Tag Archives: MRSA

Scientists one step closer to deafeating ‘Superbug’ MRSA, study shows

5 Feb
Scientists from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Boston University interfered with the metabolism of E. coli, rendering them weaker in the face of existing antibiotics, as reported today in Nature Biotechnology. (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Scientists from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Boston University interfered with the metabolism of E. coli, rendering them weaker in the face of existing antibiotics, as reported today in Nature Biotechnology. (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

If you’ve ever been in the hospital for one of those annoying spider-bite like boils on your body, then you probably recognize the acronym MRSA and cringe. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacteria that has been causing deadly infections in humans due to its resistance to most antibiotics. The bacteria most commonly lingers around hospitals, but can be found in gyms and schools as well.

With few medicines available to treat the infections caused by MRSA, scientists from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Boston University have been studying the biological makeup of this sneaky bacteria villian to find better ways to fight it. The researchers, using computer modeling and biotechnology of a similar bactera E. coli, found that simply adjusting the bacteria’s metabolism may be a way to kill it. Continue reading →

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MRSA found in U.S. wastewater treatment plants, study shows

6 Nov

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has historically been associated with hospitals, and been the culprit of potentially fatal bacterial infections. But, since the latter part of the 90s, the infection has spread to community settings such as gyms and schools and has infected healthy people. As MRSA became more prevalent in humans and communities, it became resistant to common antibiotics such as penicillin.

But, now the “superbug” has been identified in wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. The water from these plants is often reclaimed and used for irrigation, causing the researchers of the study to call their findings a “public health concern.” Continue reading →

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