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Excess sucrose consumption has been associated with several health problems, including inflammation and potential negative effects on immune function. However, the exact relationship between sucrose intake and immunity remains unclear, especially during bacterial infections. This study examined how sucrose intake affected the survival of fruit flies following oral infection with the bacterial pathogen Serratia marcescens.

Here the authors aimed to compare the effects of artificial Allura Red AC dye and natural cochineal dye on the growth of Escherichia coli and Bacillus coagulans bacteria. Their research found that only Allura Red AC dye significantly affected bacterial growth, specifically amplifying E. coli growth. Based on their results, they suggest that Allura Red AC dye may increase the growth of E. coli bacteria within the human gut.

Quorum sensing (QS) is the process in which bacteria recognize and respond to the surrounding cell density, and it can be inhibited by certain antimicrobial substances. This study showed that illumination intensity data is insufficient for evaluating QS activity without proper statistical modeling. It concluded that modeling illumination intensity through time provides a more accurate evaluation of QS activity than conventional cross-sectional analysis.

In this study, the authors test new antimicrobials by measuring the ability of extracts from Australian-native Myrtaceae species to induce death of two bacteria S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.

Here, recognizing the important role of bacterial biofilms in many life-threatening chronic infections, the authors investigated the effectiveness of a combination treatment on biofilms composed of up to three different common species within the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients with computational analysis. They found that a triple cocktail therapy targeting three different signaling pathways has significant potential as both a treatment and prophylaxis.

Understanding how bacteria respond to other bacteria could facilitate their ability to initiate and maintain their infectiousness. The phenomenon by which bacteria signal to each other via chemical signals is called quorum sensing, which could be targeted to deter bacterial infection in some cases if better understood. In this article, the authors study how a bacterium called V. fischeri uses quorum sensing to change bioluminescence, an easy readout that facilitates studying quorum sensing in this strain.

Patel et al. explore whether T. paniculatum plant extract can work with modern antibiotics to increase antibiotic efficacy against common disease-causing bacteria. The plant extract in conjunction with the antibiotic shows promise in battling S. aureus. The authors present a cost-effective method to increase antibiotic efficacy in a time where antibiotic resistant bacteria is becoming a growing problem.

PVC is a widely used plastic that poses harmful health hazards when burned. In this study, the authors ask whether or not burned PVC (PVC char) affects bacterial transformation.

Disruptions to the microbiome, specifically the imbalance in the two major phyla, the Firmicutes and the Bacteroidetes, have been linked to the development of obesity. This study explored whether or not Fage plain total 0% Greek yogurt, which contains live and active bacterial cultures belonging to the Firmicute phylum, could decrease the numbers of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, an organism found in the human gut that belongs to the Bacteroidetes phylum.

In this study E. coli bacteria was exposed to small UV lights currently used in school laboratories to see the effect on colony growth. This project explores how UV radiation methods could be applied in common households to inhibit bacterial growth.