All Editorial articles
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NewsResearchers discover how Ebola and Marburg disrupt the gastrointestinal tract
A new study sheds light on the mechanisms behind the damage caused by Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) to the gastrointenstinal tract. TIt found that both viruses are capable of infecting and replicating within human gut epithelial cells and that the viruses interfere with the cells’ ability to regulate fluid secretion, mirroring the severe symptoms observed in patients.
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NewsPandemic ‘beneath the surface’ has been quietly wiping out sea urchins around the world
Over the last four years, an unrecognized pandemic that has been wiping out sea urchins around the world has hit the Canary Islands. The consequences on marine ecosystems aren’t yet fully known, but likely profound.
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NewsStudy shows why mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines can cause myocarditis
Investigators have unearthed the biological process by which mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 can cause heart damage in some young men and adolescents — and they’ve shown a possible route to reducing its likelihood.
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NewsIn pneumonia’s tug-of-war, lung microbiome could tip the balance
Scientists have found the lungs’ own microbial community, or microbiome, appears to influence how pneumonia evolves, who responds well to treatment and whether a patient will recover successfully or continue to deteriorate.
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NewsOlder age, chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease linked with increased risk for paralysis and death after West Nile virus infection
Older people with a history of chronic kidney disease or conditions affecting blood flow to the brain such as stroke face about double the risk for developing neuroinvasive disease that can lead to paralysis and death following infection with West Nile virus, new research finds.
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NewsNew 15-minute hepatitis C test paves the way for same-day treatment
Scientists have developed the fastest test yet for diagnosing hepatitis C virus (HCV). The highly accurate diagnostic delivers results to patients in just 15 minutes - crucial for kickstarting patients’ treatment before they leave their appointment.
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NewsOpioid use linked to higher risk of C. difficile infection
New research from the University of Georgia suggests that opioid use could make patients more vulnerable to infections. The meta-analysis examined four studies of almost 120,000 patients. The researchers found that about 31% of patients who were prescribed and taking opioids caught C. diff, compared to 17% of patients who weren’t using them.
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NewsScientists create microneedle system to deliver living biofertiliser directly into plants, boosting growth with less waste
A dissolving patch delivers beneficial microbes into leaves and stems, speeding growth in vegetables while using over 15 per cent less biofertiliser than soil application.
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NewsStudy reveals promising gut-targeted therapy for C. difficile infections
Researchers have uncovered how the body’s bile acids bind to block C. diff’s most dangerous toxin. The research has informed the development of a new compound that can protect against C. diff in preclinical models, offering hope for safer, more effective treatments.
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NewsRice resists change: Study reveals viral tools for probing gene function fall short
Researchers tested two popular viral vectors - barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) and foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) - to see if they could temporarily switch genes on or off in rice (Oryza sativa). They found no evidence that these virus-enabled reverse genetics (VERG) techniques work in rice.
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NewsHuman ‘mini-noses’ help understand why RSV infections are more severe in children than in adults
Why does RSV affect babies more severely? To better understand the cellular reasons behind this age-related difference, researchers compared infant and adult human nose organoids, also called mini-noses, regarding their susceptibility and response to infection.
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NewsNew method to accelerate vaccine and drug development for norovirus
Researchers have developed a simple and efficient system for understanding the functions of specific norovirus genes, providing new avenues for developing antivirals and vaccines.
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NewsReceptors in mammary glands make livestock and humans inviting hosts for avian flu
A new study shows that the mammary glands of several other production animals besides cows – including pigs, sheep, goats, beef cattle and alpacas – are biologically suitable to harbor avian influenza, due to high levels of sialic acids.
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NewsNew review reveals how microbial communities accelerate the global spread of antibiotic resistance
A new scientific review has uncovered how complex microbial communities, including those in the human gut and the natural environment, act as powerful engines that drive the evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsIncreased risk of severe bacterial infection after high teenage BMI
High BMI and poor physical fitness during later adolescence increase the risk of both contracting and dying from sepsis and other severe bacterial infections in adulthood, according to a study.
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NewsHow polyphenol-rich diets promote healthy aging through microbiome and metabolome modulation
New findings suggest that polyphenol-rich diets can serve as a simple, safe, and effective nutritional strategy to counteract inflammation and support healthy aging.
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NewsInstitutions team up to advance first AI-designed mRNA vaccine against deadly tick-borne disease
Scientists are developing what could become the world’s first mRNA vaccine against severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS)—a tick-borne viral disease associated with this condition.
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NewsEverolimus alleviates ulcerative colitis via inflammation suppression and microbiota remodeling
A new study reveals how targeting the CLEC4E receptor and reshaping the gut metabolite axis offers a promising therapeutic avenue for inflammatory bowel disease.
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NewsHorseshoe crab fossil reveals early mass-burial event and ancient microbial attack
A remarkably preserved horseshoe crab fossil from North America offers rare insight into some of the earliest known cases of animal disease in a Late Carboniferous swamp – more than 300 million years before the age of dinosaurs.
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CareersSummer studentship: Lucy creates a synthetic microbiome to study mosquito-borne diseases at different life stages
Lucy Ella Malvern reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which investigated microbiome assembly in mosquitoes across developmental stages.