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Article: Cranberry Juice Energizes Bacteria Away From Cells
- Article from:
- Chemical Engineering Progress
- Article date:
- September 1, 2008
- Author:
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Copyright informationCopyright American Institute of Chemical Engineers Sep 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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BIOTECHNOLOGY
For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, even though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. A new study by engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) reveals that the juice changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria in the urinary tract, creating an energy barrier that prevents the microorganisms from getting close enough to latch onto cells and initiate an infection.
Terri Camesano, associate professor of chemical engineering at WPI, and a team of graduate students conducted the study. They exposed two varieties of E. coli bacteria - one with hair-like projections ...