The mechanism behind a DNA
transformation - responsible for turning innocuous bacteria
nestled between the throat and the nose into virulent meningitis
and pneumonia - has been identified by an international team of
researchers and published in Nature.
The discovery behind the workings of the pneumococcus
could give insight into the causes of a number of other
infections, because similar transformations have been observed
in other bacteria, research co-coordinator Marco Oggioni told
ANSA.
Oggioni works at the University of Siena and the University
of Leicester, and coordinated research efforts along with
Michael Jennings of Griffith University in Australia.
Oggioni also expressed hope that interfering with the
transformation mechanism could supplement conventional
therapies, making them more effective.
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