Kickin' Drug Resistant Bacteria to the Curb

Hello once again!

A new study conducted by Dr. Gee Lau at the University of Illinois could help to prevent new drug resistant, particularly antibiotic resistant, bacteria from forming and reproducing!

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a bacterium that can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. It shares its antibiotic resistant DNA with other bacteria. This can lead to more reproduction of the antibiotic resistant bacteria. If these bacteria continue to multiply, then antibiotic drugs will not be of much use in treating various illnesses and infections.

But despair not, for as I have previously stated there is yet hope!

Researchers have been working to develop a reliable method for shutting down the spread of drug resistant bacteria by interrupting the cellular events that allow S. Pneumoniae to swap their DNA. Dr. Lau and his colleges at the University of Illinois have been focusing on blocking the protein that, as it binds to a receptor in the bacterial cell membrane, spurs the cell to events that allows the bacterium to receive new genetic material. This will cause more drug resistant bacteria to form rendering our beloved antibiotics useless. However, by interfering with the CSP protein, they hypothesize this will hinder the ability for promoting genetic transfer between the bacteria.

These researchers have constructed lab-made CSP-like proteins that block bacterial CSPs' access to the receptors, reduce the bacterial competence, and reduce the infectious capacity of S. Pneumoniae. These researchers then fine-tuned the structure of the amino acid and tested how well the inhibited the S. Pneumoniae CSPs. They also tested the inability to mimic the activity of CSPs in bacterial cells.

This was a success! The researchers found that many of the artificial CSP inhibited the bacterial CSP and reduced the S. Pneumoniae competence by more than 90 percent!

So, watch out all you microscopic pathogens! We will find you....and we will annihilate you!

How the Sparta Spartans Do Homecoming

Hello everyone,

First off, homecoming week here at Sparta High School is downright awesome! The entire day of homecoming is devoted to the 4 classes in the school competing for the coveted Red Apple Award. This pretigious award is given to the class with the most points at the end of the day. Prior to the day of homecoming, the schoolwide class competitions begins with spirit dress up days, a canned food drive, and penny a point. All of these activities, if participated in, can earn your class points toward obtaining the Red Apple. THen on the day of homecoming the entire school gets out of our classes and competes in games all day long! It's a great way to keep our school united and get everyone fired up for the homecoming weekend extraordinaire!

My personal experiences with homecoming have been nothing short of wonderful. There is always some way in which I can get involved in the rigorous competitions. The homecoming games invite many people of any class or group to participate! Plus, who doesn't like to get a free pass out of your classes for the day to have some fun? Yeah, that's right, 100% of you! Sparta Homecoming is the best place to spend your homecoming! I'm so glad to be a Spartan and I thank all the teachers, students, and volunteers that help to make it not only possible, but memorable as well.

And I would like to add that, as a senior of the Class of 2013, I gladly accept the victory of the Homecoming Games! Go Seniors!