Economic Equality
Across the globe there are huge disparities in access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and economic resources, with the UN estimating over 98 million people live on less than $1.90 a day. It is vital for microbial research to identify those areas which actively maintain cycles of poverty and disparity. In recognising the interconnected nature of human financial systems and environmental health, microbial research can be a leader in working toward Economic Equality.
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Herbs hit the sweet spot to extend shelf life of popular global drink
A team of food scientists has discovered a natural way to significantly extend the shelf life of sugarcane juice. By adding microwave-dried extracts of mint and coriander to the juice in the production process, its shelf life can be extended from three days up to 14 days.
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NewsEurope’s only conference for minoritised life scientists heads to Edinburgh in 2026
Europe’s only conference for minoritised life scientists is heading to Scotland for spring 2026. The Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum (MLSFF) will be held at Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from March 23 to 26.
NewsMolecular Sustainable Solutions receives investment from BeAble Capital to boost disinfection and sterilization methods
Molecular Sustainable Solutions, a spin-off from the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló (UJI), secures €186,000 investment from BeAble Capital, a leading Science Equity fund specializing in disruptive scientific technologies.
NewsLiving cement: scientists turn bacteria-infused cement into energy-storing supercapacitors
By integrating electricity-generating microbes into cement, researchers have created a living supercapacitor that can store electricity and regenerate its capacity. The technology could pave the way for energy-autonomous buildings and infrastructure.
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Can a healthy gut microbiome help prevent childhood stunting?
Researchers find gut microbiome turnover in children is linked to poor growth outcomes, pointing to microbiome-based diagnostics for malnutrition.
Giving food waste fermentation a ‘jolt’ increases chemical production
Adding an electrical jolt to fermentation of industrial food waste speeds up the process and increases the yield of platform chemicals that are valuable components in a wide range of products, new research shows.
Peanut shell biochar composite shows promise for removing antibiotic-resistant bacteria from aquaculture wastewater
Researchers have developed a novel, low-cost catalyst that efficiently removes antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) from aquaculture wastewater, offering a potential new solution to one of today’s most pressing environmental and public health challenges.
Biodegradable PET alternative bioproduced at unprecedented levels
The PET-alternative PDCA is biodegradable and has superior physical properties. A team of bioengineers has engineered E. coli bacteria to produce the compound from glucose at unprecedented levels and without byproducts — and opened up a realm of possibilities for the future of bioengineering.
Are probiotics worth the cost to prevent infection after a colon removal surgery?
A study found that taking an 8-strain probiotic daily may reduce the risk of pouchitis, a common inflammatory condition that occurs after colon removal surgery for ulcerative colitis, but the treatment may not be worth the cost depending on a patient’s likelihood of flare-ups.
Pretreatment methods deploying microbes bring second-gen biofuels from oilcane closer to commercialization
In collaboration with other Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs), researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) are developing industrially feasible techniques for second-generation biofuel production from oilcane, an oil-rich variety of sugarcane, to help meet our growing societal demand for fuels.
Research team on quest to engineer computing systems from living cells
A research team has received a $1.99 million grant to lead research on engineered bacterial consortia that could form the basis of biological computing systems. They aim to integrate microbial sensing and communication with electronic networks, paving the way for computing systems constructed from living cells instead of traditional silicon-based hardware.
Broad-specificity enzyme targets glycans from across the kingdoms of life
Researchers have found a new enzyme that has a much broader specificity than the leading alternatives. This analysis resulted in the identification of the PNGaseL enzyme taken from Flavobacterium akiainvivens, which is a microbe isolated from decaying wood of a Hawai’ian plant.
Seroprevalence 36 months after a single-dose bivalent HPV vaccination among nine to fifteen-year-old girls
A single-dose bivalent HPV vaccine induces sustained immunity in Bangladeshi adolescent girls, with lower HPV16 seropositivity among older girls and those in higher grades, with higher HPV18 seropositivity linked to lower household income.
Global Virus Network announces 2025 Rising Star Mentorship Program Awardees
The Global Virus Network (GVN) has announced the five distinguished recipients of its 2025 Rising Star Mentorship Program. The program is designed to support early-career virologists poised to become the next generation of global leaders in pandemic preparedness and infectious disease research.
Global analysis reveals overlooked hotspots at risk for long COVID due to early disability burdens
An international team of researchers has conducted the most comprehensive global-to-local analysis to date on long COVID risk, using disability data from the height of the pandemic to identify vulnerable populations.
Metabolic modeling unlocks diversity of yeast for industrial biotechnology
Scientists uncovered how yeast adapts to different environments at a systems level through strain-specific metabolic modeling.
‘Controlled evolution’ dramatically boosts pDNA production for biomedical manufacturing
Researchers have controlled the evolution of E. coli bacteria in the lab in order to dramatically increase the amount of plasmid DNA (pDNA) these modified bacteria produce. pDNA is an essential – and expensive – ingredient in many gene therapies.
Broad COVID-19 vaccination makes economic sense, especially for older adults, study finds
Vaccinating every person over 65 would actually save the U.S. money, while vaccinating all younger adults would be a reasonable investment, according to a new study.
As school returns, so do infections & asthma emergencies. Where kids live can make it worse
A new study highlights how neighborhood conditions shape the seasonal surge of virus-triggered asthma emergencies. It found that children in under-resourced communities face sharply higher rates of asthma flare-ups tied to viral infections during the first weeks of school.
Fast, accurate, low-cost diagnostics - and no lab required
Researchers have developed a breakthrough diagnostic tool that could transform how quickly and reliably we detect illnesses like COVID-19, Ebola, AIDS or Lyme disease. The test uses just a single drop of blood, costs a couple of dollars and delivers results in only 15 minutes.
Study: Long COVID remains a substantial financial and medical burden
Individuals with long COVID-19 experienced worse financial and employment outcomes – lasting up to three years after their initial infection. Notably, vaccination against COVID-19 was associated with strikingly improved work and financial outcomes.
Multidrug-resistant bacteria spread from war-zone hospitals to other countries
After Russia’s full-scale invasion, thousands of patients were transferred from Ukraine to other European countries. Researchers in Helsinki found that 8% of Ukrainian refugees had been hospitalised due to war injuries. Almost 80% of them carried multidrug resistant bacteria.
Ready for market: Yeast process boosts clean, cost-efficient chemical production of succinic acid
A re-engineered yeast strain that efficiently produces succinic acid has been developed, which allows this valuable chemical to be produced at a lower cost.