All Editorial articles – Page 25
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NewsClimate warming causes bleaching in key Arctic lichen, study finds
Long-term climate warming is causing a bleaching effect in a key Arctic lichen species, according to new research. Prolonged warming caused significant bleaching in the dominant lichen species Cetrariella delisei, reducing its ability to photosynthesise and grow.
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NewsHidden small RNA determines if cholera bacterium can infect humans
Scientists have uncovered what gives Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, the ability to colonize the human gut. They found that a small RNA embedded within another gene controls where cholera thrives, a discovery that could improve prediction and prevention strategies.
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NewsProtein engineering and testing condensed to a single day
Engineered proteins must be created in the real world and tested for performance - a labor-intensive process that involves constructing the DNA instructions for each protein in yeast or bacteria and growing individual clones for protein production and testing. Researchers say they have condensed the time-intensive protein building and testing process to just 24 hours.
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NewsOne-fifth of pregnant women aren’t properly screened for syphilis
A new study found that 1 in 5 pregnant women in Ontario did not receive timely syphilis screening, which is critical for preventing syphilis infection in newborns. Sociodemographic and behavioural risk factors associated with being screened late may be related to an increased likelihood of inadequate prenatal care access.
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NewsAgricultural azoles drive clinical azole resistance in Candida tropicalis via inducing aneuploidy
To define the causal role of agricultural azole fungicides in driving clinical azole resistance in the major human opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis, researchers conducted a systematic study integrating experimental evolution, genomic characterization, and transcriptomic profiling.
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NewsEstablishing a regulatory framework for phage therapy in China
A new study summarizes the current regulatory frameworks for phage therapy in Western countries and China, and proposes a pathway for establishing a regulatory framework that enables safe and effective clinical application of phage therapy in China.
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NewsParaprobiotic counteracts damage to male fertility from BPA in plastic
BPA has been shown to impair sperm function, in part through increased generation of reactive oxygen species. Researchers investigated whether a paraprobiotic material derived from the lactic acid bacterium Enterococcus faecalis (known as FK‑23) protects against the sperm toxicity caused by BPA.
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NewsHidden viruses reshape one of Earth’s largest carbon systems, study finds
Viruses play a far more active role in Earth’s carbon cycle than previously understood, according to new research that reveals how they infect and control microbes responsible for carbon production in some of the planet’s largest, darkest ecosystems.
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NewsMpox study reveals hidden infections may fuel spread
A study shows that in mid- to late 2024, mpox was far more common among men who have sex with men than previously thought. Individuals without symptoms accounted for most infections and likely played a prominent role in transmission, contrary to prior assumptions that people had to be symptomatic to spread the disease.
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NewsTargeted therapeutics show promise in fighting off drug-resistant bacteria
A new study shows that when under attack, the body’s immune cells activate a cellular process called ‘mitochondrial fission’ to kill invading bacteria. Researchers found an experimental treatment called an HDAC6 inhibitor can re-activate the mitochondrial fission process in immune cells to fight invading bacteria.
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NewsImmune system overreaction linked to deadly flu in pregnancy
Researchers have discovered why influenza can lead to life-threatening complications during pregnancy. In most people, influenza stays in the upper respiratory tract and clears without spreading further. But during pregnancy, the virus can extend into the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of severe complications for mothers and babies.
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NewsSynthetic biology leads to recyclable textiles: Engineered protein fibers for a cleaner future
Scientists have created protein-based materials, which are produced in bioreactors using genetically engineered microbes. These materials can be readily recycled after use and remade into the same fibers over multiple cycles. In addition, any microparticles, if released from these fibers during washing, would be biodegradable.
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NewsFarming with fish: A natural boost for soil phosphorus
Researchers have uncovered new evidence that rice fish coculture can improve soil nutrient cycling—particularly P—without relying on fertilizers. This reveals that introducing fish into rice paddies enhances the composition and function of phoD-harboring bacteria, which are known to facilitate P mineralization.
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NewsReview highlights antimicrobial peptides as cross-seeding modulators at the neurodegenerative–infectious interface
In a comprehensive review, researchers synthesize emerging evidence that antimicrobial peptides and disease-related amyloids can influence one another through heterotypic cross-seeding interactions.
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NewsAI and supercomputer simulations reveal how a bacterial energy-converting enzyme pumps sodium ions
The Na+-NQR enzyme is vital for energy production in pathogenic bacteria, making it a highly promising target for new antibiotics. Researchers combined modified artificial intelligence techniques with extensive supercomputer simulations to visualize the hidden, dynamic movements of this enzyme during sodium transport.
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NewsUnderstanding and exploiting tuberculosis superspreading
A new perspective piece introduces the idea of “superspreading niches”, specific parts of community contact networks where highly infectious individuals intersect with highly susceptible contacts, as a key framework for understanding TB superspreading and designing new TB control interventions.
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NewsStudy is first to detect and track multiple cancer-causing viruses in wastewater
A study is the first comprehensive approach to detect all known cancer-causing or oncogenic viruses concurrently by analyzing viral genomes in wastewater. The work shows that it is feasible to monitor the presence and levels of cancer-causing viruses, enabling the possibility of public health interventions in the future.
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NewsImplantable living materials autonomously deliver therapeutics using contained engineered bacteria
Researchers have introduced an implantable “living material” that contains bacteria that sense infections. It can release these therapeutic molecules on demand, while keeping them physically separated from the surrounding tissue.
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NewsNew report charts path for climate-disease preparedness
Changing patterns of temperature and precipitation, along with sea level rise and more extreme weather events, are impacting the ecology, evolution, distribution and prevalence of infectious disease reservoirs, hosts, vectors and pathogens. As a result, new diseases are emerging, and others are reappearing in regions where they were once uncommon.