In a recent study, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, have described how the pathogenic bacteria Salmonella, which causes a range of diseases from diarrhoea to typhoid, escapes from our immune system. The findings of this study, funded by the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Atomic Energy, have been published in the journal PLoS Pathogens.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.