All Editorial articles – Page 6
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NewsPostharvest apple immunity: a key factor in shelf life and fruit quality
New research sheds light on how the immune system of apple fruits interacts with their microbiomes during storage, playing a crucial role in maintaining fruit health and preventing spoilage.
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NewsChemists synthesize a fungal compound that holds promise for treating brain cancer
For the first time, chemists have synthesized a fungal compound known as verticillin A, which was discovered more than 50 years ago and has shown potential as an anticancer agent.
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NewsChemical structures of surface polysaccharides from Acinetobacter baumannii for glycoconjugate vaccines
Researchers provided a comprehensive analysis of the molecules that make up the protective layer of complex sugars on the surface of Acinetobacter baumannii - known as capsular polysaccharides (CPS) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and essential for the bacterium’s virulence.
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NewsPreviously unrecognized pathway in plants and phytoplankton offers mercury-detox powers
Primary producers—including phytoplankton—possess a previously overlooked ability to internally break down and detoxify methylmercury. The demethylation pathway rapidly converts methylmercury into less toxic inorganic mercury, which is subsequently reduced to gaseous Hg⁰.
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News$1.9m grant supports research on chronic wounds
Assistant Professor Carolyn Ibberson at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has received a four-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support research on infections in chronic wounds.
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CareersAMR in aquatic ecosystems: A One Health investigation in an irrigation dam in Thailand
Dr Kwanrawee Joy Sirikanchana outlines how her team has launched a major project to address an overlooked question: How much does aquaculture contribute to AMR in shared water systems, and what does this mean for people, animals, and wildlife living around them?
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CareersThe Future is Fungi 2025: award-winner Michroma’s mission to harness fungi for clean food dyes and flavors
Winner of The Future is Fungi Award 2025, US and Argentina-based foodtech startup Michroma is replacing petrochemical coloring with fungibased natural ingredients, launching one of the world’s leading sustainable platforms for food flavors and colors. Here’s its story.
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NewsResearchers identify bacterial enzyme that can cause fatal heart conditions with pneumonia infections
Researchers have identified a bacterial enzyme that may be the reason some people get heart complications with pneumonia, while others do not. Since enzymes create chemical reactions to help bacteria survive, grow, and sometimes attack tissues, zmpB could become a target for future therapies.
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NewsVolcanic eruptions set off a chain of events that brought the Black Death to Europe
Researchers have used a combination of climate data and documentary evidence to paint the most complete picture to date of the ‘perfect storm’ that led to the deaths of tens of millions of people, as well as profound demographic, economic, political, cultural and religious change.
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NewsTo treat long COVID, we must learn from historical chronic illnesses, medical researchers say
Scientists and doctors have highlighted the importance of studying long COVID in the context of other post-acute infection syndromes or chronic illnesses. By analyzing historical accounts of other epidemics, researchers can gain important perspective on the effects of these chronic illnesses.
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NewsMicrobiome of an entire country is mapped for the first time
An international research team has systematically mapped the microbiome of an entire country for the first time. More than 10,000 environmental samples from across Denmark were analyzed, resulting in an atlas of environmental microbiomes with unprecedented spatial resolution and functional depth.
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NewsNew tools saved a million lives from malaria last year but progress under threat as drug resistance rises
Wider use of new tools against malaria, including dual-ingredient nets and WHO-recommended vaccines helped to prevent an estimated 170 million cases and 1 million deaths in 2024, according to WHO’s annual World Malaria Report.
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NewsDo oral bacteria from tooth infections worsen diabetes risk?
A new study demonstrates that Porphyromonas gingivalis and its lipopolysaccharide are potent drivers of both periapical bone destruction and systemic metabolic dysfunction, acting through an IL-17–dependent inflammatory pathway.
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NewsThe ship-timber beetle’s fungal partner: more than just a food source
Researchers studying the ambrosia fungus of the ship-timber beetle discovered that this fungus stores significantly more nutrients than other types of fungi. The beetle’s symbiotic fungus accumulates various phenolic substances from the wood in its mycelium.
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NewsComplex life developed earlier than previously thought, study reveals
New research indicates that complex organisms evolved long before there were substantial levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, something which had previously been considered a prerequisite to the evolution of complex life.
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NewsThe power of gut enzymes: why healthy eating affects everyone differently
Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that determines how our gut microbiome processes healthful plant compounds. The chemical cookbook of gut bacteria varies from person to person—and is often disrupted in chronic diseases.
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NewsResearchers use ‘brain-on-a-chip’ to revolutionize fight against deadly encephalitis viruses
A transparent chip no larger than a stick of gum is helping scientists transform the way researchers study the human brain and develop treatments for some of the world’s deadliest viruses.
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NewsSingle-cell movies reveal how host physiology sets phage success - and how to time therapies
A new study outlines how an innovative imaging platform can be used to help uncover the reasons why phages succeed or fail when used to target bacterial infections.
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NewsNew roadmap reveals how everyday chemicals and microbes interact to fuel antimicrobial resistance
A new perspective outlines an urgent scientific roadmap for understanding how common chemicals interact with microbial communities to accelerate the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsScientists clarify how much metal in soil is 'too much' for people and the environment
A new review explains which laboratory tools, models and tests best capture the true bioavailability of heavy metals in soil and how regulators worldwide are starting to use them.