All Antimicrobial Resistance articles
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NewsStudy reveals fungi as overlooked players in agricultural antibiotic resistance
Fungi may be helping antibiotic resistance genes survive during livestock manure composting. Researchers found that suppressing fungal activity weakened microbial networks and increased the removal of resistance genes, suggesting that fungi could play an overlooked role in the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsOne Health initiative aims to build safer, more sustainable food systems
A new One Health initiative in Thailand is bringing together expertise across food safety, antimicrobial resistance, climate change and public health. The platform aims to turn scientific evidence into coordinated action across agrifood systems, with a strong focus on collaboration between researchers, government, industry and international partners.
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NewsScientists propose national microbiome plan to prevent chronic disease
Leading microbiome researchers are calling for a global ‘moonshot’ to determine how the microbes living in and on our bodies contribute to chronic disease. The proposed agenda would combine long-term human studies, clinical trials, global research standards and public education to move the field from promising associations towards proven causes and treatments.
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NewsDrug-resistant bacteria in clinic air raise infection-control concerns
Air sampled inside a South African clinic contained multiple ESKAPE bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics, with some surviving even last-resort treatments. The findings raise concerns about airborne exposure in healthcare settings, particularly for patients with weakened immune systems.
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NewsCould climate change have helped Candida auris become a global pathogen?
How did Candida auris become a global health threat so quickly? A new review suggests climate change may be one factor, with rising environmental temperatures potentially favouring fungi that can tolerate the heat of the human body, although researchers stress that the link has not yet been proven.
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NewsResearch to uncover hidden life cycle of bacteriophages
Some bacteriophages can quietly replicate inside bacteria for generations without killing their hosts, making these infections difficult to detect with standard methods. A new research project will investigate this hidden life cycle and explore whether understanding it could help scientists engineer more effective phage therapies against drug-resistant infections.
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News£4 million awarded to develop vaccines that protect livestock and tackle growing biosecurity threat
Scientists are set to receive £4 million to help tackle the growing biosecurity threat faced by the UK. The project will develop an mRNA vaccine platform for use across major livestock species. This platform will help prepare for future epidemics, tackle antimicrobial resistance, and accelerate the development of next-generation animal vaccines.
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NewsResearch finds vegan honey could be made with similar antimicrobial properties to mānuka honey
Vegan honey alternatives could be engineered to have similar antimicrobial properties to prized mānuka honey from New Zealand, according to research. Two components of mānuka honey proved to be particularly effective when added to vegan honey formulations - methylglyoxal (MGO) and hydrogen peroxide.
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NewsResearchers discover Achilles’ heel of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Even highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria become more vulnerable when their cell wall transport system is disrupted, according to a new study. The discovery reveals a previously overlooked weakness that could help researchers develop new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.
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NewsScientists explore the latest threats and promising technologies in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Scientists dive into the latest challenges and opportunities in humanity’s fight against antimicrobial resistance. Highlighted topics include the grave danger posed by drug-resistant tuberculosis and the rollout of AI technologies to streamline the discovery of antibiotics.
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NewsAn unusual bacterial defence system hides a powerful molecular switch
Researchers have uncovered a bacterial immune system that appears to work backwards. Unlike known retrons, which keep a toxin suppressed until infection, type VI retrons use phage-triggered DNA production to switch toxin activity on, revealing an unusually complex defence strategy that could inspire new gene-editing tools and antimicrobials.
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NewsDeadly fungus Candida auris reveals a new trick for escaping treatment
An accidental laboratory observation has uncovered a new way that Candida auris can survive antifungal treatment. Researchers found that the deadly hospital fungus can duplicate its entire genome and generate different cell populations, giving it more opportunities to adapt, mutate and evade drugs.
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NewsStudy maps antimicrobial resistance across major drinking water sources
Rivers, reservoirs and lakes can act as reservoirs for antibiotic residues and antimicrobial resistance, but the risks are not evenly distributed. A new study of drinking water sources in the Poyang Lake basin found that rivers and certain lake sites carried higher resistance-gene burdens, with mobile genetic elements emerging as a key factor linked to their spread.
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News‘Molecular movie’ captures penicillin being built atom by atom
Scientists have captured the formation of penicillin’s defining β-lactam ring in unprecedented detail, revealing fleeting chemical steps that had remained hidden for decades. Using ultrafast X-ray imaging, the researchers built a molecular movie of the reaction that could help guide future antibiotic and enzyme design.
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NewsA newly discovered membrane defence help explain antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Scientists have uncovered how Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major multidrug-resistant superbug, helps block antibiotics from entering its cells. The study identifies two proteins that act like plugs inside a membrane channel, revealing a potential new target for treatments designed to weaken bacterial defenses.
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NewsUniversity of Stirling secures £2.4M grant for major aquaculture project
Antibiotic resistance is becoming an increasing challenge for Vietnam’s vast pangasius catfish industry, where farmers often have few practical alternatives when treatments stop working. A new £2.4 million project will bring scientists, farmers and policymakers together to develop more sustainable ways to control disease and reduce reliance on antibiotics.
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NewsAntimalarial drugs can persist in mosquitoes, exposing malaria parasites, study finds
Antimalarial drugs are designed to protect people from malaria, but they may also affect the mosquitoes exposed to them during blood meals. A new study investigates the impact of these medications on mosquitoes, laying the groundwork for future research into how the drugs may influence the malaria parasites developing within them.
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NewsModel traces C. diff spread in hospital oncology units
In a new study, researchers modeled the transmission of Clostridioides difficile infections among patients in hospital cancer units. They found that most new infections were introduced by patients who were infected but not symptomatic at the time of admission, rather than by patients who were infected and symptomatic.
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NewsStaphylococcus aureus is highly resistant and virulent in milk
Staphylococcus aureus is frequently found in human and veterinary infections. Its ability to withstand antibiotic treatment makes it a major clinical challenge. To better understand the factors underlying this resistance, the scientists investigated the growth of the bacterium in two environments relevant to infection: milk and serum.
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NewsA deadly fungus may not live to see the last of us
The battle lines have finally shifted in the war against a deadly fungal disease. The fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus has long been known to cause a severe, rapid respiratory infection, and it has become harder to fight. Researchers successfully killed the pathogen in animal studies by identifying how it resists current therapeutic methods.