CFA publishes timely new industry-led UK Ready to Eat Foods Safety and Shelf Life Guidance
New industry-led good practice guidance for manufacturers and retailers of certain ready to eat (RTE) foods will be published on 12 January 2026 to help Food Business Operators (FBOs), Competent Authorities (CAs) and enforcement officers manage the risk posed by Listeria monocytogenes in those products.
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The smell of the sea: how microbes shape Earth’s sulfur story
That distinctive “sea breeze” scent we associate with the coast isn’t just nostalgia; it’s the smell of microbial chemistry at work. Behind it lies an intricate web of microbial pathways turning sulfur compounds into gases that help shape Earth’s climate.
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Building integrated biobanks to defeat AMR in chronic wounds
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has evolved into a complex global health issue which has outstripped the development of new antibiotics and therapeutic strategies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates 1.27 million deaths were attributed to AMR infections in 2019. By 2050, 10 million deaths are predicted at a cost of $100 ...
When movies teach us to love microbes
I have been teaching microbiology for more than 25 years. During that time, I have seen it all – students who arrive eager to learn and others who attend because they have no other choice. Over the years, I have also taught various subjects at different times of day: sometimes ...
Under the microscope: pasteurisation
Pasteurisation is a process by which raw milk is heated to a specific temperature for long enough to kill any pathogenic bacteria, including those that can cause food-borne illnesses. In the current day, all the milk in supermarkets will have gone through a rigorous pasteurisation process before reaching our store ...
Under the Lens video series
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 2
In our second episode, Dr Callum Cooper joins Professor Emmanuel Adukwu to talk about all things bacteriophage, from alternatives to antibiotics, social impact, and regulation.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
In our first episode, Professor Raquel Peixoto joins Professor Jack Gilbert for a deep dive into coral reefs, microbes, and the future of our planet.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 2
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
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We couldn’t get people interested in science - until we started speaking their language
In 2020, Puerto Rico faced a misinformation crisis. Melanie Ortiz Alvarez De La Campa reveals how five STEM undergraduates created a sci-comm organization that helped pass legislation, educated thousands, and created an inclusive database of Caribbean scientists.
The politics behind the global divide in bacteriophage therapy
The therapeutic potential of bacteriophages (or ‘phages’) has been widely dismissed for decades in the West, despite being regularly used to treat patients worldwide in the early and mid-20th century. In an age rife with disinformation, can the true potential of clinical phage technology be communicated to a public already uneasy about scientific intervention?
Pride in Microbiology Network: the road so far
Bruno Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira, a founding member of the Pride in Microbiology Network, reveals how it has developed since it was launched three years ago - and what needs to happen next.
A day in the life of a soil microbial ecologist
Dr. Taniya RoyChowdhury, a soil microbial ecologist and biogeochemist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, describes a typical day.
Scientific Event Travel Grant: how the Safepork conference surpassed my expectations
Shan Goh from the University of Hertfordshire reports back on the International Symposium on the Epidemiology and Control of Biological, Chemical and Physical Hazards in Pigs and Pork held in Rennes, France, in October. Shan was supported with a Scientific Event Travel Grant awarded by AMI.
CBCTA 2024 oral presentation winners: Isabella and Lia take home the honours
Letters in Applied Microbiology sponsored the best oral presentation award at the 29th Brazilian Congress of Food Science and Technology (CBCTA 2024). Winner Isabella Bassoto Xavier and runner-up Lia Mariano Aquino take a dive into their research.
Newly discovered gut microbial molecules in infancy may influence the risk of type 1 diabetes
An international research team has uncovered compelling evidence that gut-microbe-derived molecules may play an important role in shaping the developing immune system during early childhood.
Beyond gene scissors: New CRISPR mechanism discovered
Two studies describe how researchers found a novel CRISPR mechanism, Cas12a2, in a family of nucleases that exclusively cleave DNA. In contrast, Cas12a2 was able to broadly cleave both RNA and DNA.
Whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women strengthens babies’ immune system
Vaccinating women during pregnancy leads to the transfer of antibodies to their newborns. These antibodies were detected not only in blood, but also in the nasal mucosa, the site where whooping cough bacteria enter the body.
Food security
New study uncovers how rice viruses manipulate plant defenses to protect insect vectors
Rather than passively “hitchhiking” within insect vectors, rice viruses actively manipulate plant defense pathways to protect their insect carriers.
Clean Water
Cholera vaccine completes phase 1 trial
A clinical trial shows promising results for PanChol, a single-dose oral vaccine aimed at the up to 4 million annual cholera cases worldwide.
From sediment to surface: How invisible plumes trigger harmful algal blooms
A new study shows that algal blooms can begin days earlier than previously recognized, originating from chlorophyll-rich plumes rising from lake sediments before any surface discoloration appears.
