All articles by Linda Stewart – Page 7
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NewsDo human noroviruses also switch their shape?
Researchers investigating whether human norovirus undergoes conformational changes in response to environmental condition successfully produced virus-like particles (VLPs) of the human norovirus GII.3 strain and determined their structures.
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NewsHidden genome variation steers growth in fungus-dependent orchid
A chromosome-level genome and population survey of the fungus-dependent orchid Gastrodia elata has revealed how hidden genetic differences may shape growth, tuber form, and carbohydrate allocation.
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NewsWarming reshapes how nitrogen is stored and lost in flooded rice soils
A three-year field experiment shows that higher temperatures accelerate nitrogen cycling while promoting retention in protected soil pools.
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NewsSilencing a fungal wall protein cuts powdery mildew on melon leaves
Powdery mildew fungi survive on living plants behind a cell wall that provides both structural support and a shield against host immunity. Researchers have now identified the fungal cell wall assembly protein ECM33 as a weak point in that defense.
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NewsIntratumoral Fusobacterium as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in resectable colorectal cancer
Research supports the use of Fusobacterium as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in patients with resectable stage I–III CRC. Its presence was associated with more aggressive disease, a weaker immune response, and limited benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.
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NewsOxygen nanobubbles turn biochar into an active defense against cadmium in flooded rice soils
A newly engineered biochar maintained oxygen around rice roots, shifted cadmium into more stable soil forms, and substantially reduced cadmium accumulation in rice plants.
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NewsFree webinar: The secret world of the vaginal microbiome
A fascinating free webinar will shine a light into the secret world of the human microbiome and how it influences gynecological health. It will focus on what the vaginal microbiome can reveal about health, disease, and the gaps in care we still need to address.
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NewsPet dog microbiota may protect young children from respiratory tract infections
Children who have been in contact with dogs in early childhood are on average healthier and require fewer antibiotic courses than children without such contact. The protective association is explained, at least in part, by the spread of dog-associated microbes in the home.
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NewsAmazonian ‘zombie’ fungus harbors a hidden stage inside forest mosses, new study reveals
Researchers have found evidence that the “zombie-ant” fungus, globally known for controlling ant behavior and forcing infected ants to bite onto plants before dying, also lives hidden inside mosses in the Amazon rainforest.
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NewsAncient smallpox genomes reveal how European colonisation brought the disease to the Americas
Researchers have recovered and analysed the first ancient smallpox virus genomes ever identified in the Americas, providing the strongest direct evidence to date that the disease was introduced through European colonisation.
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NewsEvolutionary history may help explain why some people develop more severe COVID-19 than others
A study suggests that some of the genes involved in the body’s immune response today bear the marks of ancient battles with infectious diseases. It also identified rare genetic variants that may help explain why some people developed more severe COVID-19 than others.
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NewsDecoding the gut microbiome’s symphony in health and disease
Researchers have reported effective strategies for simultaneously measuring thousands of microbial and host proteins. They systematically compared five state-of-the-art mass spectrometry approaches using human fecal samples.
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NewsHow does a deadly chicken virus escape vaccines designed to slow it?
A new genome-wide study of the Marek’s disease virus identified 10 regions in the genome associated with what makes certain strains more virulent, and could inform next-generation vaccines.
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NewsDisarming cause in lupus patients’ infections
Microbiology researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have discovered why patients with the autoimmune disease lupus are susceptible to serious bacterial infections. Source: University of Tennessee University of Tennessee Assistant Professor Andrew Monteith and Eden TenBarge, a research technician in Monteith’s Lab. A new study ...
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NewsBiologist wins NSF CAREER Award to study the ocean’s most abundant microbe
Anne Thompson, an associate professor of biology, won a nearly $1.2 million NSF CAREER Award to answer a basic question about the ocean that science has largely left open: who eats the most abundant photosynthetic life form on Earth?
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NewsNew therapy eliminates gum disease bacterium while preserving beneficial oral microbes
Researchers have created an innovative treatment for periodontitis that targets and eliminates harmful bacteria while preserving beneficial oral microbes essential for health.
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NewsHospital wastewater controls help contain antibiotic resistance in nearby waters
A new study of hospital wastewater reports that geography, rather than hospital proximity, primarily shaped resistance-gene profiles where wastewater controls were well established.
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NewsGenomic upheaval: How grapevine downy mildew builds its weaponry through structural chaos
Researchers have assembled two complete, chromosome-level genomes of Plasmopara viticola from distinct grapevine hosts, revealing that nearly 90% of the pathogen’s effector genes exist as locally duplicated gene clusters.
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NewsEffect of a novel enteral nutrition mixture with probiotics versus standard enteral nutrition on gastrointestinal complications in critically ill surgical patients
A randomised controlled trial conducted in critically ill patients recovering from abdominal surgery found that a novel probiotic-enriched tube feeding formula reduced serious gut complications dramatically compared to standard enteral nutrition.
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NewsNew Mexico measles outbreak estimated to cost $5.4 million
A cost analysis of the 2025 measles outbreak in New Mexico found that the outbreak carried an estimated societal cost of $5.4 million, or more than $53,000 per case.