Do bacteria age? Biologists discover the answer follows simple economics

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2011) — When a bacterial cell divides into two daughter cells and those two cells divide into four more daughters, then 8, then 16 and so on, the result, biologists have long assumed, is an eternally youthful population of bacteria. Bacteria, in other words, don't age -- at least not in the same way all other organisms do.But a study conducted by evolutionary biologists at the University of California, San Diego questions that longstanding paradigm. In a paper published in...

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Healthy mouth bacteria provide ideal conditions for gum disease

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2011) — Normal bacteria which live in our mouths provide the catalyst for the development of gum disease, a debilitating condition which leads to painful gums and the loosening of teeth, new research from Queen Mary, University of London has found.The unexpected finding could pave the way for the development of preventative measures in tackling gum, or periodontal disease*, by manipulating the normal bacteria in the same way that probiotic yoghurt works to protect the intestine.Researchers...

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