All Michigan State University articles
-
NewsResearchers work toward universal flu, HIV vaccines
What if there was a way to achieve stronger, multi-year protection from a single flu jab? Researchers are looking to better understand a viral mechanism shared between influenza and HIV with the aim of disrupting infection. This research could help develop effective vaccines for both diseases, as well as new antivirals.
-
NewsYour gut makes a molecule that fights a leading cause of food poisoning
Researchers have discovered that a molecule called indole can inhibit the growth of Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of food poisoning worldwide. Their study builds on years of research aimed at understanding how C. jejuni manages to thrive in the gut and cause disease.
-
NewsThese bacteria can change their diet to survive inside the body
The team have found that Staphylococcus aureus can adjust its diet depending on what sources remain available. The bacterium can adjust its inner workings in response to any one of a number of different sulfur-containing compounds — like cysteine, glutathione or thiosulfate.
-
NewsRedistributing sunlight boosts algae biomass productivity sixfold
Researchers have developed a low-energy way to distribute sunlight more evenly throughout algae cultivation systems. The technology increased algae biomass productivity by as much as six times in outdoor testing.
-
NewsTwo deadly flowers have big medical potential
Two plants that cause neurotoxicity and paralysis in the tiniest doses are also known to counter pain, malaria, cancer and pests. For the first time, researchers have discovered a way to recreate these powerful compounds in the lab - with the help of yeast.
-
NewsHow a pandemic detour helped researchers uncover clues to a mysterious disease
Researchers examined the environmental and human factors that influence the distribution of Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans.
-
CareersMember Q&A: Tanja’s pathway to policy-oriented papers
Head of Bioresources Unit of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology Tanja Kostić, PhD, reveals how AMI membership has supported her professional development and career journey.
-
News American microbiologist behind global water safety breakthrough wins 2026 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
Professor Joan Bray Rose has been recognised for pioneering Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) as a global approach for assessing pathogen risks in water. QMRA has been adopted into global drinking water standards and enabled safe water reuse.
-
NewsScientists uncover how HPV-positive cancers hide from the immune system — and how to make them visible again
A new study solves a major mystery in cancer immunology by uncovering how HPV hides cancer cells from the immune system by using MARCHF8 to destroy MHC-I, which serves as a warning flag for the immune system.
-
NewsNew study fills research gap in food safety to better protect pregnant women from Listeria
Researchers developed new biologically plausible dose-response models — one for maternal infection and one for stillbirth — built on data from guinea pigs and gerbils, which share key biological traits with humans relevant to listeria pathogenesis.
-
NewsNew biosensor offers early warning system for disease
Researchers have developed a tissue-adhesive sensor for real-time oral health monitoring to combat long-term issues such as gum disease and tooth loss.
-
NewsPostharvest apple immunity: a key factor in shelf life and fruit quality
New research sheds light on how the immune system of apple fruits interacts with their microbiomes during storage, playing a crucial role in maintaining fruit health and preventing spoilage.
-
NewsMichigan cherry farmers find a surprising food safety ally: falcons
By shooing cherry-pecking birds away, kestrels also keep them from contaminating crops with their droppings, a new study shows. Kestrels were associated with a 3-fold reduction in droppings spotted on branches.
-
NewsFlower to fruit: tracking the changing fungal community on blueberry plants
A study identifies how fungal diversity changes over time and across tissue types in highbush blueberry, revealing dynamic transitions in the phyllosphere from buds to ripe fruits. Early-season buds and flowers harbor the highest fungal diversity, while unripe green fruits display the lowest.
-
NewsAncient chemical clues reveal Earth’s earliest life 3.3 billion years ago
A new study uncovered fresh chemical evidence of life in rocks more than 3.3 billion years old, along with molecular traces showing that oxygen-producing photosynthesis emerged nearly a billion years earlier than previously thought. Researchers paired cutting-edge chemistry with artificial intelligence to reveal faint chemical “whispers” of biology locked inside ancient rocks.
-
NewsScientists reveal how cyanobacteria use ’sunscreen’ to adapt to climate
Using single particle spectroscopy, researchers revealed insights into how different types of photosynthetic bacteria can use a shared mechanism to protect themselves from too much sunlight.
-
NewsWhen faucets rest: hidden microbial risks emerge in hours
Stagnant water in building plumbing systems is a well-known driver of microbial growth and contamination, including L. pneumophila. A new study highlights a short “microbial safety window” of 2–4 hours, after which risks increase significantly.
-
NewsScientists discover regulatory pathway behind cyanobacteria’s carbon-fixing factories
A new study illuminates a key regulatory pathway between cyanobacteria’s light-harvesting systems and the inner compartments where carbon fixation happens, helping us to understand how cyanobacteria balance their energy demands.
-
NewsStudy finds tiny microbes shape brain development
New research finds that microbes play an important role in shaping early brain development, specifically in a key brain region that controls stress, social behavior, and vital body functions.
-
NewsNew study reveals how corals teach their offspring to beat the heat
A new study shows that rice coral, an important reef-building species, passes on thermal resistance to their offspring and avoids coral bleaching. Understanding this is important to building healthier coral reefs and protecting their future.