Fareed Ahmad retweeted
Live September 23 xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1jGXgBdNL…
Fareed Ahmad retweeted
Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes lethal infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Calcium promotes the bacterium's adherence to airway epithelial cells, which may promote the initiation of the pathogen’s infections in CF airways. #IAIJournal: asm.social/364

ALT Elevated Ca2+ increases adherence of P. aeruginosa to epithelial cells. A549 (A) and CuFi-5 (B) cells were infected with PAO1 and FRD1 for 2 h at low (~0.4 mM) or high Ca2+ (5 mM) and visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy. P. aeruginosa-infected cells were stained with an anti-whole cell primary antibody followed by fluorescent secondary antibody (green), actin cytoskeleton was stained with phalloidin (red), and cell nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Images are representative of three independent biological replicates. Scale bar, 10 μm.
Fareed Ahmad retweeted
Today is World Alzheimer's Day 🧠
A systematic review in JMM highlights potential associations between spirochaetal infections and neurodegenerative diseases.
Read the full review here: doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.002136
#JMedMicro #WorldAlzheimersMonth
Fareed Ahmad retweeted
MetaCAT enables reconstruction of high-quality microbial genomes and their association with host traits from metagenomic data dlvr.it/TVGXBs #MicroSky
Fareed Ahmad retweeted
For decades, doctors believed the most common kidney stones (calcium oxalate) were lifeless lumps formed purely by chemistry—minerals building up in the kidney.
A groundbreaking study published this month (Jan 2026) by UCLA Health has proven this wrong.
Using high-tech fluorescence microscopy, researchers discovered that these stones actually contain live bacteria and fungal-like biofilms "entombed" inside them. The bacteria act as a scaffolding (nidus), allowing the minerals to crystalize and grow layer by layer.
This solves a long-standing medical mystery: Why do patients sometimes get severe infections (sepsis) after stone-breaking treatments (lithotripsy), even when their urine was sterile? The answer: breaking the stone releases the bacteria trapped inside.
This could revolutionize treatment, shifting focus from just diet changes to targeting the hidden microbiome within the kidney.
Journal Reference: Wong, Gerard C. L. et al, Intercalated bacterial biofilms are intrinsic internal components of calcium-based kidney stones, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2517066123.
#MedicalBreakthrough #Microbiology #KidneyHealth #UCLAHealth #NewDiscovery









