All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 13
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NewsNew biochar technology promises breakthrough in soil clean-up and crop safety
Scientists have unveiled a pioneering method that could help farmers reclaim lands blighted by toxic metals and boost the safety of crops grown in contaminated soils. Phosphorus-modified biochar can reduce the threat posed by heavy metals in agricultural soils near mining areas.
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NewsInvasive mosquito vector species detected in surveillance traps in UK
A study describes the detection of invasive mosquito eggs in the United Kingdom in 2023 and 2024, suggesting an increasing incidence of importation of these species, potentially putting new populations at risk of disease transmission.
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NewsCould bacteria help fix the smoky taste of wildfire-tainted wine?
New laboratory experiments show that a bacterium that lives on grape plants can break down guaiacol—an unpleasant-tasting substance which ruins wines made from grapes exposed to wildfire smoke.
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NewsEngineers use bacterial nanowires to create first artificial neurons that could directly communicate with living cells
Engineers have created an artificial neuron with electrical functions that closely mirror those of biological ones. Using protein nanowires synthesized from electricity-generating bacteria, the discovery could herald immensely efficient computers built on biological principles.
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NewsBacteria transform waste polystyrene into nylon precursors
Scientists have succeeded in getting bacteria to break down the molecular building blocks of polystyrene and convert them into useful chemicals.
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NewsA step toward diagnosing the flu with your tongue
A new molecular sensor has been designed to release a thyme flavor when it encounters the influenza virus. Researchers plan to incorporate this type of low-tech sensor into gum or lozenges to increase at-home screenings and potentially prevent pre-symptomatic transmission of the disease.
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NewsPathogenic yeast strains found in urban air but not along the coast
A pilot study has found that urban air contained pathogenic strains of Candida yeast that were absent in coastal air samples, revealing a potential transmission method.
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NewsMicrobial DNA sequencing reveals nutrient pollution and climate change reinforce lake eutrophication
A new study using DNA sequencing of lakebed microbes reveals that nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff and climate change amplify each other in ways that profoundly affect the health of lake ecosystems.
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NewsBalance is key: Strategies to boost protein production from engineered cells
New research demonstrates how to engineer ‘cell factories’ that last longer and produce more chemicals, without needing antibiotics or complex engineering methods, paving the way for sustainable biotech that lasts.
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NewsSome plants can make their own fertilizer - scientists say they learned it more than once
In a new study, scientists show that chemical receptors that plants use to recognize nitrogen-fixing bacteria have developed the same function independently on at least three separate occasions through a process called convergent evolution.
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NewsScientist awarded $5 million to improve mental health and HIV care for adolescents in Uganda
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Dr. Philip Kreniske $5,115,391 for a groundbreaking research project to improve mental health and antiretroviral treatment adherence among adolescents living with HIV in rural Uganda.
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NewsBrain imaging technique helps uncover the molecular basis of long COVID brain fog
A research team has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the cause of Long COVID brain fog. They hypothesized that patients with brain fog might exhibit disrupted expression of AMPA receptors (AMPARs)based on prior research into psychiatric and neurological disorders.
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NewsEmerging serum biomarkers for chronic hepatitis B: Focus on serum HBV RNA and HBcrAg
There is a pressing need for non-invasive biomarkers that can accurately reflect the activity of the hepatitis B viral reservoir and predict clinical outcomes. This review synthesizes the evidence for two such promising biomarkers: serum HBV RNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg).
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NewsUnder half in US would recommend some routine vaccinations during pregnancy
Data from a new APPC health survey finds a reluctance among the public to recommend that someone who is pregnant get a Covid-19 vaccine, with just 38% saying they would do so. Less than half of the survey respondents (42%) say it is safe to take an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy.
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NewsFungi set the stage for life on land hundreds of millions of years earlier than thought
New research indicates the diversification of fungi hundreds of millions of years before the emergence of land plants. It suggests a common ancestor of living fungi dating to roughly 1.4–0.9 billion years ago.
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NewsCaldic and AmphiStar join forces to transform personal care market in Europe with upcycled microbial biosurfactants
Global distributor Caldic and Belgian biotech innovator AmphiStar have announced an exclusive partnership to distribute and promote AmphiStar’s 100% upcycled microbial biosurfactants for personal care applications across Europe.
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NewsSummer studentship: Eoin probes medicine-microbiome interactions using in vitro gut model
Eoin McKernan reports back on his AMI-sponsored summer studentship which focused on the relationships between the gut microbiome and the metabolism of variable response drugs.
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NewsRisk of long COVID in kids doubles after second infection
Children and adolescents were twice as likely to experience long COVID after catching COVID for the second time, compared to their peers with a single previous infection, results running counter to the popular perceptions that COVID in children is ‘mild’.
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News‘Alarming’ rise in newborn babies with antibiotic-resistant infections, researchers find
Researchers are calling for an urgent overhaul of diagnostic and treatment guidelines for infections in newborn babies, after a study revealed frontline treatments for sepsis are no longer effective to treat the majority of bacterial infections.