All Editorial articles – Page 2
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NewsScientists propose national microbiome plan to prevent chronic disease
Leading microbiome researchers are calling for a global ‘moonshot’ to determine how the microbes living in and on our bodies contribute to chronic disease. The proposed agenda would combine long-term human studies, clinical trials, global research standards and public education to move the field from promising associations towards proven causes and treatments.
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NewsGut microbiome may help explain why sleep improvement varies after hydrogen supplementation
Hiroshima University researchers investigated the effects of hydrogen supplementation on sleep quality in healthy human volunteers. While hydrogen supplementation had no significant effect compared to a placebo, individuals in the hydrogen-supplementation group reporting better sleep quality were discovered to have a lower abundance of hydrogen producing bacteria in their gut microbiome.
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NewsDrug-resistant bacteria in clinic air raise infection-control concerns
Air sampled inside a South African clinic contained multiple ESKAPE bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics, with some surviving even last-resort treatments. The findings raise concerns about airborne exposure in healthcare settings, particularly for patients with weakened immune systems.
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NewsHow eggplants ‘farm’ their own microbiomes: Genetic secrets revealed
Eggplants appear to actively shape the microbial communities around their roots through their own genetics. A large global study has identified more than 1,200 genetic variants linked to key root microbes, revealing how crop evolution and domestication may have helped plants recruit beneficial microbial partners.
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NewsReview probes marine host-microbe symbioses - and what they mean for conservation
A new review casts new light on what the ocean can tell us about the partnership between animals and microbes. Almost every marine organism, from corals and sponges to squid, fish, deep-sea mussels and seagrasses, lives as a holobiont: a host together with the bacteria, archaea, microscopic eukaryotes and viruses it carries.
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NewsTwo-in-one tool tracks viral RNA inside live infected cells in real time
The tool lets researchers film activity of Zika and chikungunya viruses in high resolution and identify virus-host interactions, a key step to developing effective antiviral strategies that could stop infections
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NewsMigratory birds spread avian influenza to Greenland’s polar bears
Migrating birds that breed in the Arctic are spreading avian influenza to polar bears in eastern Greenland, according to a new study that found evidence of infections in bear blood samples acquired from Greenland Inuit subsistence hunters.
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NewsScientists reveal how deadly Andes hantavirus attaches to human cells
Earlier this year, an outbreak of Andes hantavirus on a cruise ship, which killed three passengers and sickened 13, highlighted the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the virus. Scientists now show how the virus recognizes its target on a human cell, a finding that could lead to effective therapies against Andes virus and other hantaviruses.
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NewsLight-powered algae bring a soft robotic arm to life
A soft robotic arm powered by living algae can bend, grasp and lift small objects using only changes in light. The device turns photosynthesis-driven changes in acidity into mechanical motion, offering a glimpse of soft robots that could respond to their environment with very little external energy.
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NewsCould climate change have helped Candida auris become a global pathogen?
How did Candida auris become a global health threat so quickly? A new review suggests climate change may be one factor, with rising environmental temperatures potentially favouring fungi that can tolerate the heat of the human body, although researchers stress that the link has not yet been proven.
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NewsHow clinicians can manage recurrent catheter bloodstream infections
Long-term intravenous catheters can be essential for treatment, but they also create a persistent risk of serious bloodstream infections. A new clinical review outlines how doctors can diagnose, treat and prevent recurrent infections while preserving vital vascular access whenever it is safe to do so.
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NewsNew dosing data expands HIV treatment options for newborns
Newborns with HIV can now be treated with dolutegravir from the first days of life. An international clinical study identified a safe dosing regimen that produced drug levels comparable to those seen in older children and adults, helping support the FDA’s expanded approval.
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NewsNeedle-free approach could offer a new way to deliver mRNA vaccines
A needle-free mRNA vaccine delivered through the skin protected mice against both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza while causing less inflammation than lipid-based formulations. The approach uses a high-pressure liquid jet and a combination of two immune-boosting adjuvants to strengthen protection without relying on conventional mRNA carriers.
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NewsScientists discover migration-mediated mechanism enabling bacteria-virus coexistence
A study shows how collective movement enables viruses to persist with migrating bacterial colonies while minimizing the risk of either complete viral takeover or bacterial escape.
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NewsReindeer grazing reshapes the hidden roots of northern forests
Reindeer grazing is reshaping northern pine forests beneath the surface as well as above it. Researchers found nearly 30% less shallow-root biomass in grazed forests, alongside shorter, thicker and less-branched roots, changes that could alter nutrient uptake, soil microbial communities and the way carbon moves through these ecosystems.
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NewsOne strain, two jobs: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1 degrades wheat straw and suppresses aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1SQ1 functions as a dual-purpose biocatalyst for wheat straw biomass, breaking down cellulose while inhibiting fungal growth, thereby enhancing straw biotransformation, mitigating mycotoxin risk and supporting early crop growth.
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NewsNew architecture for antifungal drug precisely combats fungal infections in mice without the usual toxicity
By applying a unique molecular “scaffold,” researchers have created a broad-spectrum antifungal drug that homes in on a key fungal compound without disrupting the host’s cholesterol – a frequent side effect of current therapies. The compound’s selectivity could help avoid the toxic side effects that have plagued antifungal therapy regimens for decades.
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NewsChildhood measles vaccination rates fall worldwide post COVID-19
Routine vaccine program disruptions and under-resourced health systems are driving a global decline in childhood measles vaccination rates post COVID-19, a study has found.
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NewsArmored cells: A mineral shell lets whole-cell biocatalysts run 14 cycles for greener nicotinic acid
Scientists aiming to use whole-cell biocatalysis to manufacture niacin engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum to express a mutant nitrilase from Pseudomonas putida and then encapsulated the whole cells in a biomimetic hybrid shell.
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NewsBelgium’s top science foundation honors 'Virus Hunter'
’Virus Hunter’ Ken Stedman has been named an International Collen-Francqui Professor for the 2026-27 academic year, an honor the Francqui Foundation reserves for scientists it considers among the best in their field.