All Editorial articles – Page 378
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NewsIncreased droughts are disrupting carbon-capturing soil microbes
Soil health and future greenhouse gas levels could be impacted if soil microbes adapt to drought faster than plants do.
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NewsGenomic surveillance may track evolution of emerging wheat disease fungus
Genomic surveillance may be an effective disease management tool against the wheat blast pandemic, with the ability to trace lineages of emerging crop diseases, and to identify genetic traits for breeding disease-resistant lines, a study suggests.
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NewsA polychromatic light device has an antibacterial effect in blood
Polychromatic light administered by device into blood delivers a moderate antibacterial effect, according to a multidisciplinary team of researchers.
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NewsGold-based antibiotics shine through in battle against multi-drug resistant superbugs
Several gold-based compounds with the potential to treat multidrug-resistant ’superbugs’ have been identified in new research being presented at this year’s ECCMID.
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NewsSpread of COVID-19 in households linked to virus on hands and surfaces, say researchers
A new Imperial College London-led study provides the first empirical evidence for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via people’s hands and frequently touched household surfaces.
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NewsMask rule in hospitals may have little impact on COVID-19 transmission during Omicron wave
A study in large London hospital during first 10 months of Omicron activity suggests the real-world benefit of mask-wearing in isolation is likely to be modest, according to new research being presented at this year’s ECCMID.
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NewsOmicron appears more deadly than seasonal influenza, study suggests
Adults hospitalised with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant have a higher death rate than those hospitalised with seasonal influenza, even though Omicron is considered less virulent with lower case fatality rates than the delta and alpha strains, new research being presented at ECCMID suggests.
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NewsResearchers reveal why viruses like SARS-CoV-2 can reinfect hosts and evade immune response
Using a tool called VirScan, Brigham investigators found that people produced shared antibody responses to certain regions of the virus, likely leading to selective pressure and new variants that can repeatedly escape detection by prior immunity.
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NewsMicrobes that “eat together” may benefit from a shared immunological memory
A new study examines viruses that infect microbes in the deep sea and finds evidence that viruses interact with a far more diverse set of hosts than was previously thought.
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NewsBumblebee superfood battles gut pathogen - and boosts queen bee production
Two new papers show that the spiny pollen from plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) both reduces infection of a common bee parasite by 81–94% and markedly increases the production of queen bumble bees.
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NewsGene scissors used successfully in the laboratory against HIV-related virus
Researchers have provided initial proof of concept for a potential therapeutic approach targeting HTLV-1, a retrovirus that triggers aggressive forms of leukemia or an incurable spinal cord disease that leads to paralysis.
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NewsScientists use non-virulent strain to expose weaknesses in drug-resistant TB
Researchers have discovered new ways to treat antibiotic-resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB), opening the door to new approaches for tackling the disease that kills about 4,000 people a day.
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NewsNewly discovered probiotic could protect Caribbean corals threatened by deadly disease
Researchers have discovered the first effective bacterial probiotic for treating and preventing stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), a mysterious ailment that has devastated Florida’s coral reefs since 2014 and is rapidly spreading throughout the Caribbean.
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NewsTracking batch culture pinpoints moment when ‘silent’ biosynthetic gene clusters kick in
A team of scientists has mapped the times during a batch culture when core biosynthetic genes surged into action, showing that bursts of biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) transcriptional activity correlated with surges in net production rates per cell of known natural compounds.
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NewsWar in Ukraine pushes highly contagious infectious diseases to alarming levels
New research being presented at this year’s ECCMID reveals an extremely worrying picture of rising infectious disease cases and falling levels of childhood vaccination and case detection in Kharkiv, the scene of some of the most intense combat in 2022.
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NewsHolographic 3D microscope shows potential as red tide warning system
A new study is the first to utilize holography to characterize red tide in the field and breaks new ground for monitoring harmful algal blooms (HABs) and tackling limitations associated with current methods used to monitor these blooms.
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NewsBacterial signalling across biofilm affected by surface structure
Researchers who examined how different structures affect biofilm growth and quoring signalling by the bacteria in the presence of antibiotics found structure does have an effect on QS in some strains of the bacteria.
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NewsChemical warfare against competitors drives colonization success in plant microbiota
Two natural chemicals - produced by a single bacterium - not only affect the structural organization of the root microbiota, but also act in concert to give the bacterium an advantage in colonizing and dominating the root niche.
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NewsInto the microverse: scientists deploy novel data-driven method to map microbial niches
The researchers analysed and quantified thousands of metagenomic data sets from different microbial samples from all over the world.
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NewsNew shape-shifting antibiotics could fight deadly infections
Scientists have created a new weapon against these drug-resistant superbugs—an antibiotic that can shape-shift by rearranging its atoms.