News & Notes: U. researchers discover novel bacterial infection mechanism
Do-Hyeong MyeongA team of researchers from the University and Dartmouth has discovered that Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the world’s most prolific bacteria, afflicts humans through the sense of touch. According to associate professor of molecular biology Zemer Gitai and postdoctoral research fellow Albert Siryaporn, who co-authored the research with two Dartmouth researchers, Pseudomonas is the first pathogen discovered to infect people and animals merely by attaching to the surface of its host, instead of relying on chemical signals. Pseudomona is known to cause potentially fatal organ infections, as well as many hospital-acquired illnesses like sepsis.
