Linda Stewart
News and Current Affairs Editor
Linda studied Pure & Applied Biology BA at St Anne’s College, Oxford, before completing an MSc in Conservation at UCL. After two years in a Water Service lab in Northern Ireland, she switched to a career in newspaper journalism, working as a general reporter at the Belfast Telegraph before becoming the regional daily’s first Environment Correspondent from 2008 until 2016. She was named Environment Correspondent of the Year 2011 and Feature Journalist of the Year in 2014 at the NI Media Awards. After serving as editor on a number of retail sector magazines, she is enjoying turning her journalism skills to delivering fresh and fascinating scientific news content in The Microbiologist.
Contact info
NewsTwo new species of oil-forming yeast discovered
A research group has discovered two new species of oil-forming yeast in the soil of Shiga Prefecture in Japan. Their study also examines the relationship between the prefecture’s diverse climate and microbial ecology.
CareersResearchers find contaminated water in fast-food soda fountains
Scientists found microbial contamination in common sources of drinking water in the Eastern Coachella Valley, including soda fountains at fast-food restaurants.
NewsScientists uncover new pathway of diatom-mediated calcification
Researchers have found that the photosynthesis of a common diatom can induce substantial aragonite precipitation from artificial/natural seawater under significantly lower supersaturation levels required for the precipitation of inorganic CaCO3.
NewsScientists probe amoeba that thrives at 125°F
Biologists study the mechanisms that have allowed microbial eukaryotes to thrive in the extreme conditions of a geothermal lake.
NewsContagious omicron strain replicates early in infection
New research used engineered mice to compare SARS-COV-2 omicron subvariants and found one of them – BA.5 – was more virulent likely due to its ability to rapidly replicate early during infection.
NewsValneva announces new IXIARO® supply contract with the US government
Specialty vaccine company Valneva SE has announced the signing of a new $32 million contract with the United States Department of Defense for the supply of its Japanese encephalitis vaccine, IXIARO®.
NewsAntibiotics can help some bacteria survive for longer
Scientists have found a surprising effect of some antibiotics on certain bacteria – that the drugs can sometimes benefit bacteria, helping them live longer.
NewsResearchers pioneer safe chemotherapy methods for treating bacterial infections
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a threat to human lives, and yet the development of new drugs to treat bacterial infections is slow.
NewsNew vaccine technology could protect from future viruses and variants
Studies of a ‘future-proof’ vaccine candidate have shown that just one antigen can be modified to provide a broadly protective immune response in animals.
NewsAntiviral drug linked to SARS-CoV-2 mutations
Researchers have uncovered a link between an antiviral drug for COVID-19 infections called molnupiravir and a pattern of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
NewsResearchers reveal how microbes return after a wildfire
A study suggests that dispersal - through air or rain, for example - plays a major role in microbial succession after a destructive fire.
NewsTeselaGen Biotechnology renews partnership with Joint BioEnergy Institute
TeselaGen Biotechnology has announced that it is extending its relationship with Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) through 2027 via a new multi-year contract.
NewsNanoparticles made from plant viruses could be farmers’ new ally
Engineers have developed nanoparticles, fashioned from plant viruses, that can deliver pesticide molecules to soil depths that were previously unreachable.
NewsClimate warming could impact forest resilience by disrupting fungal networks
Researchers find that warming trends will likely result in major disturbances of networks of fungi, potentially harming forest resilience.
NewsAssays for rapid and visual detection of monkey B virus
Two recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays have been developed for Monkey B virus that target two conserved genes combined with a one-off, closed visualization strip device
NewsNew research reveals gut microbiota link to colitis - and therapetic strategies
Researchers have revealed a new and critical role of Axin1 in regulating intestinal epithelial development and microbial homeostasis.
NewsNanoparticle vaccine candidate shows promise against emerging tick-borne virus
Researchers have used nanoparticles to develop a potential vaccine candidate against Dabie Bandavirus, formerly known as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV), a tick-borne virus that has no prevention, treatment or cure.
NewsHops compound reduces abundance of gut microbe associated with metabolic syndrome
Researchers have shown in a mouse model and lab cultures that a compound derived from hops reduces the abundance of a gut bacterium associated with metabolic syndrome.
NewsDiscovery in mosquitoes could lead to new strategy against dengue fever
Researchers have discovered that a protein in the mosquito Aedes aegypti , Argonaute 2, has a key role - via several biological mechanisms - in keeping mosquitoes healthy and active despite the presence of viral infections like dengue and Zika.
