All Editorial articles – Page 3
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NewsFAU receives $1.3M NOAA grant to address harmful algal blooms
A new $1.3 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science will enable researchers to investigate the environmental and biological mechanisms that drive harmful algal blooms in subtropical estuaries.
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NewsScientists create white blood cell with memory of how to fight off winter flu bugs
Scientists have started work on a new way to fight cold and flu viruses by reprogramming the cells in our immune system to respond faster to infections. They are developing a type of white blood cell, called killer cells, with a pre-installed memory of how to fight off respiratory diseases.
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NewsTargeting the gut-liver axis: New review explores microbial modulation to enhance immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma
A review examines how gut microbiota and their metabolites reshape the hepatic immune microenvironment through the gut–liver axis, influence immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy, and explore emerging combination strategies, including fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, engineered bacteria, and metabolite-based interventions.
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NewsNew hypothesis drills down into the contributions of phage receptor-binding proteins in recognising a bacterial cell
A new hypothesis reveals how different receptor-binding proteins may make distinct contributions when a bacteriophage recognizes a bacterial cell.
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News‘Raman barcodes’ can distinguish 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants
Viruses may carry a molecular ‘barcode’ hidden not just in their genetic sequence, but in the way their RNA folds and vibrates. Researchers have used Raman spectroscopy to distinguish 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants, pointing towards a potentially faster way to screen emerging viral strains.
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NewsScientists ‘crank up’ cells’ natural defence against viruses
Researchers have found a way to amplify one of the body’s natural antiviral defence pathways, making cells significantly more resistant to infection. By boosting signalling through the protein ISG15, the approach could lead to host-directed treatments that remain effective even as viruses mutate.
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NewsResearch to uncover hidden life cycle of bacteriophages
Some bacteriophages can quietly replicate inside bacteria for generations without killing their hosts, making these infections difficult to detect with standard methods. A new research project will investigate this hidden life cycle and explore whether understanding it could help scientists engineer more effective phage therapies against drug-resistant infections.
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NewsAdvanced air purification fails to reduce surgical infections
Cleaner operating-room air may not be enough to prevent surgical infections. In a study of more than 110,000 procedures, advanced air-purification systems did not reduce infections, complications or deaths, suggesting hospitals may gain more by targeting direct contamination of surgical wounds.
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NewsCranberry juice may be a boon for oral hygiene
Pure cranberry juice may do more than add a tart kick to the holiday table. In a small human study, it slowed dental plaque growth and reduced acid production, suggesting the fruit’s natural compounds could help protect tooth enamel.
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NewsLike humans, some primates become cautious of germs in the wake of a viral outbreak
Researchers found that macaque monkeys who had lived through a deadly disease outbreak became significantly more cautious about food that appeared contaminated, even though they did not know how the disease had spread. The findings suggest that pathogen-avoidance behavior can be shaped by experience, offering clues about the evolutionary roots of disgust.
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NewsSpouses mattered more than genes for the risk of severe COVID-19
Researchers ound no evidence that genetic factors played an important role in determining who was hospitalised with COVID-19. Instead, spouses of hospitalised individuals had more than three times the risk of being hospitalised themselves compared with matched controls.
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NewsVaccination has little impact on post-COVID smell and taste issues
Researchers examining whether COVID-19 vaccination affects persistent smell or taste problems after contracting the virus have found that, in most cases, it does not.
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NewsCan better gut health help patients with ovarian cancer tolerate chemotherapy?
A new clinical trial is testing whether probiotics can help patients with ovarian cancer better tolerate chemotherapy. The trial will look at whether probiotics can help reduce treatment side effects and improve quality of life. Researchers will also study how changes in the gut microbiome may be linked to treatment response.
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NewsScientific triumph, equity failure: Faster, fairer COVID-19 vaccine roll-out could have saved millions of lives
Beginning the global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out 100 days after the virus was sequenced could have saved more than 8 million lives by the end of 2021, most of them in lower-middle-income countries. The authors of a new Policy Brief argue that fair vaccine-sharing rules should be established before the next pandemic, rather than negotiated during the crisis itself.
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NewsU-M-led consortium to receive up to $52 million in NIH funding to study why viral respiratory infections affect children differently
A Michigan Medicine-led research consortium has secured approval for up to $52 million in federal funding to launch a multicenter study examining why some young children recover fully from viral lower respiratory tract infections while others develop severe illness or lasting problems such as asthma.
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NewsBay Area Lyme Foundation issues call-for-applications for 2027 Emerging Leader Awards and Research Grants
Bay Area Lyme Foundation has announced the opening of applications for the 2027 Emerging Leader Awards (ELA), which recognize researchers identifying innovative approaches to solve the challenges of Lyme and tick-borne illnesses.
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NewsHorizon Awards 2026: Professor Chris Greening named as winner of WH Pierce Prize
Professor Chris Greening, Professor of Microbiology at Monash University in Australia, has been named as the winner of the WH Pierce Global Impact in Microbiology Prize.
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NewsBee hives found to be ‘living immune systems’ that protect bees
Researchers have discovered honey beehives act as ‘living immune systems’ that help protect the bee colony, their offspring, and food supplies from disease. In a remarkable example of insect engineering each part of the hive is ‘built in’ strategically across different compartments of the hive.
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News‘Hiding in plain sight’ - new bacteria discovered in DNA samples from prostate cancer patients
Researchers have discovered the genetic blueprints of 18 new bacterial species collected from prostate cancer patients. Most came from the mouth, including new types of Porphyromonas, which the team has previously linked to more aggressive prostate cancer, and Treponema.
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NewsHow plants unwittingly help fungal pathogens
Infecting a maize plant is no simple task for a fungal pathogen such as Ustilago maydis. A group of researchers has now uncovered how the fungus detects that it has successfully entered its host. This signal triggers changes in fungal growth.