All Editorial articles – Page 5
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NewsAntibiotic use from childhood linked to higher odds of IBS in young adulthood
Antibiotic use from childhood through early adulthood was associated with higher odds of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at age 24, with the odds increasing as the number of antibiotic prescriptions rose, according to a new study.
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NewsHuman papillomavirus: Can we finally predict which infections will progress to cancer?
Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is extremely common and, in the vast majority of cases, clears up on its own. However, in some people, it persists and can develop into precancerous lesions or even cancer. How can these high-risk situations be identified at an early stage?
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NewsGut microbes don’t just train the immune system—they keep it in shape
Immune maturation has long been viewed as a developmental milestone tied to weaning, when pups are first exposed to a flood of dietary antigens and colonizing microbes. A study now suggests that in mice, the immune competence established after weaning is not self-sustaining—it must be continuously maintained by signals from the commensal microbiota.
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NewsRecord-high West Nile virus infections reported amid spread to new parts of Europe
With the EU experiencing its most intense West Nile virus season to date and detections of the virus in new areas further north in Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control calls for sustained prevention, surveillance and mosquito control.
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NewsResearcher to investigate challenges affecting drinking water infrastructure
Researchers investigating the critical challenges affecting drinking water infrastructure will explore the interactions of biofilms, pipe materials, disinfectants and corrosion-control additives to mitigate corrosion and improve public health outcomes in the future.
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NewsWinners of Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026 announced
The winners of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026 have been announced. These awards celebrate the brightest minds in the field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.
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NewsFree webinar: How living conditions can shape microbiomes
A fascinating free webinar will reveal how microbiomes are not based only on biology - but how we live. ‘Microbiomes, Inequity, and Structural Conditions: Rethinking What Shapes Health’ underlines that microbiomes don’t exist in isolation — they reflect the systems we live in.
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NewsWater stress emerges as a key driver of Xylella damage
The damage caused by Xylella fastidiosa in almond orchards may depend on far more than the bacterium itself. New research shows that drought, surrounding vegetation and pathogen-hosting shrubs can all intensify disease severity, suggesting that managing the wider landscape could be key to protecting vulnerable crops.
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NewsMuseum specimens help solve a 50-year mystery of disappearing frogs
A 50-year-old mystery surrounding frog disappearances in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest may finally have an answer. By testing decades-old museum specimens, researchers found that the chytrid fungus arrived just as amphibian populations collapsed, offering some of the clearest evidence yet linking the pathogen to the historic die-off.
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NewsHow E. coli eavesdrops and senses Bifidobacterium
Gut bacteria may be quietly listening in on one another’s metabolism. Researchers have discovered that E. coli can detect chemical signals released by Bifidobacterium, allowing it to sense what nearby bacteria are doing and adjust its own metabolism in response.
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NewsScientists map a hidden world of viruses across 102 cities
Cities are home to far more viral diversity than scientists previously realised. A global survey of nearly 3,000 samples from 102 cities identified almost 55,000 RNA virus species, most of them previously unknown, creating a new atlas of the viruses circulating through urban and peri-urban environments.
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NewsBreast milk antibodies show broad antiviral activity and protect mice against influenza
Researchers show that a polyclonal secretory immunoglobulin A preparation, purified from breast milk pooled from multiple donors, neutralized respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human adenovirus type 5, and H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses in laboratory assays.
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NewsScientists discover a way to reverse coral bleaching at record speed
For the first time, scientists have observed bleached corals on the brink of death fully recover through brief contact with healthy clones. Ghostly white corals returned to full health in a laboratory setting within seven weeks, the fastest documented recovery to date, according to a study.
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NewsVaccinating mothers protects offspring from deadly superbug
Researchers found that a vaccine given to pregnant mice protected their newborn pups from a severe bloodstream infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, a dangerous bacterium that kills thousands of infants in low- and middle-income countries each year and is the leading killer of children globally.
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NewsTwo paths to healthier soils: Scientists reveal how straw and biochar store carbon differently
Researchers discovered that combining manure with straw or biochar significantly increased soil organic carbon, but through two distinct pathways. Straw primarily stimulated microbial activity and carbon transformation, while biochar improved soil structure and the physical protection of carbon.
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NewsEbola vaccine induces T cell cross-reactivity against Bundibugyo virus in humans
A vaccine developed against Ebola virus may offer some immune protection against the related Bundibugyo ebolavirus, for which no licensed vaccine currently exists. Researchers found that a single dose triggered T cells capable of recognising BDBV, raising the possibility that existing vaccines could provide a degree of cross-protection during outbreaks.
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NewsNew sequencing tool tracks harmful algal blooms as they emerge
A portable DNA sequencer can detect harmful algae in coastal waters in near real time, including species present at very low levels before blooms become obvious. Researchers also found that several harmful species often appear together, suggesting shared environmental triggers may help drive their growth.
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NewsA new generation of mRNA antibody therapies may tackle ever-evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants
Researchers have fashioned an advanced antibody therapy that can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 while constraining the virus’ ability to escape recognition. The therapy protected mice against infections with an immune-evasive Omicron variant, and provides a structural template for antiviral antibodies that can keep up with their constantly evolving viral targets.
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NewsScientists explore the latest threats and promising technologies in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Scientists dive into the latest challenges and opportunities in humanity’s fight against antimicrobial resistance. Highlighted topics include the grave danger posed by drug-resistant tuberculosis and the rollout of AI technologies to streamline the discovery of antibiotics.
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NewsResearchers engineer the first bacterial biocatalyst of a toolbox to produce greener pharma and food ingredients
To produce pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, and flavours and fragrances, it is often necessary to oxidise alcohols. But there is a more sustainable route: living organisms, including fungi, produce galactose oxidases, proteins that can carry out the same reactions on alcohols and simple sugars under mild conditions, using oxygen.