All Early Career Research Content
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NewsUnique bond identified as key to viral infection speed
Viruses are typically described as tiny, perfectly geometric shells that pack genetic material with mathematical precision, but new research reveals a deliberate imbalance in their shape that helps them infect their hosts.
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NewsResearchers discover how Ebola and Marburg disrupt the gastrointestinal tract
A new study sheds light on the mechanisms behind the damage caused by Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) to the gastrointenstinal tract. TIt found that both viruses are capable of infecting and replicating within human gut epithelial cells and that the viruses interfere with the cells’ ability to regulate fluid secretion, mirroring the severe symptoms observed in patients.
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NewsPandemic ‘beneath the surface’ has been quietly wiping out sea urchins around the world
Over the last four years, an unrecognized pandemic that has been wiping out sea urchins around the world has hit the Canary Islands. The consequences on marine ecosystems aren’t yet fully known, but likely profound.
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NewsStudy reveals promising gut-targeted therapy for C. difficile infections
Researchers have uncovered how the body’s bile acids bind to block C. diff’s most dangerous toxin. The research has informed the development of a new compound that can protect against C. diff in preclinical models, offering hope for safer, more effective treatments.
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CareersSummer studentship: Lucy creates a synthetic microbiome to study mosquito-borne diseases at different life stages
Lucy Ella Malvern reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which investigated microbiome assembly in mosquitoes across developmental stages.
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NewsInside the gut: What our poo could tell us about our diet, gut microbes and health
Researchers have found that molecules in stool samples can accurately reflect what people eat and how their gut microbiome responds, offering a potential new tool to study nutrition and its impact on health.
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NewsDeep sea microbes yield up their engineering secrets
A biomatrix of tiny tubes of protein, known as cannulae, link cells of the thermal vent-dwelling archaeon Pyrodictium abyssi together into a highly stable microbial community. A study reveals new details about the elegant design of the cannulae and their method of construction.
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NewsSocial lives of viruses affect antiviral resistance
Interactions among viruses can help them succeed inside their hosts or impart vulnerabilities that make them easier to treat. Scientists are learning the ways viruses mingle inside the cells they infect, as well as the consequences of their socializing.
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NewsProfessor named EMBO Young Investigator for work on the infant microbiome
Prof. Moran Yassour has been selected as one of the 2025 EMBO Young Investigators. She receives this prestigious recognition for her innovative research on the developing infant microbiome and its impact on pediatric health.
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NewsProbiotics and prebiotics offer safer alternatives to antibiotics in animal agriculture
A new study shows how probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics can safely enhance growth and immunity in livestock, and balance the growth of intestinal microbes, offering practical alternatives to antibiotics.
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NewsAnts signal deadly infection in altruistic self-sacrifice
Researchers have discovered that terminally ill ant brood, like infected cells, release an odor signaling their impending death and the risk they pose. This sophisticated early warning system facilitates rapid detection and removal of pathogenic infections.
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NewsPoint-of-care rapid tests can improve screening for latent tuberculosis
A new test shows promising results for detecting latent tuberculosis infection in resource-limited settings. Latent tuberculosis is often diagnosed using a laboratory test called QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus - this was compared with another test, TB-Feron.
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NewsNew global guidelines streamline environmental microbiome research
A team of nearly 250 researchers from 28 countries has developed a new set of reporting guidelines for environmental microbiomes called STREAMS. The guidelines are organized by the structure of a scientific manuscript and help ensure that important details aren’t overlooked.
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CareersSummer studentship: Oliver probes AMR in neonatal sepsis - and use of novel bacterial screening methods.
Oliver Spiller-Boulter, from Cardiff, reports back on his AMI-sponsored summer studentship which examined antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in neonatal sepsis and the use of novel bacterial screening methods.
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CareersScientific Event Travel Grant: Hannah returns with renewed motivation and new ideas
Dr Hannah Trivett, University of Birmingham, reports back from EMBL Human Microbiome Conference held in Heidelberg, Germany, where she presented her research with the support of AMI’s Scientific Event Travel Grant.
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NewsMetabolites produced in the intestine play a central role in controlling obesity and diabetes
A study has identified a group of metabolites that travel from the intestine to the liver and then to the heart, where they are pumped throughout the body. These metabolites play an important role in controlling metabolic pathways in the liver and insulin sensitivity.
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NewsResearchers warn: Climate change could expand habitats for malaria mosquitoes
A new study shows that future climate change could create more favourable conditions for malaria mosquitoes, exposing millions of people across large parts of Africa to more dangerous mosquito bites.
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NewsIsland-wide field surveys illuminate land-sea connections in Mo‘orea
A multi-year scientific expedition determined that land use on tropical islands can shape water quality in lagoons and rainfall can be an important mediator for connections between land and lagoon waters.
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NewsSoil carbon decomposition varies vastly, holding implications for climate models
A new study shows that even under uniform laboratory conditions, the rate of organic carbon decomposition in soil samples collected across the U.S. differed by up to tenfold, in part due to variations in soil mineral and microbial properties.
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NewsDiphtheria toxin fragment harnessed to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH
Researchers have discovered a novel way to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH. By harnessing a fragment of the diphtheria toxin, the team achieved vesicle membrane fusion without the need for pre-treatment or harsh conditions, opening the door to new applications.