All Editorial articles – Page 15
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NewsPet dog microbiota may protect young children from respiratory tract infections
Children who have been in contact with dogs in early childhood are on average healthier and require fewer antibiotic courses than children without such contact. The protective association is explained, at least in part, by the spread of dog-associated microbes in the home.
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NewsEating a diverse range of plants everyday results in more favorable changes to microbiome than a probiotic
New research shows eating a wide variety of plants everyday could be more beneficial to the microbiome than taking a standard probiotic.
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NewsAiming for more targeted treatment of serious lung infections
Microbial experts are using DNA sequencing readings to provide more accurate identification of microbial infections, which helps to address risks from long-term use of antibiotics in cystic fibrosis patients.
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NewsA tiny pore identifies cyanobacteria toxins in lake water
Scientists have developed a new nanopore sensor that detects microcystins, toxins released by cyanobacterial blooms, one molecule at a time.
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NewsAmazonian ‘zombie’ fungus harbors a hidden stage inside forest mosses, new study reveals
Researchers have found evidence that the “zombie-ant” fungus, globally known for controlling ant behavior and forcing infected ants to bite onto plants before dying, also lives hidden inside mosses in the Amazon rainforest.
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NewsAncient smallpox genomes reveal how European colonisation brought the disease to the Americas
Researchers have recovered and analysed the first ancient smallpox virus genomes ever identified in the Americas, providing the strongest direct evidence to date that the disease was introduced through European colonisation.
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NewsEvolutionary history may help explain why some people develop more severe COVID-19 than others
A study suggests that some of the genes involved in the body’s immune response today bear the marks of ancient battles with infectious diseases. It also identified rare genetic variants that may help explain why some people developed more severe COVID-19 than others.
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NewsDecoding the gut microbiome’s symphony in health and disease
Researchers have reported effective strategies for simultaneously measuring thousands of microbial and host proteins. They systematically compared five state-of-the-art mass spectrometry approaches using human fecal samples.
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NewsHow does a deadly chicken virus escape vaccines designed to slow it?
A new genome-wide study of the Marek’s disease virus identified 10 regions in the genome associated with what makes certain strains more virulent, and could inform next-generation vaccines.
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NewsBiologist wins NSF CAREER Award to study the ocean’s most abundant microbe
Anne Thompson, an associate professor of biology, won a nearly $1.2 million NSF CAREER Award to answer a basic question about the ocean that science has largely left open: who eats the most abundant photosynthetic life form on Earth?
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NewsNew therapy eliminates gum disease bacterium while preserving beneficial oral microbes
Researchers have created an innovative treatment for periodontitis that targets and eliminates harmful bacteria while preserving beneficial oral microbes essential for health.
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NewsA bacterial chatter molecule from citrus roots boosts crop growth in field trials
Scientists show that a dominant citrus rhizobacterium, Burkholderia strain Burk_2H3, promotes plant growth by secreting N-(3-oxo-octanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone which significantly enhances nutrient uptake across multiple crop species.
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NewsHospital wastewater controls help contain antibiotic resistance in nearby waters
A new study of hospital wastewater reports that geography, rather than hospital proximity, primarily shaped resistance-gene profiles where wastewater controls were well established.
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NewsGenomic upheaval: How grapevine downy mildew builds its weaponry through structural chaos
Researchers have assembled two complete, chromosome-level genomes of Plasmopara viticola from distinct grapevine hosts, revealing that nearly 90% of the pathogen’s effector genes exist as locally duplicated gene clusters.
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NewsEffect of a novel enteral nutrition mixture with probiotics versus standard enteral nutrition on gastrointestinal complications in critically ill surgical patients
A randomised controlled trial conducted in critically ill patients recovering from abdominal surgery found that a novel probiotic-enriched tube feeding formula reduced serious gut complications dramatically compared to standard enteral nutrition.
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NewsNew Mexico measles outbreak estimated to cost $5.4 million
A cost analysis of the 2025 measles outbreak in New Mexico found that the outbreak carried an estimated societal cost of $5.4 million, or more than $53,000 per case.
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NewsStudy detects, for the first time in Brazil, bacteria that cause a serious disease in farmed fish
Columnaris disease pathogens, which were previously only found in Asia and the United States, were identified in samples from São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Paraná. This finding underscores the need for epidemiological surveillance and new vaccines.
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NewsIn the right place, even a less fit species can win
A study based on mathematical models shows that, when competing populations colonize new territory, greater fitness is not enough: position and expansion speed also matter.
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NewsResearch funding to improve treatment for invasive fungal infections
The Federal Joint Committee is funding a new Germany-wide research project aimed at improving care for patients with invasive fungal infections.
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NewsThinking beyond antibiotics in the treatment of urinary tract infections
A promising new study combines phage therapy (PT) with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to treat recurrent urinary tract infections.