All Editorial articles – Page 12
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NewsApplied Microbiology International launches new report on improving soil health in the UK
Scientists have warned that the world’s tiniest organisms need to be taken into account in efforts to improve soil health. AMI has launched a new policy report setting out key recommendations to support the long-term protection, restoration and sustainable management of soils across the UK’s four nations.
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NewsUrinary tract infections can trigger delirium and worsen dementia
Urinary tract infections can pose serious risks for older adults, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. In older patients, a common UTI can trigger delirium, a medical emergency marked by sudden confusion and altered awareness.
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NewsNovel structural insights into Phytophthora effectors challenge long-held assumptions in plant pathology
How do evolutionarily conserved pathogen effectors maintain structural stability while engaging diverse host targets? In a new study, researchers define a conserved subset of Phytophthora RxLR effectors in which short linear motifs (SLiMs) are embedded within folded WY domain cores.
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NewsA new ecological model highlights how fluctuating environments push microbes to work together
A new study explores why interdependence can be a winning move for microbial communities. It demonstrated that a mathematical model of how bacteria produce and share resources accurately predicted the outcome of experiments with living E. coli strains.
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NewsStudying yeast in the gut could lead to new, better drugs
A new study sheds light on the behavior of yeast cells in the gut, paving the way for new lines of yeast that more efficiently produce therapeutic drugs tailored to address specific diseases.
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NewsHow citrus rewires its vascular system to fight Huanglongbing
By profiling thousands of individual cells, researchers mapped how different vascular cell types in citrus roots respond during early stages of infection with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, revealing profound changes in cell fate, gene expression, and tissue differentiation.
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NewsStudy reveals key differences in long-term brain effects of COVID-19 and flu
While both Covid and flu can leave lasting lung damage, only SARS-CoV-2 infection caused persistent brain inflammation and small blood vessel injury, even after the virus was no longer detectable, a new study has found.
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NewsNew strategies aim at HIV’s last strongholds
A new study has overcome a long-standing challenge—how to isolate and study elusive HIV-infected cells called authentic reservoir clones (ARCs) that evade the immune system, making the disease difficult to cure.
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NewsA comparison of the efficacy of non-chemical versus chemical cleansers against Candida species on removable dental prostheses
A new review aims to systematically compare the efficacy of chemical and non-chemical denture cleansers in reducing Candida spp. on removable dental prostheses.
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NewsA single gene, a dramatic change: CRISPR unlocks white strawberries
Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to selectively edit a single dominant gene copy controlling fruit color in the commercial octoploid strawberry cultivar ‘Florida Brilliance’. By targeting the MYB10-1B gene, they successfully converted red strawberries into stable white-fruited plants.
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NewsHow bacteria can reclaim lost energy, nutrients, and clean water from wastewater
A new review explores how technologies using electricity-generating bacteria—like those already piloted at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival and in field trials in Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa—could help us reclaim resources currently being flushed away.
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NewsA parasitic origin for the ribosome?
Scientists propose that the ribosome first emerged from a proto-ribosome, likely a viral parasite, which began by taking advantage of proto-cells, and ended up being incorporated into cells, at some time before the last universal common ancestor.
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NewsSelf-repairing biohybrid system uses sunlight to purify uranium-contaminated water
The efficiency of microbial remediation technologies is often limited by the slow electron transfer rate of microorganisms themselves. Scientists have successfully constructed a novel, self-regenerating “bacteria-mineral” biohybrid system that can utilize light like a solar cell, greatly enhancing the purification efficiency of uranium pollution.
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NewsBreadcrumbs lead to fossil free production of everyday goods
The humble breadcrumb could hold the key to cutting out fossil fuels from one of the chemical industry’s most widely used reactions. Scientists have found a one-pot microbial formula that uses waste bread to replace fossil fuel-derived hydrogen in hydrogenation.
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NewsNew study finds sex and menopause-based differences in presentation of early Lyme disease
In a new study, researchers found that male and female patients with early Lyme disease present with different signs of the disease in the symptoms they report, their physical exams and their laboratory test results.
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NewsScientists find that silencing bacteria can worsen heart infections
By studying a bacterium responsible for a severe heart infection, the scientists show that disrupting bacterial communication can be associated with adverse clinical outcomes. These findings open the door to more targeted therapeutic strategies against this type of infection.
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NewsResearchers engineer bacteria capable of consuming tumours from the inside out
A research team is developing a novel tool to treat cancer by engineering hungry bacteria to literally eat tumours from the inside out. They added a gene to the organism from a related bacterium that can better tolerate oxygen and found a way to activate the oxygen-resistant gene at just the right time.
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NewsScientists unlock magnetic secrets of bacteria with built-in compass
Some bacteria are miniature masters of navigation: A built-in “compass” made of magnetic nanoparticles helps them to reliably find the optimal habitat. Researchers have now unlocked the magnetic properties of individual bacteria — an important step toward harnessing the potential for technology.
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NewsHealthier, tastier kelp: food scientists boost nutrition and flavour of kombu
A team of food scientists has found a way to unlock the trapped nutrients in the edible seaweed, kombu, and replace the strong odours with more appealing scents, directly overcoming the two major challenges – limited nutrient bioaccessibility and poor sensory experience.
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NewsMicroplastics in soil may reshape microbial genes and threaten ecosystem stability
A new review highlights how microscopic plastic particles accumulating in soils can alter microbial genes that control essential ecosystem functions, potentially affecting food production, climate processes, and environmental health.