All Asia & Oceania articles – Page 4
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NewsMicrobial nano-selenium breakthrough boosts tea quality and safety
Scientists developing selenium-enriched tea have identified a powerful selenium-reducing bacterium, Raoultella ornithinolytica S-1, capable of converting inorganic selenium into selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) while simultaneously promoting plant growth.
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NewsScientists reveal molecular cause behind “stuck” beer fermentation
Premature yeast flocculation (PYF) is a persistent issue in beer brewing, where yeast settles too early during fermentation. New research identifies multiple differential metabolites and confirmed galangin as a key factor that promotes early yeast aggregation.
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NewsScientists develop world’s first modular co-culture platform for the one-pot production of rainbow-colored bacterial cellulose
The team engineered Komagataeibacter xylinus for bacterial cellulose synthesis and Escherichia coli for natural colorant overproduction. A co-culture of these engineered strains enabled the in situ coloration of bacterial cellulose.
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NewsLivestock manure linked to the rapid spread of hidden antibiotic resistance threats in farmland soils
Scientists have uncovered how even “low-risk” organic fertilizers like dried poultry manure can inadvertently drive a dramatic surge in dangerous antibiotic resistance genes, once released into vegetable plots used for food crops.
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NewsResearchers diagnose disease with a drop of blood, a microscope and AI
Scientists have developed an automated, high-throughput system that relies on imaging droplets of biofluids for disease diagnosis in an attempt to reduce the number of consumables and equipment needed for biomedical testing.
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NewsImpact of pasteurization on dairy calves’ gut microbiota: A study of milk feeding and early microbial colonization
A new study highlights the impact of pasteurization on microbial diversity in dairy calves, underlining the importance of balancing pathogen safety and microbial health. It suggests that while pasteurization prevents pathogen transmission, it also reduces beneficial microbial transfer.
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NewsGenetically engineered fungi are protein packed, sustainable, and taste similar to meat
Researchers used CRISPR to increase a fungus’s production efficiency and cut its production-related environmental impact by as much as 61%—all without adding any foreign DNA. The genetically tweaked fungus tastes like meat and is easier to digest than its naturally occurring counterpart.
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NewsResearchers boost biosynthetic capacity in yeast through extended lifespan
Scientists have demonstrated that combining lifespan engineering strategies with metabolic pathway optimization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae enables highly efficient sclareol biosynthesis, marking an advance in improving microbial production through lifespan engineering.
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NewsBacteria ‘pills’ could detect gut diseases — without the endoscope
Researchers report that they’ve developed a sensor made of tiny microspheres packed with blood-sensing bacteria that detect markers of gastrointestinal disease. Taken orally, the miniature “pills” also contain magnetic particles that make them easy to collect from stool. Excreted from mouse models with colitis, the bacterial sensor detected gastrointestinal bleeding within minutes.
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NewsBiochar boosts clean energy output from food waste in novel two-stage digestion system
A new study from researchers at the University of Western Australia and Universitas Brawijaya has found that adding biochar to advanced food waste recycling systems can significantly increase the clean energy yields of hydrogen and methane. This breakthrough offers promising strategies for municipalities and industries aiming to turn food scraps ...
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NewsGut bacterium impairs liver cancer treatment, inducing immunotherapy resistance
Researchers discovered that transplanting the gut bacterium Phocaeicola vulgatus into mouse models of liver cancer induced immunotherapy resistance. The finding is consistent with clinical observations in patients, showing that patients with low levels of P. vulgatus responded better to treatment.
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NewsScientist who harnesses bacteria to deliver green solutions is winner in 2025 Tata Transformation Prize
A scientist who harnesses bacteria to deliver green solutions has been named as one of the winners of the 2025 Tata Transformation Prize. Balasubramanian Gopal, PhD, Indian Institute of Science, has been named Sustainability Winner in the awards.
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NewsGreen chemistry for sustainable personal care
A recent review examined microbial biosurfactants as sustainable alternatives to synthetic surfactants in shampoo formulations. The authors addressed the growing demand for environmentally friendly and dermatologically safe cleansing agents, and emphasized the need to transition from petrochemical-based ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) to biodegradable biosurfactants.
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NewsApriori Bio and A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs Announce strategic partnership to advance next generation influenza vaccines
Apriori Bio and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR IDL) announced a strategic research partnership to co-develop and evaluate next generation self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccines targeting seasonal and pandemic influenza.
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NewsEmerging pollutants threaten efficiency of wastewater treatment: New review highlights urgent research needs
A new scientific review has shed light on how emerging pollutants commonly found in wastewater are disrupting biological phosphorus removal processes, posing risks to water quality and ecological health. The study examines how pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and industrial chemicals interfere with the key microorganisms responsible for phosphorus removal in wastewater treatment plants.
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NewsMicrobial teamwork slashes uranium pollution in just 48 hours
A research team has developed a synthetic microbial consortium that completely reduces soluble uranium [U(VI)] to insoluble U(IV) within 48 hours, showing nearly twice the efficiency of a single-strain system. The study reveals how Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa LXZ1 cooperate to accelerate extracellular electron transfer (EET).
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NewsResearchers identify mangrove tree stems as previously underestimated methane source offsetting blue carbon benefits
A new study reveals that mangrove tree stems represent a significant yet previously underestimated source of methane. Additionally, stem emissions showed a strong correlation with soil methane fluxes, indicating that methane produced by anaerobic microbial activity in mangrove soils is transported upward through specialized aerenchyma tissues within the trees.
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NewsNew bioelectroceutical platform triggers dual cell death, reverses immunosuppression in colorectal cancer
Scientists have developed a new “microbial fuel cell” platform that integrates electrogenic bacteria with piezoelectric nanoparticles to cooperatively eradicate colorectal tumors, reverse immunosuppression, and remodel the gut microbiome.
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NewsEveryday levels of antibiotics in the environment may accelerate the global spread of resistance, new study finds
A new study shows that even very small amounts of antibiotics that commonly appear in soil, rivers, wastewater, and agricultural runoff may significantly accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria.
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NewsNew study reveals microbial network restructuring mitigates long-term soil carbon emissions from warming
Scientists conducted a decade-long study that uncovered a previously unrecognized buffering mechanism in subtropical forest soils mitigating the effects of climate warming.