All articles by Linda Stewart
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NewsNew software tool fast-tracks identification and response to microbial threats
MARTi is an open-source software tool that powers real-time analysis and visualisation of metagenomic data. The team have created an accessible interface which increases the usability and accessibility of metagenomic analysis.
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News£4.56M Wellcome Discovery Award to investigate natural human resistance to Salmonella
The University of Liverpool’s Professor Jay Hinton and an international team have been awarded a £4,555,647 Wellcome Discovery funding to lead a five-year research programme exploring how some healthy humans are naturally protected from being infected by Salmonella Typhimurium.
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NewsScientists develop floral-scented fungus that lures mosquitoes to their doom
Taking advantage of the mosquito’s natural attraction to flowers, an international team of researchers engineered a new strain of Metarhizium fungus that imitates a flower’s sweet scent and lures the bloodsucking bugs to their deaths.
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NewsNutritional supplements boost baby coral survival
Feeding coral larvae a coral ’baby food’ can dramatically increase their chances of survival, offering a new avenue for reef restoration as climate change continues to threaten coral ecosystems, a new study finds.
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NewsPsoriasis-linked gene mutation also impacts gut health
A mutation previously linked to skin disorders like psoriasis may also play a surprising role in gut health, according to new research. This mutation activates skin immune responses but also affects the intestine, revealing a new connection between genetics, the immune system, and the gut.
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NewsPowered by mushrooms, living computers are on the rise
Researchers have discovered that common edible fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms, can be grown and trained to act as organic memristors, a type of data processor that can remember past electrical states. They could also be used to create other types of low-cost computing components.
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NewsResearchers discover microbes turning food waste into energy
Researchers have identified a previously unknown microbe that plays a crucial role in converting food waste into renewable natural gas, using a molecular tagging approach that could also detect other elusive microbes - including those that are breaking down microplastics in the ocean.
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NewsLighting up life: scientists develop glowing sensors to track cellular changes as they happen
Researchers have engineered living cells to use a 21st amino acid that illuminates protein changes in real time, providing a new method for observing changes within cells. The technique is effective in bacteria, human cells and live tumor models, making it possible to study complex diseases like cancer more ethically.
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NewsStudy shows differences between documented and self-reported polio vaccination rates
Until poliovirus is eradicated worldwide, vaccination protection is important as the virus could be reintroduced at any time. Epidemiologists have now shown that many people in Germany do not know their vaccination status and cannot find it on their vaccination record.
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NewsWarmer Nordic springs double the incidence of avian malaria
A unique long-term study, in which biological samples were collected from the same population of blue tits over a 30-year period, shows that rising spring temperatures have doubled the incidence of avian malaria in southern Sweden.
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NewsStudy identifies viral combinations that heighten risk of severe respiratory illnesses in infants
A new study has revealed that, while a wide range of viruses can cause lower respiratory tract illnesses (LRIs) in infants, certain viruses and viral combinations dramatically increase the risk of severe disease.
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NewsHow HIV’s shape-shifting protein reveals clues for smarter drug design
Researchers determined the structure of HIV protein integrase during newly discovered function, enabling the development of better HIV therapeutics.
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NewsHarnessing solar energy for environmental cleanup: Iron mineral-bacterial biofilms degrade pollutants
Researchers offer a sustainable, efficient, and scalable method for addressing soil and groundwater pollution, opening new possibilities for clean-up strategies in diverse ecosystems. This process significantly enhances the degradation of antibiotics like tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and chloramphenicol (CPL).
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NewsGroundbreaking new projects launched to lower the cost of monoclonal antibody production
LifeArc and the Gates Foundation have awarded more than $5m to seven projects aimed at developing cheaper and more efficient ways to produce monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments. The innovative approaches include using filamentous fungus to produce mAbs.
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NewsMalaria risk in the Amazon is higher in regions with intermediate forest degradation
Research shows that areas with 50% deforestation near residential areas or fragmented vegetation allow greater contact between mosquitoes and humans. The study helps us understand the link between forest destruction and the spread of the disease.
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NewsRhizosphere metabolites influence the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil-plant systems
A study sheds new light on the complex mechanisms by which plants and their associated microorganisms contribute to the migration of ARGs through the environment, offering important implications for food safety and public health.
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NewsReview explores roles, mechanisms and applications of intra-tumoral microbiota in cancers
A recent review provides an overview of the hallmarks, roles, molecular mechanisms, and clinical applications of intra-tumoral microbiota in multiple human cancers.
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NewsHorizon Awards 2025: Dr Manu De Rycker named as winner of WH Pierce Prize
Dr Manu De Rycker, a Principal Investigator at the University of Dundee, has been named as the newest winner of the WH Pierce Global Impact in Microbiology Prize.
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NewsMaking yeast more efficient ‘cell factories’ for producing valuable plant compounds
Researchers have discovered a new way to make yeast cells more efficient “factories” for producing valuable plant compounds. By studying a plant membrane protein called AtMSBP1, they uncovered a mechanism that helps yeast cells better support plant cytochrome P450 enzymes.
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NewsDNA from Napoleon’s 1812 army identifies the pathogens likely responsible for the army’s demise during their retreat from Russia
Microbial paleogenomicists extracted DNA from the teeth of soldiers from Napoleon’s ill-fated invasion of the Russian Empire and found no trace of typhus. Instead, they identified two pathogens known to cause enteric fever and relapsing fever.