All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 2
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NewsResearchers uncover hidden toxin risks during nutrient-starved algal blooms
Researchers have shown that extended nutrient deprivation can significantly increase toxin content per cell in the benthic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima, even when cell numbers remain relatively stable. Toxin risk may increase quietly under nutrient-poor conditions without obvious bloom expansion.
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NewsNew research finds crosstalk inside cells helps pathogens evade drugs
Biologists have uncovered a new mode of communication inside cells that helps bacterial pathogens learn how to evade drugs. Their findings describe how these mechanisms drive antimicrobial resistance in Listeria monocytogenes, the foodborne bacteria that causes listeriosis.
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NewsHow bacteria in the mouth may offer new clues to cognitive dysfunction in people with schizophrenia
An association between oral microbiota and cognitive performance in schizophrenia has been reported by researchers. The study shows that lower oral microbial diversity is associated with poorer cognitive function, with specific predicted microbial metabolic pathways potentially linked to this relationship.
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NewsNatural sunscreen compounds show potential to support skin health and blood pressure
Researchers have discovered that natural ‘sunscreen’ compounds found in algae and cyanobacteria may also support skin and heart health.
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NewsGut bacteria may tip the balance between feeding tumors and fueling immunity
A new study reveals how bacteria in the gut can help determine whether the amino acid asparagine from the diet will feed tumor growth or activate immune cells against the cancer.
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NewsDissolved bubble microneedles enable more efficient therapy of acne vulgaris
Researchers report a new microneedle-based strategy for acne therapy in a new study. The team developed dissolved bubble microneedle patches that can simultaneously deliver hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs directly into acne-affected skin.
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NewsSepsis study IDs simple ways to save lives in Africa
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major unrecognized cause of deadly sepsis among people with HIV in Africa, a new study reveals. It found that more than half of the hundreds of patients enrolled in the study had TB and that immediate treatment increased their chances of survival significantly.
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NewsPros and cons of pesticides and fertilizers in real-world mandarin orange farms
Researchers examined how different kinds of pesticides and fertilizers affect mandarin oranges across Japan. Advanced statistical analysis showed that while reducing pesticides enhanced the diversity of microbes in the soil, it also led to an increase in fruit disease caused by leaf pathogens.
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NewsMetformin shown to prevent Long COVID across risk groups in multiple randomized trials
Multiple randomized clinical trials and electronic health record studies now show that metformin, a widely used and well-established medication, significantly reduces the risk of developing Long COVID when taken during or shortly after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2.
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NewsMachine learning reveals how to maximize biochar yield from algae
Researchers have developed a powerful machine learning framework that can accurately predict and optimize biochar production from algae, offering a faster and more sustainable path toward carbon rich materials for climate mitigation, soil improvement, and environmental applications.
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NewsInconsistent standards may be undermining global tracking of antibiotic resistance
A comprehensive review of how antimicrobial resistance is monitored in the environment and why inconsistent interpretation of laboratory results may be distorting our understanding of the scale of the problem.
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NewsNipah virus outbreak: Risk of global threat is low, say experts
The Global Virus Network is monitoring reports of a Nipah virus outbreak in India and emphasizes that such cases, while very concerning and serious, are not unexpected or unprecedented.
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NewsFrom biocidal coatings to medicines: A nanocomposite sting for microorganisms
A surface capable of responding to chemical signals generated by microorganisms and automatically producing biocidal substances – a description of how the B-STING silica nanocomposite works. The new material acts as a nanofactory of reactive oxygen species, activating only when necessary.
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NewsNasal vaccine combats bird flu infection in rodents
Researchers have developed an intranasal H5N1 vaccine that elicited strong immune responses when tested in hamsters and mice and prevented infections in exposed animals. The team also confirmed their vaccine remained effective regardless of prior flu exposure.
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NewsRethinking global AMR strategy: the 2024 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List from a One Health perspective
A new perspective examines the World Health Organization’s 2024 Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (WHO BPPL), highlighting its strengths as a research roadmap while identifying critical gaps for a truly holistic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategy.
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NewsCultivated peanut AhPR10 gene family mediates resistance to Aspergillus flavus
Researchers identified and analyzed PR10 genes in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), and found three genes that demonstrated potential importance in peanut resistance to Aspergillus flavus.
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News£2.8 million research project to combat one of the world’s most urgent health threats
An ambitious new £2.8 million international programme will aim to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across East Africa. It will examine how environmental, social and economic factors influence the spread of drug-resistant infections in East African communities.
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NewsCorals sleep like us, but their symbiosis does not rest
A study has revealed that corals also sleep, despite not having a nervous system, while their microbiome remains awake. For the first time, a biological day-night pattern that transcends the individual and helps sustain a symbiotic relationship has been identified in situ.
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NewsFossilized plankton study gives long-term hope for oxygen depleted oceans
A new study suggests the world’s oxygen depleted seas may have a chance of returning to higher oxygen concentrations in the centuries to come, despite our increasingly warming climate. Source: Anya Hess Scanning electron image of fossilised planktonic foraminifera. Researchers at the University of Southampton (UK) and ...
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NewsA rapid test using a mobile phone will be able to identify the most severe cases of imported malaria within minutes
A new malaria tool uses a mobile phone to combine rapid diagnostic tests with video analysis and is capable not only of detecting the infection in under six minutes but also of predicting which patients may develop severe forms of malaria.