Today’s Digest is short, but not without highlights. The highlights all go to antibiotics. Ed Yong wrote about the history of methicillin resistance, colistin resistance was found to be increasing in Chinese hospitals, and fox poop could save us from vegetable and fruit waste.
General microbiology
A CRISPR–Cas9-based gene drive platform for genetic interaction analysis in Candida albicans – Rebecca S. Shapiro et al. – Nature Microbiology
Reduction of bacterial burden by copper alloys on high-touch athletic center surfaces – Zina Ibrahim et al. – American Journal of Infection Control
Press: New Study Shows Copper Surfaces on Athletic Equipment Reduce Bacteria by 94 Percent – Business Wire
Plant, root and soil microbiome
Assessing and characterising the repertoire of constitutive promoter elements in soil metagenomic libraries in Escherichia coli – Caua Antunes Westmann et al. – bioRxiv
Technology
Reproducibility and repeatability of six high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing protocols for microbiota profiling – Sajan Raju et al. – bioRxiv
Microbes in the news
Flesh-eating bacteria kills man helping repair Harvey-damaged homes – Claire Z. Cardona – Dallas News
Gut bacteria found to have a role in both PTSD and Alzheimer’s disease – Rich Haridy – New Atlas
* Bacteria Can Evolve Resistance to Drugs Before Those Drugs Are Used – Ed Yong – The Atlantic
* New Study Detects Increase in MCR-1 Positive Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Humans – Samar Mahmoud – Contagion Live
Vaginal Microbiota Profile Predictive of Chlamydia Susceptibility – Jessica Martin – Infectious Disease Advisor
* War on waste: Antimicrobial borne by feral foxes slows decay saving food and money – Jennifer Nichols – ABC News
Microbes on the market
Video: Bioengineers recreated spider silk by fermenting E. Coli bacteria – Mashable
Kane Biotech Inc. Provides Overview of Biofilm Industry, Clinical Development and Growth Drivers in New SNNLive Video Interview with StockNewsNow.com – Global Newswire
Evivo™ Gains Health Canada Approval, Providing First International Expansion Opportunity – Global Newswire