Crafty Salmonella

This color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph image shows the deadly bacterial pathogen Salmonellas (in red) invading cultured human cells. Salmonella causes about 2 million deaths globally each year, and many more sicknesses.

Research announced this week shows for the first time that Salmonella use molecular hydrogen to grow and become virulent. The discovery represents a way that diseases caused by Salmonella could be lessened or even eliminated, by somehow blocking the uptake of hydrogen.

The study, published recently in the journal Infection and Immunity, was led by microbiologist Rob Maier at the University of Georgia,

"This builds on our earlier findings that major human pathogens are using an unexpected energy source," Maier said.

-- LiveScience Staff

Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH