI patients have not been examined in detail. To address that gap, researchers recently conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the investigational microbiota therapeutic RBX2660 for patients with rCDI. Over the first 7 days after treatment, all patients showed significant recovery of gut microbiome architecture and a decreased abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes. However, patients receiving RBX2660 showed more significant and longer-lasting microbiome and resistome shifts toward a balanced configuration than those receiving the placebo..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Horizontal gene transfer helps shape bacterial communities and drives the spread of antibiotic resistance. Of the three horizontal gene transfer pathways, conjugation has been studied the most in the context of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics themselves can trigger these transfers, but the impact of other types of pharmaceuticals in natural environments remains to be explored. To close this gap, researchers examined several common non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals in a model of wastewater treatment plant activated sludge. The tested compounds covered multiple drug classes including an anticonvulsant, a lipid-lowering drug, a β-blocker, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Environmentally relevant concentrations of the compounds promoted conjugative transfer of IncP1-α, a plasmid that carries antibiotic resistance. Exposure to these compounds spread IncP1-α across entire microbial communities..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Microbes are widely known to spread disease, but could they also help prevent it? A look inside in the mosquito gut reveals a community of microbes fit for the job. Mosquitoes are well-known vectors of disease, transmitting West Nile and Zika virus and the pathogens that cause malaria and dengue fever. Unfortunately, traditional control methods have led to insecticide resistance and negative impacts on other organisms, but mosquitoes, like other animals, also host non-disease-causing microbes in their gut. These benign microorganisms can directly interact with the deadly pathogens harbored by these insects. They can also affect mosquito traits influencing pathogen transmission, such as their population density, development, biting rate, and survival. For example, certain bacterial strains can reduce female fertility and the egg-hatching rate, while others can protect mosquitoes from environmental stress..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Student teams practice water quality analysis through turbidity measurement and coliform bacteria counts. They use information about water treatment processes to design prototype small-scale water treatment systems and test the influent (incoming) and effluent (outgoing) water to assess how well their prototypes produce safe water to prevent water-borne illnesses.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The scavenger receptors (SRs) are a group of surveillance proteins that play important roles in immune defense. These proteins are divided into 12 classes (A–L) on the basis of their diverse structures and functions. Their differences enable SRs to interact with a vast array of pathogenic factors, such as bacteria, to induce appropriate responses. Multiple SR types can bind to the same pathogenic signals, and an individual SR can bind multiple signal types. Furthermore, SRs can reversibly interact with co-receptor proteins to launch various responses, highlighting the complex and dynamic nature of SR-related defense. In general, SRs control the recruitment and activation of immune cells that eat harmful substances, and they can either induce or suppress inflammation depending on the conditions. Many SRs have both membrane-bound and soluble forms that accomplish their scavenging functions, while one potential SR, ACE-2, appears to scavenge only in its soluble form..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The beneficial microbes that live in and on us play many important roles in our health. In mammals, these microbial communities are assembled after birth, particularly before weaning. Intestinal microbes do more than just help digest food or produce metabolites. They also contribute to the development of organ structures and the immune system. To better understand this process, researchers used mice with a specifically constructed, simplified gut microbiome. Mice without a microbiome, called germ-free, have significantly impaired immunity, but giving these adult mice a simple microbiome of 14 strains was enough for them to establish an immune response. The addition of microbes stimulated maturation of the intestinal blood vessel system and activated both innate and adaptive immunity..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students modify a provided App Inventor code to design their own diseases. This serves as the evolution step in the software/systems design process. The activity is essentially a mini design cycle in which students are challenged to design a solution to the modification, implement and test it using different population patterns The result of this process is an evolution of the original app.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"In the age of antibiotic-resistant microbes, developing new anti-infective alternatives is crucial. A new study takes a novel approach – turning our gaze back on the microbes that colonize us. Commensal skin bacteria are fundamental to maintaining the skin barrier and protecting us from pathogenic microbes. While dysbiosis of the skin microbiome is associated with diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, in healthy skin, skin commensals protect the host by supporting the immune system and impairing the growth or virulence of competitors. Researchers screened of over 3000 human skin isolates to evaluate bacterial competition. Their results revealed a strain of Staphylococcus hominis with activity against Gram-positive pathogens, mediated by a molecule called MP1. Using either a “probiotic” approach or nanoparticles could replicate the effect of MP1, reducing infection by the pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus in mice. While future studies will determine whether S..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Leveraging the soil microbiome is one way we can sustainably improve crop yields, but little is known about how, or if, specific soil amendments encourage the development of plant-protective soil microbiomes. A recent study examined the impact of pineapple residues on soils heavily burdened with the banana Fusarium wilt disease pathogen. Adding pineapple residues to the soil reduced the number of pathogens and the incidence of disease. The researchers traced this to fungal taxa affiliated with Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium solani. Isolates of these fungi (F.S-F and A.F-F) also suppressed the incidence of wilt disease in controlled experiments. While A. fumigatus isolates had clear antagonistic effects on the Fusarium wilt disease pathogen, F. solani did not. Instead, F. solani may compete against the wilt-causing pathogen (Foc4) for nutrients, as it has a similar carbon source utilization pattern..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Ticks act as vectors for many zoonotic pathogens and are an increasing threat to human and animal health, but tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are not the only important residents inside ticks; they coexist with many other microorganisms. Tick microbial communities can affect tick health and immunity, and they can also interact directly with tick-borne pathogens. A recent study sought to characterize tick-borne microbes and their temporal dynamics and interactions. Using high-throughput sequencing, researchers studied the dynamics of microbes in specimens of the tick species Ixodes ricinus collected over 3 years in a peri-urban forest. They found that around 75% of sequences belonged to maternally inherited bacterial genera. The structure of the tick microbiota varied over time, with the greatest changes driven by environmental microbes..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students learn about water quality testing and basic water treatment processes and technology options. Biological, physical and chemical treatment processes are addressed, as well as physical and biological water quality testing, including testing for bacteria such as E. coli.

This textbook has evolved from online and live-in-person lectures presented in Professor Kenneth Todar's bacteriology courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Its contents are suitable for reading or presentation in courses or course modules concerning general microbiology and medical bacteriology at the college and advanced high school levels of education. For teachers, instructional materials are available that accompany many chapters and topics. These include lecture outlines, notes, powerpoint presentations, and examination questions that compose a study guide

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Mitochondrial stress is a key trigger of innate immune responses. Sources of stress include environmental changes, genetic mutations, and pathogenic infection. Mitochondria respond by releasing mitochondrial DAMPs and cytochrome c into the cytosol that induce inflammation and apoptosis through activating inflammasomes, cGAS and apoptotic caspases. One way cells manage mitochondrial stress is by eliminating dysfunctional mitochondria, a process known as “mitophagy.” Mitophagy regulatory pathways are classified as ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent or Ub-independent (receptor-dependent). Growing evidence shows that mitophagy can be induced by certain bacteria and viruses. Co-opting the mitophagy process enables these pathogens to evade hosts’ immune defense. Much remains to be learned about the mechanisms that pathogens employ to hijack host mitophagy. Understanding these mechanisms could point to new therapeutic strategies for fighting infection and related diseases..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Behind every plant is a community of microbes that support its growth, development, and evolution. Currently, these communities are in danger. Overpopulation, overconsumption, and intensive agriculture are seriously altering the plant microbiome. Signature changes include community imbalance and loss of resilience among plant microbes, and increased resistance to antibiotics, which could result in the emergence of new plant as well as human pathogens. Curbing these effects will require increased effort among microbiome scientists to understand the drivers of systemic shifts and among citizens to acknowledge and reduce their footprint on the planet..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.