Bacteria

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Especially if you are a bacteria on Mars

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Today, astronauts They usually quarantine before traveling to space to ensure that they do not carry with them any unwanted pathogenic microorganisms. This is for two reasons. On the one hand, it prevents them from getting sick at such a distance from a doctor who can treat them. On the other hand, we do not know how these microorganisms may behave beyond our planet, so it is better not to carry any. The problem is that, when lunar and Martian colonizations arrive, it will not be so easy to make this type of controls. Sooner or later it is likely that some pathogenic bacteria will reach there, so it is important to know what we should expect. Several studies have been done in this regard, but one of the most interesting and recent is the doctoral thesis of astrobiologist Tommaso Zaccaria, from Radboud University. In this thesisstudies how four species of bacteria would behave on Mars. Thus, he discovers that not only could they survive. They could also become much more dangerous to humans. Four pathogenic bacteria. The study was carried out with four species of non-extremophilic pathogenic bacteria. That is, disease-causing bacteria that are not naturally prepared to resist extreme conditions. Those chosen were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Burkholderia cepacia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. First, Zaccaria exposed them to a simulated Martian environment, with conditions such as very low pressure, desiccation, very high ultraviolet radiation and high concentrations of perchlorates. There were two that held up especially well: Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia marcescens. For this reason, they were chosen for a second phase of the research, in which they were exposed to human immune cells. The results were quite worrying. Martian superbacteria. When exposed to bacteria that had remained in Martian conditions, it was seen that the immune cells lost their ability to produce cytokines, proteins that are part of the defensive response. They also didn’t produce as many reactive oxygen species, which are also produced as a result of an inflammatory immune reaction. In short, it seems that Martianized bacteria become much more elusive for the human immune system. The reasons. Zaccaria thinks that, in part, the bacteria’s resistance is due to the influence of the martian regolith. And it has nooks and crannies where water can accumulate that would help with desiccation. In addition, it protects them against ultraviolet radiation. At the same time, they themselves develop resistance mechanisms, which help them defend themselves against Martian inclemencies, but also against the human immune system. They become superbugs. The regolith doesn’t help at all. We have already seen that the regolith becomes a protector of bacteria. But the thing doesn’t stop there. In his study, Zaccaria exposed both live mice and human epithelial cells to simulated lunar and Martian regolith. Thus, it was seen that regolith damages the epithelial cells that normally cover the airways and, in addition, enhances inflammation and the activation of genes for mucus formation and pulmonary fibrosis. Let us remember that one of the bacteria that survives Martian conditions is causing pneumonia. That the regolith sensitizes the lungs does not help at all. Although it should be noted that the lunar regolith turned out to be worse than the Martian one. The effects are not comparable. ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’ Heroin yeasts. Finally, this scientist has verified how Martian conditions affect eukaryotic microorganisms. Bacteria are prokaryotes because they do not have a delimited nucleus. Yeasts, for their part, are eukaryotic microorganisms. One of the yeasts tested in the study, Rhodotorula frigidalcoholisshowed great resistance to Martian conditions. It is capable of stopping its cell cycle and repairing DNA, so that dangerous changes do not continue to spread from one cell to another. Learning more about this mechanism could help us protect ourselves in our future as space colonizers. After all, our cells are eukaryotic. This doesn’t end here. Zaccaria wants to study some bacterial defense mechanisms, such as the formation of biofilms or the synthesis of certain pigments. In addition, he hopes to be able to analyze how Martian conditions affect bacteria that are beneficial, such as those of the intestinal microbiota. With all this, we will be able to have a much more precise photograph to prevent the possible evils of future colonizers. When quarantines are not enough, it will be better to have a well-researched action plan. Image | NASA | Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya In Xataka | Chernobyl was filled with mushrooms after the nuclear accident. Thanks to them we discovered a “new form of photosynthesis”

The clothes of the future are made by bacteria. Jeff Bezos just invested 34 million to prove it

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Whoever is free of contradictions should cast the first stone, but Jeff Bezos plays in another league. On the one hand, he is the father and founder of a company that has made delivery logistics its watchword (Amazon), space tourism with Blue Origin or is behind AWS, one of the large cloud companies necessary for those resource-hungry data centers. On the other hand, Bezos also has his philanthropic side, which he develops in foundations such as his Bezos Earth Fundaimed at fighting climate change. Yes, the same man with the private jet and the megayacht. And he recently just invested 34 million dollars precisely in his “Bezos Fund for the Earth” to develop sustainable textiles new generation from bacteria, agricultural waste and other biological sources. The objective is to create materials that require less oil, are biodegradable and sooner or later are capable of replacing polyester, viscose or even cotton, a material of natural origin but whose production for textiles consumes a lot of water. The investment. These 34 million dollars are divided into four projects assigned to four top-level research entities: 11.5 million for Columbia University and the Fashion Institute of Technology to develop textile fibers made by bacteria that feed on agricultural waste. 10 million dollars for Berkeley, Stanford and Caltech to develop biodegradable fibers inspired by the spider web, but without the arthropod or using plastics. 11 million dollars for Clemson University to genetically modify cotton with the aim of improving its performance and so that it sprouts with the desired color. 1.5 million for the Cotton Foundation to restore the largest non-GMO cotton seed bank in the world. Why is it important. Because of fashion It is the second most polluting industry: is responsible for 8% of total carbon emissions and 20% of global wastewater and forecasts point to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of 50% by 2030. And that’s just for production. Once we have used it, there is another problem inherent to synthetic textiles: microplastics. The European Environment Agency esteem that synthetic textiles represent between 16% and 35% of the microplastics that reach the oceans each year, with between 200,000 and 550,000 tons entering the marine environment annually. Context. The textile industry does not stop growing. In fact, in the last 20 years fiber production has almost doubled: from 58 million tons in 2000 to 116 in 2022 and with an estimate of reaching 147 million by 2030. Meanwhile, only 1% of the clothing produced is recycled to make new clothes, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The situation is so alarming that the UN Secretary General has already warned that fast fashion is accelerating an environmental catastrophe and the solutions involve either doubling the useful life (which leads to clothing lasting longer), something that according to experts could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44 percent. The other option is to use a new generation of recycled and/or more sustainable textiles. In detail. Given that automation and advances in the textile industry have already been optimizing the production process, what Bezos and his team intend to do is solve the problem at the source, that is, change the base material by improving it. Thus, for cotton the objective is to integrate color, improve performance and resilience by tapping into the biology of the plant. In the case of bacterial fabrics, Columbia’s approach is to create a digital map to learn how cells make it in order to replicate it. Yes, but. The biggest challenge is the jump from the laboratory to the factory. Synthetic spider silk fibers have been promising a textile revolution for decades without having reached real industrial scale. There are already sustainable textile startups like Spiber o Circulose marketing alternatives to traditional fabrics, but its presence is testimonial. And 34 million dollars may be a fortune for most mortals, but it is pocket money to change an industry like the textile industry, valued at 1.3 trillion dollars and which employs more than 300 million people throughout the value chain, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. In addition, sustainable fibers are usually more expensive, difficult to produce on a large scale and are only profitable for large brands if volume and quality are adequate. It takes something more to convince against fast fashion alternatives and amazingly cheap clothes like Shein. In Xataka | We already know why Jeff Bezos invests so much money in space: he believes that in 20 years millions of people will live there In Xataka | When Jeff Bezos asked his parents for $240,000 to found Amazon, they asked him only one thing: “What is the Internet?” Cover | Flickr and David Clode

We believe that the refrigerator can handle everything, but reheating the same container several times is a feast for bacteria.

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Something that can be common in many homes, especially when all its inhabitants work daily, is cooking on the weekend for the rest of your life. This practice today is called “batch cooking“and logically it involves a very common practice: take a large container out of the refrigerator, heat it a little, let the rest cool down and put it back in the refrigerator. Everything changes. Although food may look and taste the same to the naked eye, at a microscopic level, each cooling and reheating cycle turns the container into a real amusement park for bacteria. The danger. To understand the problem of reheating the container several times, you must first know a basic concept in food safety, which is ‘danger zone‘. This is nothing more than a temperature range that goes from 5 ºC to 60 ºC, where the bacteria present in food multiply at a high speed. Regarding this, there are different studies that indicate that every time we take the container out of the refrigerator, it heats up and cools down again to consume it later; the food slowly passes through that “danger zone.” If done several times a week, minutes are adding up and hours in which microorganisms have free rein to proliferate. There is more. Although when we get sick we can automatically blame bacteria, the truth is that sometimes the pathology can be generated by thermostable toxins generated by bacteria such as Bacillus cereuswhich produce a characteristic gastroenteritis that many of us have been through. This means that, even if we cook a food and kill the bacteria, its virulence product is still there and causes illness when consumed. Even if it boils. More than one reheated. Different scientific models have studied what happens when cooked foods suffer what is called “temperature abuse.” Here the science suggests that the fluctuations from going from the refrigerator to the counter, heating and cooling again, trigger the microbial load and sink the sensory quality of the dish. The case of rice It has undoubtedly been one of the most listened to, especially because of the danger it entails. Here science indicates that each reheating and cooling cycle exponentially increases the microbiological risk if adequate temperatures are not reached and maintained. One of the big problems of rice it’s in the bacteria Bacillus cereus, whose spores survive cooking and germinate if the rice is left at room temperature. The issue here is the toxins it generates, which end up with very serious gastrointestinal poisoning, which makes it dangerous to reheat rice from one day to the next when it has not been stored correctly after preparation. The chemical problem. Beyond the safety of the food, it is also important to focus on the container that contains it, since the constant cycles of intense cold and extreme heat in the microwave can degrade plastics. With this, it is achieved that the migration of chemical compounds towards food, especially fatty foods. That is why the jump to glass containers can be very interesting to improve food safety at home. How to do it right. To avoid these gastric scares, it is best to divide the food into different containers that correspond to an individual portion, even if it means washing many more pots on a daily basis. Also, when cooking, you should not leave the pot on the counter all afternoon, but rather it is better to cool it quickly and quickly place it in the refrigerator within a maximum of two hours. The temperature at which we reheat is also important, highlighting the need to reach 70ºC throughout the food for a minimum of 15 seconds in order to reduce the risk of contagion. Images | freepik In Xataka | Against tupperware: more and more voices think that storing food in plastic is not a good idea

We haven’t colonized Mars yet and we already know how to build bricks to live there: with urine and bacteria

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Humanity has between an eyebrow and an eyebrow to reach Mars and eventually plant a colony there. Missions like NASA’s Curiosity rover have been scanning its surface for years for signs of past habitability (with promising findings that leave big unknowns) and the program Artemis II It is the technological springboard towards the first manned mission to Mars. Sooner or later there will come a day when humanity sets foot on Mars and the conditions to inhabit it are met (or manufactured). So the next question will be: how do we make a house there? It’s not so much a question of design, but of survival. A research team is already working on it and believes they have the solution, which they have published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. The concept. The research work from Politecnico di Milano, the University of Central Florida and Jiangsu University consists of using two bacteria that work together: one is capable of surviving in extreme conditions and produces oxygen and the other that turns human urine into stone. This promising duo is capable of manufacturing bricks directly from the Martian soil, without the need for kilns, factories or bringing materials from Earth. Why it is important. Because from an engineering point of view, moving materials and machinery over long distances (as long as going to Mars) makes the cost skyrocket and becomes technically unfeasible. Furthermore, building them with the materials available on Mars is not (yet) an option. So this concept solves those two problems and some others, such as energy consumption. According to the paperbiocementation consumes up to 7 times less energy than melting soil with microwaves and almost 50 times less than thermal sintering. Finally, because it is convenient: it converts human metabolic waste into construction material, thus solving the logistical problem of what to do with that waste. Context. Because the different space agencies have the arrival to Mars in the 2030-2040 decade on their roadmap. Biocementation (microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation) has been under study for two decades for uses such as stabilize soils, stop desertification either build with less carbon dioxide. This research transfers this knowledge to space and has its applications on Earth in the form of more sustainable construction, soil repair or self-healing concrete. chow they did it. This point is essential because the research team has neither built anything on Mars nor in the laboratory, using real regolith. This is a perspective paper, reviewing the known knowledge about this technique to provide a concept analyzing the Martian regolith from data from robotic missions. From that point and after identifying the deficiency of calcium oxide with respect to terrestrial cement, they have studied what biological routes can compensate for it. That’s where your proposal comes from, with the combination of Chroococcidiopsis + Sporosarcina pasteurii as the most promising, which is accompanied by a conceptual design of a bioreactor and 3D printing nozzle integrated with autonomous robotics. Yes, but. The previous point makes the first handicap clear: this combination of batteries has never been tested, neither on Mars nor in the laboratory. And on Mars the scenario is tricky: the reduced gravity weakens the microstructure of the resulting material (at least, conventional cement) and the perchlorates in the Martian soil are toxic to organisms. As if that were not enough, the temperature range in which bacteria can operate is narrow. Additionally, the water required may not be suitable. There is also no long-term stability data for this crop. If we talk about technological maturity, this project is in a primitive phase: a concept on paper financed with a long road ahead. In Xataka | China has found a “vital” element to colonize Mars: it resists in lethal conditions for other forms of life In Xataka | We have a serious problem in our plans to colonize Mars: the astronauts’ blood is mutating Cover | Rain Morales and Planet Volumes

It is a giant incubator for resistant bacteria

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The west of Almería is world famous for a colossal structure that can be seen from space itselfas is the ‘sea of ​​plastic’. Thousands of hectares of greenhouses that act as a true agricultural engine for all of Europe, which has a microenvironmental B side that science has just seen when analyzing everything that is on top of this amount of plastics. And the problem is not only visual pollution or the amount of microplastics that can end up in the sea, but the microscopic stowaways that travel in them. The microbiological world. As two recent investigations led by scientists from the Autonomous University of Madrid have pointed out, it has been seen that abandoned plastics They are not simple inert garbage; They are perfect vehicles for the development and spread of pathogens. And we are not talking about just any pathogens, but about bacteria that have inside them resistance genes very powerful against antibiotics. A topic that we have talked about on numerous occasions due to the problem it poses for public health and the challenge of searching for new medications to eliminate the bacteria that threaten our health. The first study. Published in 2025 and with a very clear objective ahead: to analyze the plastic samples that were collected in three key points of El Ejido. These points specifically were the interior of a greenhouse, a waste dumping area and the Punta Entinas-Sabinar nature reserve. When investigating the collected plastics, what they could see was a complex biological community, what science calls the “plastisphere“By analyzing biofilms, which are the layers of microorganisms attached to plastic, the researchers identified no less than 295 genes of antibiotic resistance commonly used, such as tetracyclines, macrolides and beta-lactams. The most alarming fact. Having a bacteria resistant to our main pharmacological weapons is honestly worrying, but the real fear comes when the team detects 52 mobile genetic elements. This means that bacteria use plastic as a meeting point where resistance mechanisms are shared among them, making a bacteria that can be destroyed with amoxicillin become resistant when in this contact. It’s literally like trading cards are being exchanged. How they arrive. These bacteria end up on top of the plastics, forming a biofilm precisely due to hazardous water and fertilizers that sometimes contain traces of antibiotics and microorganisms that end up colonizing these canvases. And the reality is that when a microorganism does not stop being in contact with an antibiotic, it eventually develops the mechanisms to block its effect. The second study. If these plastics were left locked in a room, the truth is that they would not cause any problems, but science has put figures on the worrying mobility of this waste. Here science documents how agricultural polymers escape from intensive exploitation and disperse through the soil, water, air and even the fauna of the area. On the nearby coast, the team collected 1,397 plastic fragments, analytically confirming that their composition exactly matches the materials used in local agriculture. And the worst of all is that in all these fragments that ended up elsewhere, associated pathogenic microorganisms were detected. Global health. The WHO itself points out that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats for global public health. Until now, the focus was on hospitals and drug abuse in intensive livestock farming, but now these Spanish researchers have detected a new front on which action should be taken. And it is no wonder, since plastics are acting as reservoirs of resistant bacteria, which not only incubate superbacteria, but can also be transported by wind and water, which are responsible for spreading them throughout protected natural areas, aquatic ecosystems and food chains. Images | Roger Casas-Alatriste CDC In Xataka | Faced with the need to look for weapons against superbacteria, science has opted to send viruses into space

They have found a bacteria capable of increasing your risk

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We often think of the health of our mouth as something completely isolated that has no more significance than the odious cavities that we get. forced to go to the dentist or the bad breath. However, science has been warning for years that the mouth is the gateway to much more complex systems, such as the possibility that a bacteria from our gums travel to the breast tissue and may accelerate tumor growth. An unwanted traveler. The protagonist of this new discovery is the bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum, an old acquaintance of dentists. We are talking about an opportunistic bacteria that thrives in dental plaque and is one of the main culprits of periodontitis, which is undoubtedly one of the most recognized gum diseases. What the team led by Dipalo Sharma has recently demonstrated is that this bacteria does not stay still on the gumsbut it has the ability to travel through the body to the breast tissue or even also is already linked to colon cancer. Its effect. The study In this case, he used mice to simulate two different scenarios in order to see how this very common bacteria behaved. The first of them was to inject the bacteria into the breasts of healthy mice, where precancerous inflammatory lesions began to be seen. In the case of injecting into existing tumors is where the alarms go off, since in these mice the presence of the bacteria tripled the size of the cancer and caused lung metastases in 100% of the cases observed. How he does it. It’s the million-dollar question: how does a bacteria from the mouth know that it has to go to the chest and how does it manage to do so much damage? Science has found an explanation at a molecular level that begins with inflammation of the gums in periodontal disease, since this causes the bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Once in the stream, the bacteria begins to travel and takes advantage of a very specific protein, called Fap2, which acts like a key that searches for a specific lock: a sugar called Gal-GalNAc, which turns out to be very abundant on the surface of breast cancer cells. Creating a shield. Once the bacteria adheres to the tissue thanks to this specificity, it begins to colonize, but it also has the ability to suppress the cells in charge of our defense. And specifically those that defend us from cancer cells that bypass the body’s checkpoints. Furthermore, it induces direct DNA damage and preferentially colonizes cells that have mutations in the BRCA1 gene, exacerbating the risk in genetically predisposed people. Dental hygiene. The result of this research leads us to a very clear question: does not brushing your teeth cause cancer? Logically not. In the field of health, causality is not as simple as ‘do this and that happens’, but rather it works as an accumulation of risks that increase the chances of generating a problem such as cancer. A risk factor. In this case, science suggests that having periodontitis, due to poor hygiene sustained over time, is associated with an increase of around 22% in the risk of suffering from breast cancer. And it is not the first time that dental disease is a risk factor of this type. A well documented case is in the relationship between deep dental caries and bacterial endocarditisan infection of the inner lining of the heart. That is why the recommendation here is always to maintain good oral hygiene and always treat cavities as soon as possible when they appear. Images | Caroline L.M. In Xataka | AI is no longer a promise in breast cancer: the largest clinical trial confirms that it detects more and reduces the burden on the radiologist

We have been believing that bacteria are a weapon against tumors for 150 years. And finally we have discovered how

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In the fight against cancer, there are many treatments that are emerging, being the immunotherapy one of the most innovative, although there are also other alternatives such as based on LED light. Now therapies continue to advance and science is already pointing to a group of bacteria to be able to destroy tumors without depending on the immune response, opening a new era in oncological medicine. It’s not something new. The idea of ​​using bacteria to treat cancer is not new: already in 1868 the German doctor Busch observed that some cancer patients experienced remissions after bacterial infections. Later, William Colby developed bacteria-based treatments that they laid the foundation of modern immunotherapy. However, these traditional therapies require a functional immune system, which is a serious problem for patients who are immunocompromised due to cancer. The present. a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering presented an innovative “drug-free” strategy that uses a group of bacteria to fight cancer, rescuing this old idea of ​​bacteria against cancer. This treatment has not only demonstrated powerful antitumor efficacy, but it has done so by achieving complete remission of the tumor and, most importantly, it has been maintained for years in mouse models, even in those who are immunosuppressed. The most relevant thing is that the fact that a bacteria helps us with this disease has been achieved without the need to use genetic engineering that alters your RNA. And also, without generating toxicity on the body. A priori they are all advantages. A bacterial duo. The protagonists of this therapy are a bacterial group called AUN, composed of two specific bacteria: Proteus mirabilis (nicknamed A-gyo) and Rhodopseudomonas palustris (UN-gyo). And although we may all have in mind that bacteria are bad for humans, the reality is that They help us (a lot) starting with all those that are in our intestine. When this bacterial duo was administered directly into the blood of tumor-bearing mice, the results were dramatic: complete tumor remission and prolonged survival. And it wasn’t magic. How does it work? It is the obligatory question after seeing the results of this study. The researchers explain that what these bacteria do in short is block the arrival of oxygen and nutrients to the tumors, which literally causes them to suffocate. And a tumor is nothing more than a set of cells that have an advanced metabolism. When taking away their food they end up dead. In essence, these bacteria can reach the tumor and enter its interior, as if it were a Trojan horse. Upon arrival, it causes very small blood clots to form and only in the blood vessels that go to the tumor. In this way, blood clots block the passage of blood and, therefore, its food source. Bacterial transformation. Bacteria are STILL not passive agents, but are dynamic actors that change their behavior when detecting cancer. In this way, the study observed that the A-gyo bacteria undergoes a “wonderful fibrous transformation.” This change is not random. It is specifically activated when the bacteria encounters “oncometabolites“, chemical signals emitted by cancer cells. This highly mobile form of “swarm”, together with the toxins and hemolysins secreted by the consortium, seems to be responsible for the tumor vascular destruction without affecting the rest of the healthy cells. A safe treatment. Using live bacteria as therapy may sound risky, but the study spends much of its time demonstrating the safety and control of AUN. The first thing that has been seen is that the bacterial strains have a unique non-pathogenic profile. Furthermore, to achieve a 100% complete response and avoid the lethality of a single high dose, the researchers developed a “double dose” regimen: a first injection at a low dose, followed days later by a high dose. The low dose “primes” the body, consuming aggressive neutrophils and mitigating the risk of severe cytokine release syndrome. Looking to the future. Although the experiments were performed in mice, the therapy was tested against human cancer cell lines in xenograft models. In this case, cells from human colon adenocarcinoma, ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer were used. The results in this case were very clear: all the tumors tested successfully disappeared in the mouse models, without very serious side effects. In this way, we are faced with a therapy that does not require any type of drug a priori and that can be self-managed. The authors of the study point out that this approach can revolutionize cancer therapy, but there is still a long way to go. Images | CDC In Xataka | Colon cancers are increasing alarmingly among young people. We have a suspect: sedentary lifestyle

It is to “eat” your bacteria

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Every time you go to the beach or walk under an intense sun, the skin starts a complex chain of reactions on its surface. You can think automatically In vitamin D and in the burnsbut at the microscopic level a fascinating ‘battle’ is fought where bacteria that cover the skin have a leading role. And what they do is surprising: literally, they “eat” one of the most negative effects of the sun, altering the way our body responds to it. The sun is a threat to the immune system. To understand this story, you must first know that the sun does not only bronze. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) acts as a powerful ‘switch’ for the immune system. When UV rays affect the skin, it converts a very abundant molecule called urocanic acid In its ‘twin’, cis-urocanic acid. This new molecule, the CIS-UA, has a very clear mission: to be a powerful Immunosuppressive. It is as if it disarms the ‘defenses’ in the skin so that they do not react to the presence of the sun. As a positive point, it allows us to use the UV light phototherapy to calm inflammatory diseases such as dermatitis. But it also has a negative point, since not having the defenses ‘on alert’ can hinder the elimination of sun damaged cells that in the long term they can in the long term evolve to skin cancer. Bacteria again demonstrate their importance. A published study by the magazine Journal of Investigative Dermatology It has given light to why the immunosuppressive effect of CIS-UA in a real environment was not always as powerful as expected in the laboratory. The answer to this dilemma was in the billions of microorganisms that inhabit the skin: the Microbioma. In a series of animal experiments, the researchers saw that when exposing the skin to UC radiation, the population of certain bacteria (especially the Staphylococcus epidermidis) He shot. And it wasn’t a coincidence. This bacterium It has an enzyme of the catalase type that functions as a perfect ‘crusher’ to eliminate the CIS-UA. In essence, while the sun produces this immunosuppressive molecule, the bacteria of our skin use it as a source of food, limiting its amount and, therefore, its effect on our defenses. They demonstrated it by eliminating bacteria. To give more validity to the theory presented, the researchers disinfected the skin of the mice to eliminate their microbiome. When exposing them to UV light, the immunosuppressive effect shot. Without bacteria that end the CIS-UA, the molecule could continue ‘silence’ to the skin defenses and give rise to having a greater probability of cancer. But when they only left the bacteria on the skin Staphylococcus epidermidis The defenses were not depressed. This was a great proof that the bacteria and its enzyme were responsible for regulating the effect of the sun on the skin. A door to sun’s sun’s sun. These discoveries are not only to satisfy scientific curiosity, but opens the door to new medical and cosmetic applications. For patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis, a simple step such as disinfecting the skin before applying UV light therapy can greatly enhance its effectiveness by suppressing skin defenses. For the day to day, we are interested in otherwise: limit immunosuppression to maintain active defenses in the skin against the damage that prolonged exposure to the sun can do. The creams of the future could not only block UV rays, but also include ‘probiotics’ or ingredients that feed these beneficial bacteria. We would be in this way by promoting our natural defenses instead of depending solely chemicals. Although for now the sun cream is still essential. Bacteria are one of us. Although bacteria are almost always related to a pathology, the reality is that There are about 100 billion microorganisms in the body (ten times more than cells). And the reality is that they do important functions such as in the human microbiota, whose alteration has been related With serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s wave depression. Now we see a new beneficial function of the bacteria that live with us, and that are more allied than enemies. That is why the investigation is pointing out that A healthier chocolate must focus on probiotics or that one of the most famous diets such as intermittent fasting It has positive effects In our health, But also negative. This makes your research right now in the priority of numerous groups and very diverse disciplines. Images | CDC Morgan Alley In Xataka | Science has solved one of the strangest mysteries of the human species: the people who do not like music

We have found a centrifuge bacteria

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We depend on plastic and, at the same time, we have been trying to find a substitute. That serves the same, but does not generate the tons of garbage and the microplastics that are generated today. There are several alternatives underway And now, a group of researchers believe there are found A convincing solution: use bacteria as a kind of living factory that produces the plastic of the future. And it is really promising: as resistant as metal, but that does not pollute when decomposing. Urgent alternatives. Seeing that plastic dependence and? Recycling is not something that is done too welltry to limit the use of plastic through different regulations. The big problem of this material is that, when degrading, it does not disappear completely, but is broken into particles known as microplastics. They end in rivers, seas, In food and In our body (They have been found until In human testicles or in the breast milk). And, in the process, many of these plastics release toxic substances such as phthalates or bisphenol A (BPA), highly harmful and related to hormonal problems and even cancer. Looking for that alternativeresearchers from RICE University and the University of Houston began experimenting to find a substitute for plastic that meet three conditions: Non-polluting. That is just as strong, or more, than plastic. That can be manufactured in a scalable way. Centrifugating bacteria. With that in mind, the researchers considered bacterial cellulose. It is a substance that produces some bacteria naturally and that is very similar to the cellulose of the plants, but finer. The finding is not this, since the bacterial cellulose was already known, but it has not been developed on a large scale due to its disorganized structure and complexity when using it. Therefore, the novelty is not the material, but how they have managed to produce it. To get that cellulose, they developed a “rotational bioreactor.” It is a machine in which they introduce these bacteria that produce cellulose while keeping them in a liquid. And what they have forced is to limit their movement so that they do not move at random. Basically, and as if it were a washing machine, they have put the bacteria there and have turned them in a specific direction during the production of the material. In this way, the fibers that make up the cellulose and that were previously disorganized, are now aligned in an orderly manner. Of course, in him studyresearchers expose that it is something that makes the difference, since, as with other materials (steel or carbon fiber, for example), when the fibers are aligned it is when the final material has those properties that make it unique. In the upper image, the messy fibers. In the lower one, the fibers created through that “bioreactor” Properties. Several, and very promising. The team has detailed that the new material is: Biodegradable. Resistant to replace plastic, but also some metals. Flexible and transparent. What resistance are we talking about? Of a traction resistance of up to 436 MPa, approaching the one presented by materials such as glass or aluminumbut adding to that property that of being flexible and transparent. It can be given. Masr Saadi is the main author of the study and one of the characteristics that he has outstanding is that they can be added to the material. “The method allows you to easily integrate various additives to nanoscale directly into bacterial cellulose, which allows customizing material properties for specific applications. For example, adding nitruro nitruro nanolás, the resistance rose to 553 MPA, but the capacity of the material to dissipate heat was also improved, tripling its thermal efficiency with respect to normal samples. Promising. “We imagine that these bacterial cellulose sheets, resistant, multifunctional and ecological will become omnipresent, replacing plastics in various industries,” says Muhammad Maksud Rahman, another of the researchers involved. And, although this bioplastic is in the laboratory phase, its industrial potential is evident. This multifunctionality would allow the material not only to containers that are currently plastic, but also to technical textiles due to their resistance and properties, also to heat dissipation devices, to Flexible screenslight structural sensors or elements that can be used in the construction segment. But, as we say, it is still a product that has demonstrated its potential in the laboratory, but it still remains for it to reach the market. If you end up doing it, of course. In Xataka | We are very bad recycling plastic. A super worm that devours it can help us solve it

What is “carnivorous bacteria” and why Europe believes that now is the best time to take precautions

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Many of the infectious diseases around us have a seasonal component. The flu, for example, is a thing of winter. Other infections are more dangerous in summer, such as those caused by Salmonella, or those caused by gender bacteria Vibrio. A seasonal infection. A few days ago, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued a statement in which it remembered that, with the arrival of summer, increases the risk of vibriosisinfections caused by the bacterial genre Vibrio. Maybe the name Vibrio It does not tell us much, but this genus contains several species of pathogenic bacteria. This genre belongs for example Vibrio Choleraethe bacteria that cause anger. Also in this genre is the so -called “carnivorous” bacteria, V. Vulnificus. Salobres waters. Bacteria of this genre usually inhabit salobres waters, waters such as river estuaries where salinity levels are intermediate, not as high as in the sea but greater than in rivers. These bacteria can be found in different geographical contexts. In its statement, for example, the ECDC indicates the presence of these bacteria in the Baltic Sea, where salinity conditions are especially favorable. The European center has A monitoring system of the risk in which the Black Sea is also indicated as the potential focus of infections. Two ways. Infections by Vibrio They can occur in two very different ways. The food route is perhaps the most common. It is generally produced through seafood specimens contaminated by the bacteria and occurs when the animal is consumed in raw or little cooked. The symptoms of this infection They are similar to those of other gastroenteritis: diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, fever or chills. The other way of infection is through wounds, and occurs When we bathe in waters contaminated by this bacterium with open wounds. These infections can lead to complications such as those given when the infection goes to our circulatory system; but also to tissue necrosis. The nickname of “carnivorous” bacteria that is assigned to the species V. Vulnificus It is because infections caused by this bacterium can cause necrotizing fasciitisthe death of infected tissues. This is not the only bacteria that causes this problem, in fact there are bacteria, like group A streptococci that we associate with this problem more frequently, so in reality the appellation can be used to refer to bacteria of very distant species. Relative risk The severity of vibriosis It depends on several factors. The most vulnerable people are those with liver problems, committed and elderly immune systems. In Europe and Spain. The last cholera epidemic in Spain occurred in the 1970s, but since then various European countries have seen outbreaks caused by this and other bacteria of the genre Vibrio. In Spain, for example we do not have to go far behind to find recent cases of vibrosis (beyond the case of cholera detected a few years ago in Madrid). According to Explain the ECDCvibriosis cases remain “relatively uncommon” in Europe. Between 2014 and 2017 there were an annual median of 126 cases, although in 2014 a more important outbreak left 445 registered cases. The heat wave registered that year can be linked to the increase in cases. In Spain, infections have also been registered, even some starring V. Vulnificus. According to experts, these types of infections are a risk that grows summer due to the increase in temperatures associated with climate change. This increase does not affect only the concentrations of this bacterium in certain waters, it also implies its geographical expansion to estuaries and seas where before its presence had not been problematic. Should we worry? ECDC warning should be seen as a reminder to extreme caution, not as a health or food alert. In summer it is convenient to increase our caution. The risk of contracting these infections is greater for different reasons: The increase in water temperature It allows these bacteria to prolish more easily, which increases their concentrations and with it the risk of infection; In addition, the mere fact of spending more time in these waters makes our exposure greater. As detailed by the ECDC, reducing the risk of these infections is partly in our hand. Avoid raw or poorly cooked seafood (especially oysters, stand out) can avoid scare. In the case of bathers, the center recommends covering open wounds, piercings or recent tattoos, avoiding the bathroom in salobres as much as possible. If the wound occurs while we are in the water, it is convenient to clean it properly and with fresh water to avoid infections. In Xataka | In the 50 we decided to bombard food cans with huge amounts of radiation. Thus we discover a new bacteria: ‘D. Radiodurans’ Image | Tiffany Jae / CDC/Janice Haney Carr

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