Category Archives: Technology

Scratching the surface: how microbes adhere to worktops

Posted on June 5, 2017 by

Have you ever noticed when cleaning a sink or a saucepan that certain spots get tougher to clean over time, and the harder you scrub them, the worse it gets? This sometimes happens when we clean things with abrasive products … Continue reading →

Posted in Clinical and Medical Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Technology | Tagged | 13 Comments

This device uses a laser to rapidly detect bacteria

Posted on April 4, 2017 by

SLIC by name, slick by nature. That’s the title of a presentation later today by Dr Robert Hammond from the University of St Andrews. In it, he’ll be talking about a new technology for quickly detecting bacteria and their susceptibility to … Continue reading →

Posted in Clinical and Medical Microbiology, Technology | 1 Comment

Antibiotic spider silk that can heal wounds

Posted on January 12, 2017 by

Spider silk is pretty much the world’s coolest material. It’s extremely flexible, tougher than Kevlar, and weight for weight it’s stronger than steel. If that isn’t enough, there’s even evidence that some spider silks might have antimicrobial properties.

Posted in Clinical and Medical Microbiology, Technology | 1 Comment

From space to stomach ulcers

Posted on August 19, 2016 by

Could a machine for detecting molecules in space be used to identify bacteria that cause stomach ulcers? This is the question that Dr Geraint ‘Taff’ Morgan and his colleagues, Professors Ejaz Huq and Phil Prewett, from Oxford MicroMedical Ltd are … Continue reading →

Posted in Clinical and Medical Microbiology, Technology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Could we use bacteria to power tiny wind farms?

Posted on August 16, 2016 by

A single drop of fluid can contain billions of bacteria swimming around inside it. For the most part, the movements of these bacteria are random and chaotic. But if you look at them under the microscope, you begin to see … Continue reading →

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What is CRISPR-Cas?

Posted on August 9, 2016 by

CRISPR-Cas is making headlines as a powerful new gene editing tool that could change the whole of biology. Scientists are already using CRISPR to introduce genes for disease resistance into crops, insert malaria blocking genes into mosquitoes, and remove HIV … Continue reading →

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Do hand dryers spread viruses in public bathrooms?

Posted on January 5, 2016 by

Seeing someone leave a public toilet without washing their hands is enough to make your stomach turn, but how someone actually dries their hands also has important implications for public health, according to recent research from the University of Westminster. … Continue reading →

Posted in Clinical and Medical Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Technology, Virology | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments