{"668152":{"#nid":"668152","#data":{"type":"external_news","title":"Scientists discover small RNA that regulates bacterial infection","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople with weakened immune systems are at constant risk of infection.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EPseudomonas aeruginosa\u003C\/em\u003E, a common environmental bacterium, can colonize different body parts, such as the lungs, leading to persistent, chronic infections that can last a lifetime \u2014 a common occurrence in people with cystic fibrosis. But the bacteria can sometimes change their behavior and enter the bloodstream, causing chronic localized infections to become acute and potentially fatal. How and why the switch happens in humans has remained unknown.\u0026nbsp;However, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have identified the major mechanism behind the transition between chronic and acute\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EP. aeruginosa\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;infections. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/marvin-whiteley\u0022\u003EMarvin Whiteley \u003C\/a\u003E-- professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and Bennie H. and Nelson D. Abell Chair in Molecular and Cellular Biology -- and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thewhiteleylab.com\/pengbo-cao.html\u0022\u003EPengbo Cao\u003C\/a\u003E, a postdoctoral researcher in Whiteley\u0027s lab, discovered a gene that drives the switch. By measuring bacterial gene expression in human tissue samples, the researchers identified a biomarker for the transition.\u0026nbsp;(This story was also covered in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.technologynetworks.com\/tn\/news\/gene-discovered-that-drives-pseudomonas-infections-to-switch-from-chronic-to-acute-374813\u0022\u003ETechnology Networks\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.news-medical.net\/news\/20230614\/Scientists-identify-major-mechanism-behind-the-transition-between-chronic-and-acute-bacterial-infections.aspx\u0022\u003ENews Medical Life Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople with weakened immune systems are at constant risk of infection.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EPseudomonas aeruginosa\u003C\/em\u003E, a common environmental bacterium, can colonize different body parts, such as the lungs, leading to persistent, chronic infections that can last a lifetime \u2014 a common occurrence in people with cystic fibrosis. But the bacteria can sometimes change their behavior and enter the bloodstream, causing chronic localized infections to become acute and potentially fatal. How and why the switch happens in humans has remained unknown.\u0026nbsp;However, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have identified the major mechanism behind the transition between chronic and acute\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EP. aeruginosa\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;infections. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/marvin-whiteley\u0022\u003EMarvin Whiteley \u003C\/a\u003E-- professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and Bennie H. and Nelson D. Abell Chair in Molecular and Cellular Biology -- and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thewhiteleylab.com\/pengbo-cao.html\u0022\u003EPengbo Cao\u003C\/a\u003E, a postdoctoral researcher in Whiteley\u0027s lab, discovered a gene that drives the switch. By measuring bacterial gene expression in human tissue samples, the researchers identified a biomarker for the transition. (This story was also covered in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.technologynetworks.com\/tn\/news\/gene-discovered-that-drives-pseudomonas-infections-to-switch-from-chronic-to-acute-374813\u0022\u003ETechnology Networks\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.news-medical.net\/news\/20230614\/Scientists-identify-major-mechanism-behind-the-transition-between-chronic-and-acute-bacterial-infections.aspx\u0022\u003ENews Medical Life Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2023-06-20 16:55:14","changed_gmt":"2023-07-19 18:07:26","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","publication":"Science Daily ","field_article_url":"","publication_url":"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2023\/06\/230614220539.htm","dateline":{"date":"2023-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-06-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"172754","name":"Marvin Whiteley"},{"id":"192777","name":"Pengbo Can"},{"id":"184932","name":"Pseudomonas aeruginosa"},{"id":"7077","name":"bacteria"},{"id":"7478","name":"cystic fibrosis"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}