ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

The understanding of the clustering and movement of microswimmers has a range of applications from human health to tackling ecological problems.

Researchers have established the sea urchin species Temnopleurus reevesii as a new model for genetic research. Unlike urchins previously used as biological models, T. reevesii has a short breeding cycle and other features that make it ideal for genetic studies. The team created two genome databases that will contribute to numerous fields, and enable future studies to find an even better model for medical and life science research.

Treatment of severe infections caused by pathogenic bacteria relies on 'last resort' antibiotics, but rising resistance by 'superbugs' to most clinically approved drugs leaves patients exposed to possible fatalities. Researchers are focusing on how bacterial cells adapt and resist antimicrobial medications -- with a new article focusing on a hospital strain of Acinetobacter baumannii and its cellular response to important antibiotic colistin.