All Asia & Oceania articles – Page 3
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News‘Raman barcodes’ can distinguish 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants
Viruses may carry a molecular ‘barcode’ hidden not just in their genetic sequence, but in the way their RNA folds and vibrates. Researchers have used Raman spectroscopy to distinguish 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants, pointing towards a potentially faster way to screen emerging viral strains.
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NewsVaccination has little impact on post-COVID smell and taste issues
Researchers examining whether COVID-19 vaccination affects persistent smell or taste problems after contracting the virus have found that, in most cases, it does not.
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NewsScientific triumph, equity failure: Faster, fairer COVID-19 vaccine roll-out could have saved millions of lives
Beginning the global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out 100 days after the virus was sequenced could have saved more than 8 million lives by the end of 2021, most of them in lower-middle-income countries. The authors of a new Policy Brief argue that fair vaccine-sharing rules should be established before the next pandemic, rather than negotiated during the crisis itself.
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NewsHorizon Awards 2026: Professor Chris Greening named as winner of WH Pierce Prize
Professor Chris Greening, Professor of Microbiology at Monash University in Australia, has been named as the winner of the WH Pierce Global Impact in Microbiology Prize.
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NewsBee hives found to be ‘living immune systems’ that protect bees
Researchers have discovered honey beehives act as ‘living immune systems’ that help protect the bee colony, their offspring, and food supplies from disease. In a remarkable example of insect engineering each part of the hive is ‘built in’ strategically across different compartments of the hive.
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NewsStudy uses artificial intelligence to design potential antiviral compounds
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-guided strategy to discover molecules that inhibit deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS), a human enzyme involved in eIF5A hypusination, a process that supports the replication of a broad range of viruses. The researchers experimentally tested AI-generated molecules.
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NewsPlasmonic coating on bacterial surfaces paves the way for rapid sepsis diagnosis
Researchers have developed a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis technology that rapidly detects extremely low concentrations of viable bacteria by directly growing plasmonic metal nanostructures on and around bacterial cells.
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NewsSkin injection of live flu virus provides durable protection without lung damage
A single subcutaneous injection of a live, unattenuated influenza virus can provide durable protection against lethal flu without causing lung damage, according to new findings that challenge the long-standing trade-off between the safety of inactivated vaccines and the potent immunity of live vaccines.
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NewsVirus-based tool opens a faster route to studying cowpea genes
Genome sequencing of cowpea has provided researchers with numerous candidate genes, and genetic transformation has enabled studies of traits such as drought and heat tolerance. A new study reports sustained gene silencing across seven cowpea varieties and demonstrates the system’s utility for investigating jasmonate regulation during leafminer infestation.
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NewsTextile and food waste co-digestion boosts methane yields
Anaerobic co-digestion of textile waste with food waste (FW) could turn two stubborn waste streams into renewable methane while reducing landfilling and incineration. A study examined mono- and co-digestion of cotton, polycotton, and wool with FW under mesophilic conditions, testing substrate-to-inoculum (S/I) ratios of 0.5 and 1 and multiple feedstock mixing ratios.
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NewsNew platform reveals broad viral exposure histories in pigs
Pigs can retain antibody traces of past viral encounters, yet conventional tests usually examine only a limited number of viruses at a time. Researchers have developed a platform that uses 36,416 short protein fragments from 140 swine-associated viruses to screen many antibody responses in parallel.
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NewsManganese-enhanced biochar helps soil retain nitrogen while reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Adding manganese to biochar can help soil retain more nitrogen by strengthening a natural microbial process. Scientists demonstrated that manganese-loaded biochar increased a key nitrogen-conserving microbial process by 2.9 times compared with untreated soil, while substantially reducing emissions of nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas.
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NewsHantavirus and the mouth: Review maps early oral warning signs, salivary clues, and precautions for dental teams
A review brings together the virology, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of human hantavirus infection and examines what each means for the mouth and for dental care.
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NewsGut microbes don’t just train the immune system—they keep it in shape
Immune maturation has long been viewed as a developmental milestone tied to weaning, when pups are first exposed to a flood of dietary antigens and colonizing microbes. A study now suggests that in mice, the immune competence established after weaning is not self-sustaining—it must be continuously maintained by signals from the commensal microbiota.
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NewsWinners of Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026 announced
The winners of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026 have been announced. These awards celebrate the brightest minds in the field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.
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NewsHow E. coli eavesdrops and senses Bifidobacterium
Gut bacteria may be quietly listening in on one another’s metabolism. Researchers have discovered that E. coli can detect chemical signals released by Bifidobacterium, allowing it to sense what nearby bacteria are doing and adjust its own metabolism in response.
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NewsTwo paths to healthier soils: Scientists reveal how straw and biochar store carbon differently
Researchers discovered that combining manure with straw or biochar significantly increased soil organic carbon, but through two distinct pathways. Straw primarily stimulated microbial activity and carbon transformation, while biochar improved soil structure and the physical protection of carbon.
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NewsTurning agricultural waste into soil-building substances: Manganese-modified biochar gives fungi a powerful boost
A new study reveals how manganese-modified biochar helps beneficial fungi break down agricultural residues and accelerate the formation of valuable humic substances, offering a promising approach to sustainable organic waste recycling and soil improvement.
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NewsStudy finds Helicobacter pylori exposure may be associated with more than one in five colorectal cancer cases worldwide
An international collaborative research study has found that exposure to Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium known to cause stomach ulcers and gastric cancer, may be associated with approximately 22% of colorectal cancer cases globally.
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NewsCoral heat tolerance depends on species and location
Not all corals cope with rising ocean temperatures in the same way. New research shows that heat tolerance can vary sharply between species and even between nearby populations, with some corals from cooler, more exposed reefs proving unexpectedly resilient to thermal stress.