Delving into the Diversity of The Plague of Justinian

Human teeth play a key role in our understanding of how organisms evolve. Whenever a possible new member of the hominid family is uncovered, the shape and number of teeth are used to place that individual in the family tree. Teeth also harbor information about pathogens that have plagued humans for millennia. Because bacteria use […]

Expanding the Plague Family Tree: Yersinia pestis in the Neolithic

In recent years, scientists have been able to refine their molecular tools to resurrect ancient DNA from human graves and determine that yes, Yersinia pestis was the causative agent for the Black Death in the 14th century and the Plague of Justinian in the 6th century.  As more and more human graves have been uncovered, […]

The Intersection of Plague and National Parks

American national parks have spectacular scenery enjoyed by hikers worldwide. It’s one way people can enjoy some of the preserved wild places in North America. Due to this intersection of humans and wild animals, a bacterium that is endemic to the southwestern United States has infected a few humans after trips to Yosemite National Park, […]

All You Need is Pla (for Pneumonic Plague)

Writing about Yersinia pestis or the Black Death, has earned me a reputation among Promega Connections bloggers. I am interested in what researchers have been able to piece together about the causative agent of ancient plagues, what modern research shows about how Y. pestis spreads in the body and the continuing reservoirs in modern times, […]

Bubonic Plague in the Modern World

Recent reports from central Asia show that Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes bubonic plague, is alive and well. Usually when I am writing about Y. pestis, I am describing research that shows the bacteria was the causative agent of ancient plagues. And yet, the bubonic plague has not been eradicated from our planet and […]

Ancient Samples Confirm the Cause of the 6th Century Plague Pandemic

When I started writing about research on Yersinia pestis and the Black Death, I was amazed at the ability to recover 14th century bacterial DNA from human remains, show Y. pestis was the caustive agent of the Black Death and then sequence the strain to compare to modern Y. pestis strains. The publications I read […]

Tracking the Progression of Plague Using Bioluminescence

Sequencing Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that caused the Black Plague in Europe during 1348–50, is an amazing accomplishment. Y. pestis infection still occurs sporatically and causes fatalities despite the Age of Antibiotics. Even with animal models, there are questions remaining about the progression of infection. Nham et al. used in vivo imaging to examine the […]

How Fire Coral has an Edge Over Other Species in the Caribbean Reef

Coral reefs are the most productive marine ecosystem known, providing essential habitats and shelters for fish and other organisms. Additionally, they help protect coastlines, support economies, provide important food sources for local fisheries, and so much more. Coral reefs are ecologically essential—but are continuing to vanish. Fire coral (Millepora) brings new hope to this marine […]

Monkeypox—The Latest Zoonotic Virus Making Headlines

Monkeypox has been making the news lately, and it has a lot of people wondering what it is, how it spreads and if they should be concerned. Understandably, we are all a little jumpy when we start hearing about a new viral outbreak, but monkeypox isn’t new. While the virus gained its unfortunate name from […]

Science and Journalism – Opposites or Not So Much?

This blog was written in collaboration with our partners at Promega GmbH. Scientists are comfortable speaking to people who know their field. Speaking to scientists outside of their field of expertise can become a little more challenging, and many find the greatest challenge of all is speaking to people who do not have a science […]