Feral Features
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FeaturesUnder the microscope: Body farms
Human Taphonomy Facilities, also known as body farms, are outdoor research facilities used to study human decomposition under different environmental conditions and stressors.
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FeaturesMicrobial-induced pathologies in 80-million-year-old dinosaur bones
In the microbiology laboratory, we observe infection in real-time: bacterial colonies spreading across agar plates, inflammatory markers rising in blood samples, and immune responses captured at single timepoints. But what if we could watch only one frame at a time of an entire infection unfold from initial pathogen invasion through ...
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FeaturesParasitic worms: an unexplored source of novel antimicrobials?
Novel antimicrobials are desperately needed to combat the AMR crisis, however, the clinical and preclinical pipeline for novel antimicrobials is virtually stagnant. This article will shed light on parasitic worms as an unexplored and underappreciated source of antimicrobial peptides.
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FeaturesTermite hydrogen: a wildcard in the fight against climate change
Whilst termites are infamous for causing economic damages and destruction of property, their ability to naturally produce hydrogen is virtually unheard of. Could they be used to solve the energy crisis?
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FeaturesTarantula bites and the emerging field of venom microbiomics
The field of venom-microbiomics is not only an opportunity for better medical treatment of venomous animal bites or stings, but also a means to explore a new ecosystem, learn about evolution, and study a microbiota with potential biotechnological applications.
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FeaturesUnder the microscope: rabies
World Rabies Day is celebrated each year on the 28th of September to raise awareness for rabies prevention and to shine a light on progress in defeating the disease.
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FeaturesShining a light on microbes from the past with molecular paleomicrobiology
Is there a way to objectively address the history of microorganisms?
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FeaturesThe hunt for the halophilic soda-lake vampire
In June 2019, microbiologists from around the world travelled to Transylvania, home of the story of Dracula, not on the hunt for vampires, but for the Halophiles 2019 meeting, focused on salt-tolerant microbes.
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FeaturesLondon's hidden plague pits
Bunhill Fields cemetery in the City Road is a quiet haven on the edge of the City of London, mainly attracting office workers seeking lunchtime tranquility or possibly a shortcut to the Artillery Arms pub in Bunhill Row.
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FeaturesMicrobial interactions of the necrobiome
Researchers from Michigan State University provide an update on basic research and forensic applications.
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FeaturesAncient skeletal remains and the invention of agriculture: effects on the oral microbiome
How the oral microbiome adapted to the system of agricultural subsistence across the millennia of paleolithc and neolithic history.