Researchers Determine How to 'Starve' Salmonella

It turns out that the picky appetite of the Salmonella bacteria might be its downfall. Researchers have found that Salmonella relies on a very specific nutrient to survive, and blocking the bacteria's access to this nutrient can essentially "starve" the infection.

According to a study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, researchers have found a way to quickly and effectively starve the bacteria, avoiding the infection's potential long-term consequences, such as reactive arthritis.

Researchers stumbled upon this discovery when screening for genes that have to be expressed for Salmonella to survive during gastroenteritis - the phase when immune responses from the gut cause symptoms in an effort to fight the infection.

They discovered five vital genes that work together to transport a very specific nutrient, fructose-asparagine (F-Asn), to the bacterial cells to be consumed for energy.

Read more.