All Editorial articles – Page 8
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NewsTeam discovers gene pattern that could help doctors identify Ebola faster and more accurately
Researchers have made an important discovery that could help doctors tell Ebola apart from other infections more quickly. The overlap of response by Ebola and other pathogens had made it difficult to find markers that are truly unique to Ebola.
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NewsYour nose is a battlefield
Scientists have discovered that FluMist can trigger an immune response directly in nasal tissue in adults. The vaccine trains immune cells in the upper nasal passages to recognize and fight influenza virus infection. This immune response stays in the upper airways and can’t be detected via blood samples.
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NewsComparing veterinary antimicrobial stewardship: Why Brazil needs stronger monitoring systems
A new comparative analysis reveals critical gaps in antimicrobial monitoring frameworks across three major economies, with significant implications for global public health and food security.
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NewsPortable TB test matches lab accuracy in just minutes
A portable device called MiniDock MTB can deliver accurate TB test results in less than half an hour. Researchers show the device is as effective as a laboratory test and can detect cases even among people who have trouble producing phlegm samples from deep within their lungs.
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NewsNew study shows antibodies need a strong core — not just grip — to fight SARS-CoV-2
Researchers used advanced computer simulations to investigate how antibody–virus complexes respond to mechanical forces across multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the original 2019 strain and Omicron subvariants BA.4 and JN.1.
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News“Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are”
New research reveals that when microbes live together, they can sense one another and actively reduce competition by shifting toward different roles instead of all doing the same thing. It shows that microbes do not just respond to their environment, they respond to each other.
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NewsCan rhizobacterial metabolites enhance plant drought tolerance?
A study shows that lettuce plants inoculated with PGPR strains exhibited significantly higher survival rates and better fresh weight recovery after drought stress compared to the uninoculated control group.
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NewsVaccine strategy induces broadly neutralising HIV antibodies
Researchers have developed a new vaccine strategy that has generated antibodies capable of neutralising highly divergent HIV variants. The study provides new insights into how the immune system can be guided towards a particularly protected part of the virus.
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NewsSimple new system keeps microscopes in focus automatically
Anyone who has ever used a microscope knows that it takes time to bring a sample into sharp focus. Now a team of scientists has developed an inexpensive robust fix for this problem that involves little more than a couple of LED lights and some physics-based processing.
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NewsResearch gaps and regional disparities revealed in global Lassa virus research landscape
A comprehensive bibliometric analysis spanning 55 years of Lassa virus (LASV) research has uncovered significant disparities in scientific output between high-income and endemic countries, while revealing a persistent shortage of studies addressing environmental factors influencing viral spread.
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NewsFrom gut to brain: scientists engineer bacteria to treat severe liver-related brain dysfunction
In vivo studies showed that programmable “living medicines” could reduce brain toxins and prevent neurological symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy, offering distinct advantages over a widely prescribed antibiotic.
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NewsNew study suggests seasonal flu vaccines may reduce severity of H5N1 bird flu infections
Researchers have found that seasonal influenza vaccines in routine global use may significantly reduce the risk of death from H5N1 infection. The findings that readily available tools may offer protection while the world races to develop more targeted solutions.
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NewsThe handbook that can prepare countries for the next pandemic
A new handbook has been published to pave the way for better decision-making and greater preparedness for the next pandemic. It provides practical guidance on how mathematical models can be used to inform decision-making, and how the results can be communicated in times of crisis.
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NewsScientists source anti-cancer treatment in bacteria
Researchers have developed an anti-cancer therapy inspired by bacteria found in cancer tumors. The therapy is made from a fragment of a bacterial protein, a peptide called aurB. In cancer tumors in the animal models, aurB prevented energy production in the tumor cells’ mitochondria, essentially cutting off the tumor’s fuel.
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NewsTracking a persistent threat: How antibiotic-resistant bacteria travel from poultry farms to fresh produce
A new study develops an integrated quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to trace the pathway of ESBL-producing E. coli from broiler farms to lettuce consumption, quantifying human health risks and identifying effective intervention strategies.
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NewsPlasmodium uses its own PI3K to suppress eat-me signal and evade host immune clearance
A study finds that Plasmodium PI3K actively suppresses the externalization of phosphatidylserine on the surface of infected erythrocytes. When the activity of parasite PI3K was chemically inhibited or genetically disrupted, phosphatidylserine exposure on infected red blood cells increased markedly.
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NewsHow the immune system battles lifelong viral infections acquired at birth
Millions of people worldwide carry viral infections they acquired at birth, often for life. For a long time it was assumed that the immune system hardly fights these pathogens. Researchers show that the body’s defenses do indeed act against the virus.
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NewsHow bacteria circumvent plants’ immune system
In order to defend themselves, plants have to quickly produce proteins that detect and combat infiltrating microbes. Researchers discovered that Pseudomonas syringae disrupts this process by triggering the formation of P-bodies – small, droplet-like structures in the cell that store and regulate RNA molecules.
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NewsSelf‑replicating circular RNA persists in extreme environments: Insights from hot spring microbiomes
Researchers who previously identified a highly unusual RNA virus in a high-temperature hot spring ecosystem searched for distinct types of self-replicating RNAs in a similar extreme environment, and a novel circular RNA replicon was identified within the microbial community inhabiting the hot spring.
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NewsDecades-long study finds ‘stable’ soil carbon degrades
After nearly four decades, the world’s longest-running soil warming experiment is revealing a surprising result: even ‘stable’ carbon in forest soils can break down as temperatures rise, releasing more CO₂ into the atmosphere.