April 2025 - Low-technology solutions for clean water

This special issue features content from across The Microbiologist on the clean water crisis and low tech solutions from across the globe. The issue will be updated across the month of March 2025 and include news, features, careers and opinion. If you would like to feature your work in this issue, please contact the editorial team.

News in Clean Water

Broader antibiotic use could change the course of cholera outbreaks, research suggests
Cyanobacterium study reveals how circadian clocks maintain robustness in changing environments
Microbes in Brooklyn Superfund site teach lessons on fighting industrial pollution
Patients with multi drug-resistant cholera in Europe linked to exposure to contaminated holy water from Ethiopia
Añana Saltern microorganisms help to clarify the groundwater flow pattern
In Croatia’s freshwater lakes, selfish bacteria hoard nutrients, shaping food webs
Kīlauea volcano’s ash prompted largest open ocean phytoplankton bloom
Multi-virus wastewater surveillance shows promise at smaller, site-specific scales
Scientists discover new microbe phylum cleaning the water in Earth’s deep soil
Research to tackle Prymnesium algal blooms which affect fish populations
UK’s first water monitoring center launched to act as early-warning system for disease outbreaks and community health
‘She loves me, she loves me not’: physical forces encouraged evolution of multicellular life, scientists propose
AMI members show the way on how microbes are already solving environmental disasters
Coral diseases and water quality play a key role for coral restoration and survival efforts
A study identifies ‘surprising’ cause of sargassum blooms in the Caribbean
Bacteria key to solar-powered method to convert sewage sludge into green hydrogen and animal feed
Researchers announce breakthrough in next-generation polio vaccines
Researcher measures microplastics’ massive changes in microbes
Research reveals hidden risks from plastic-coated fertilizers in soil
Microbiologist calls for urgent action on the danger of raw sewage in UK seas

Filtering the future: how low-tech ceramic solutions bring clean water to millions

2025-04-08T07:40:00+01:00By Yenni Ciawi

Access to clean water is one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than two billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water, with rural and underdeveloped regions bearing the brunt of this crisis.

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A community approach to clean water
The link between water and disease has been recognised for nearly two centuries. Despite this, the current global water situation remains dire. When a top-down approach will not work, community involvement is essential for effective water and sanitation projects.
Changing the culture of Legionella testing
Examining the history of laboratory culture for Legionella spp., and whether it’s time for change.

All Clean Water Features

Clean Water in Careers

Revolutionizing water safety: a rapid solution for detecting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli contamination

Summer studentship: Ojewale finds novel Actinomycetes offer rare antimicrobial metabolites

A Day in the Life of a Microbiologist at ACEWATER

Caleb investigates the potential for wastewater surveillance of yellow fever virus in his Summer Placement

Can you use a dishwasher instead of a steriliser?

Exploring ACEWATER Laboratory

Revolutionizing water safety: a rapid solution for detecting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli contamination
Summer studentship: Ojewale finds novel Actinomycetes offer rare antimicrobial metabolites
A Day in the Life of a Microbiologist at ACEWATER
Caleb investigates the potential for wastewater surveillance of yellow fever virus in his Summer Placement
Can you use a dishwasher instead of a steriliser?
Exploring ACEWATER Laboratory

Opinions in Clean Water

Cholera: vaccination or better infrastructure?

Continuous work on flood prevention is necessary to prevent microbial contamination: a case study in Styria

Swimming with superbugs: the hidden threat in freshwater environments

Emerging risks in public health: Is bottled water contamination something to worry about?

Cholera: vaccination or better infrastructure?
Continuous work on flood prevention is necessary to prevent microbial contamination: a case study in Styria
Swimming with superbugs: the hidden threat in freshwater environments
Emerging risks in public health: Is bottled water contamination something to worry about?

Our special issue for May 2025 will be entitled Emerging Threats & Epidemiology. If you would like to feature your work in the next issue, please contact the editorial team. Access to previous special issues can be found here.