All Editorial articles
-
NewsProbiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus CMU-pb-7 shows promise in alleviating diabetic nephropathy via antioxidative pathway
Rats with diabetic nephropathy treated with the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus CMU-pb-7 showed marked improvements in general condition and serum biochemical profiles, including significant reductions in cholesterol, triglycerides, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine.
-
NewsStudy quantifies the staggering economic toll of TB
Researchers have found that TB wipes out an estimated 0.8 per cent of the world’s total economic potential every year. Losses are concentrated overwhelmingly in low- and middle-income countries, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
-
NewsPublic housing mold intervention program reduces asthma-related ED visits
The New York City Housing Authority developed a mold-removal program in response to a 2013 class-action lawsuit filed by residents suffering from asthma due to mold in their apartments. Without Mold Busters, residents would have experienced 25 per cent more asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits.
-
NewsResearchers find increased bacteria infection in patients with chronic lung disease
A new study has found that people with bronchiectasis and chronic sinus disease were more likely to have mucus samples that tested positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It suggests that doctors caring for patients with bronchiectasis may need to pay closer attention to sinus disease and bacterial testing.
-
NewsDiseases can spread between apartments via shared ventilation, study shows
Airborne diseases like measles, influenza and COVID-19 can easily spread between units in multi-family buildings via a type of bathroom ventilation system commonly used around the world, new research suggests.
-
NewsFriendly skin bacteria offer hope to beat eczema
Friendly skin bacteria could hold the key to stopping eczema in its tracks, according to researchers. A new study reveals harmless microbes living on our skin release powerful molecules that can shut down the inflammatory chaos triggered by Staphylococcus aureus, the bug long known to wreak havoc in eczema.
-
NewsExperts call on WHO to revisit its approach to airborne risk in light of hantavirus outbreak
In light of the hantavirus outbreak, public health experts have called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to shift its default response to emerging respiratory viruses. The starting point should not be to downplay the risk of airborne transmission until it is definitively proven, they warned.
-
NewsMarine-inspired sunscreen ingredient made by E. coli
Researchers have engineered microbial “cell factories” to sustainably produce the UV-protective compound gadusol, which could eventually serve as a sunscreen ingredient and an antioxidant additive. Gadusol, found in the eggs of various fish and other marine organisms, helps protect against ultraviolet damage.
-
NewsFlawed but correctable research hindered progress in infection-triggered chronic conditions
Researchers contend that studies of infection-associated chronic illnesses such as Lyme disease and COVID-19 suffer recurring problems such as the failure to prove participants have the relevant pathogen.
-
NewsWine’s leftovers could help wean chicken farms off antibiotics
Every year, millions of gallons of wine are pressed, leaving behind a mountain of pulpy residue that wineries struggle to dispose of. Now, researchers say this overlooked byproduct could serve as a replacement for the antibiotics routinely added to chicken feed.
-
NewsStudy provides detailed assessment of shifts in toxin producing phytoplankton abundance
Researchers in the UK have shown how the distributions of two phytoplankton groups – known to produce natural toxins that can halt shellfish harvesting – have changed in the North East Atlantic over the last six decades.
-
NewsThe liver’s immune cells might be the key to curing hepatitis B
Researchers investigated why some people with chronic hepatitis B infections went off their medications, only for the virus to start to come back — and then some of the patients were cured. It appears a certain type of T cell, some of which coordinate immune responses, spots the infection in the liver and mobilizes an attack.
-
NewsResearchers develop realistic ‘mock’ samples to speed cervical cancer test development
A team of bioengineers has developed a new way to create highly realistic “mock” patient samples that could help accelerate the development of faster, more accessible cervical cancer screening tests for low-resource settings.
-
NewsSunlight and PVC pipes create a hidden driver of antibiotic resistance
New research shows that chemicals leaching from everyday PVC—especially after exposure to sunlight—can dramatically speed up the spread of resistance genes between bacteria. The effect was strongest at low to moderate concentrations, where the leachate triggered bacterial stress responses without killing the microbes.
-
NewsFungus-powered farming: Bigger harvests, better taste
Researchers have identified a natural, eco-friendly way to significantly increase agricultural yields while also improving the quality and taste of produce. The study focuses on an extract derived from the yeast-like fungus Pseudozyma aphidis.
-
NewsEurope advances genomic surveillance of CCRE with landmark multi-country study
New survey results provide the most comprehensive genomic picture to date of carbapenem- and/or colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (CCRE) across hospitals in Europe.
-
NewsBronchiectasis and NTM Care Center Network expands to 62 centers
The Bronchiectasis and NTM Association has accepted one new Care Center and three new Clinical Associate Center sites into the Bronchiectasis and NTM Care Center Network (CCN). The CCN includes 62 centers across the United States.
-
NewsThe hunt for red: Chromatin-mediated upregulation of Monascus pigments in Talaromyces purpurogenus OUCMDZ-019 via disruption of Ash2
The industrial application of Monascus pigments has been hindered by three key bottlenecks: unstable yield, poor environmental stability, and the risk of contamination by citrinin. Researchers adopted an epigenetic derepression strategy to unlock the hidden biosynthetic potential of MPs in Talaromyces purpurogenus OUCMDZ-019.
-
NewsPenn researchers create AI tool to speed antibiotic discovery
Researchers have developed a novel, AI-powered method for turning promising but imperfect antibiotic candidates into more potent ones. ApexGO starts with a small number of imperfect candidates and improves them step by step, using a predictive algorithm to evaluate each modification and guide the next.
-
NewsFlu signals in wastewater offer an early warning for community outbreaks
A research team has demonstrated that measuring influenza viral RNA in wastewater can be used to estimate community influenza incidence. The approach may help identify outbreak trends about one week earlier than publicly available patient report data.