All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 33
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NewsArchaic DNA may lower defences against common DNA viruses in people today
Researchers explored the contribution of archaic DNA - primarily Neandertal ancestry - to the DNA viral load of participants in the UK Biobank. By analysing viral sequences detected in large-scale genomic data, they asked whether archaic variants correlate with the presence or quantity of common DNA viruses.
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News The hidden carbon sponges: Karst reservoirs proven to be powerful climate allies
A new study provides a mechanistic explanation for why reservoirs in karst landscapes are exceptionally effective carbon sinks. The research demonstrates that these unique ecosystems not only capture vast amounts of carbon but also lock it away in a highly stable, long-lasting form.
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NewsResearchers may now understand why chikungunya virus infections turn chronic
About half of people infected with chikungunya virus will progress to a chronic form of the disease. A new study finds that chikungunya virus persists in joint-associated macrophages, a specialized type of white blood cell that helps the body defend against pathogens.
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NewsNew study finds neighborhood-level sampling could close equity gap in wastewater disease surveillance
Researchers working with New York State’s wastewater surveillance network found that while the system does a reasonably fair job of including vulnerable populations, it struggles in larger populations when an outbreak is starting, which is when it matters most.
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NewsScientists fight antimicrobial resistance by treating diseases with human antibodies
In a review, researchers highlight the promise of using human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to treat patients more effectively and tackle AMR. They say AMR needs to be addressed with multiple and differentiated strategies, and vaccines and mAbs are the most promising tools.
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NewsPlants predictably select growth boosting microbes regardless of soil type
Soil obtained from across nine UK locations was used to cultivate six key arable crops. Researchers found that although the local soil environment selected which kinds of bacteria were present, the crop species determined the beneficial microbial functions of those bacteria.
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NewsLong Covid burden continues to grow, doubling current surveillance estimates, multi-hospital study shows
Investigators using a novel AI algorithm to comb through medical records of patients with COVID-19 in U.S. hospitals, found around one in six developed long COVID. These rates are twofold higher than current estimates.
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NewsScientists develop an antifungal aqueous suspension to prevent fungal infections in crops and fruit
Researchers have developed an antifungal aqueous suspension for the prevention of fungal infections in crops and fruit during the pre- and post-harvest stages. The new formulation is aimed at the biotechnology and agricultural sectors.
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NewsMaternal infection: A critical driver of offspring cardiac dysfunction
A new study reveals that maternal infection causes severe metabolic disturbances within the offspring’s heart, most notably enriching differentially expressed genes in lipid, energy, and amino acid metabolism. The infection also heavily suppressed cardiac cell proliferation.
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NewsGut microbe found to worsen sepsis by triggering hyperinflammatory immune responses
Researchers have identified a specific gut microbial group that can dramatically worsen sepsis by excessively sensitizing immune cells. Genetically identical mice showed strikingly different infection outcomes depending on the composition of their gut microbiota.
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NewsCommon illnesses, not hantavirus, pose greatest cruise and travel risk
Travelers booked on cruises this summer, or considering booking, shouldn’t change their plans out of fear of hantavirus, one researcher says. They should be aware of more common viral illnesses that occur in cruise settings such as norovirus, seasonal respiratory viruses, COVID-19 and influenza.
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NewsHeart health may have impacted the risk of severe COVID-19 infection during the pandemic
Adults with highest heart health scores at the beginning of the pandemic were nearly half as likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 when compared to those with the lowest scores, according to new research.
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NewsDog daycare leptospirosis outbreak in Los Angeles reveals broader public health risks
A 2021 outbreak of leptospirosis that sickened more than 200 dogs in Los Angeles County reveals critical gaps in vaccination practices and raises broader concerns about the spread of the disease between animals and people.
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NewsScientists determine how mysterious acids give bacteria their shape
Researchers have discovered how acids on the surface of bacteria give these microscopic organisms their characteristic “rod” shape—by keeping an enzyme at bay that would otherwise turn the cylindrical cells into shape-shifting blobs.
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NewsScientists identify nearly two dozen antiviral compounds that could treat Ebola virus
Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled scientists to identify nearly two dozen antiviral compounds that could potentially treat a rare species of Ebola virus (Bundibugyo virus) currently affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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NewsInsect wing identifying app to tackle tropical disease threat
A mobile app that identifies disease-carrying insects from their wing patterns is being developed as part of a project using AI to help diagnose tropical diseases.
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NewsStudies point to new way to fight potentially deadly Valley Fever
To better understand why Valley Fever spreads in some individuals, researchers found that patients with severe illness had an abnormal immune response. In some cases, the immune system was overactive; in other cases it was underactive.
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NewsGut microbiome clusters may help predict inflammatory bowel disease severity and progression
A new study reports that the gut microbiome of IBD patients can be grouped into distinct compositional “cluster types” associated with disease severity and progression risk. These reflect higher-order microbial community organization rather than variation in individual bacterial species.
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NewsNew urine test for microbial metabolites offers simple way to screen for autism in children
Scientists have developed a new screening tool to test urine for 17 microbial metabolites in children ages 2 to 11 years. By measuring these compounds in urine, they discovered that they could distinguish children with autism from typically developing children in their study groups with high accuracy.
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NewsInternational award honors microbiology researchers for diatom research
Two microbiology researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are being honored with an international award that recognizes their insights into aquatic microbes that are vital to Earth’s ecosystems.