All Microbial Biotechnology articles
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NewsPortable test detects Zika and hepatitis C without a laboratory
Researchers have developed a portable test that can detect RNA viruses such as Zika and hepatitis C directly from whole blood without conventional laboratory purification. Using only a small heater and a handheld fluorescence reader, the method could bring sensitive molecular testing closer to patients in resource-limited settings.
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NewsNew CRISPR proteins expand editing access to heart disease genes
A researcher has used his AI-supported Sequence Display technology to expand the targeting abilities of CRISPR/Cas9, evolving several variants of a compact Cas9 that could efficiently target stretches of DNA previously inaccessible for editing. The evolved Cas9s were successfully used to edit two genes found in coronary heart disease.
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NewsAMI members call for microbiome-focused approach to EU biotechnology regulation
Members of Applied Microbiology International (AMI) have urged the European Commission to put microbial communities at the heart of environmental risk assessments for genetically modified microorganisms, as part of its response to the EU Biotech Act consultation.
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NewsBacteria-powered biocomputer tackles complex problems in parallel
Researchers have built a biocomputer that uses growing bacteria to explore many possible solutions at the same time. By guiding the microbes through microfluidic networks, the system could offer a resource-efficient way to tackle complex problems in areas such as molecular biology, encryption and AI.
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News$3.67m NIH grant targets alphaviruses and their neurological damage
A $3.67 million NIH-funded project is developing antiviral compounds that could block alphavirus replication and help protect the brain from severe infection. Researchers will also use blood-brain-barrier-on-a-chip models to test whether early treatment can reduce neurological damage.
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NewsMicrobes could become factories for the next generation of food ingredients
Precision fermentation is moving beyond niche ingredients towards a broader role in food production, from egg-white substitutes to proteins that mimic meat. Researchers argue that scaling the technology across both high-value and everyday ingredients could help make food production more sustainable and resilient.
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NewsElectricity-powered yeast converts CO₂ into useful chemicals
Researchers have developed an electrobioreactor that turns carbon dioxide into itaconic acid, a valuable chemical used in plastics, textiles and resins. The system combines electrochemistry with engineered yeast, offering a potential route to produce bio-based chemicals from emissions instead of sugar.
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NewsLight-powered algae bring a soft robotic arm to life
A soft robotic arm powered by living algae can bend, grasp and lift small objects using only changes in light. The device turns photosynthesis-driven changes in acidity into mechanical motion, offering a glimpse of soft robots that could respond to their environment with very little external energy.
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NewsGut-inspired biobattery uses bacteria to generate electricity
The tiny finger-like structures lining our small intestine have inspired a new design for bacteria-powered batteries. By mimicking intestinal villi, researchers created a bioelectrode with more surface area and better nutrient flow, allowing bacteria to generate stable electricity for hours.
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NewsNewly discovered viruses could bridge a missing link in evolution
Researchers have uncovered previously unknown viruses that appear to bridge the evolutionary gap between viruses and protein compartments found inside cells. The discovery suggests these systems may have evolved from one another repeatedly, offering new clues about the origins of cellular organisation and the early evolution of life.
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NewsSalicylic acid helps apples fight blue mould after harvest
A natural plant signalling compound could help apples fight one of their most common storage diseases. Researchers found that salicylic acid slowed blue mould development while reshaping the fruit’s phenolic metabolism, revealing chemical changes that may help explain how apples resist fungal decay.
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NewsStudy maps antimicrobial resistance across major drinking water sources
Rivers, reservoirs and lakes can act as reservoirs for antibiotic residues and antimicrobial resistance, but the risks are not evenly distributed. A new study of drinking water sources in the Poyang Lake basin found that rivers and certain lake sites carried higher resistance-gene burdens, with mobile genetic elements emerging as a key factor linked to their spread.
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NewsA newly discovered membrane defence help explain antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Scientists have uncovered how Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major multidrug-resistant superbug, helps block antibiotics from entering its cells. The study identifies two proteins that act like plugs inside a membrane channel, revealing a potential new target for treatments designed to weaken bacterial defenses.
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NewsA ‘society on a chip’ reveals how viruses spread
Researchers have built a centimetre-scale ‘society on a chip’ that recreates how viruses spread through structured populations. By changing cell density, susceptibility and movement, the platform can mimic transmission, social distancing and even herd-immunity-like effects in real time.
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NewsScientists use bacteria to produce muconic acid from plants
Researchers have engineered a soil bacterium to synthesize muconic acid, a valuable chemical in the manufacturing industry, from plant matter.
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News‘Molecular movie’ fills in blanks of how non-enveloped viruses infect cells
Researchers have answered a longstanding question about how certain non-enveloped viruses punch through the cell membrane to deliver their genetic material. The findings deepen understanding of virology and could aid the biotech industry’s search for ways to deliver relatively large therapeutic agents into cells to treat or prevent disease.
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NewsBreakthrough optimization of chlamydospore fermentation for Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2
The dark septate endophyte Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2 exhibits excellent control efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt but industrial production of its chlamydospores has been challenging. Researchers have optimized the liquid fermentation process using chlamydospore yield of strain HX2 as the key response indicator.
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NewsDairy waste to fuel: New process unlocks potential of 95,000 tonnes of salty whey
A company that helped design how astronauts grow and recycle food in space is now applying that thinking to the critical problem of dairy waste here on Earth. Scientists turned salty whey, a high-volume by-product from cheese production, into bioethanol.
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NewsAMI welcomes new member to its Board of Trustees
Applied Microbiology International has welcomed Professor Les Baillie as the latest member of its Board of Trustees. We also bid a fond farewell and thank you to Professor Diane Purchase who is leaving the Board.
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NewsFirst results published from major algal gene sequencing project
A new study reveals that different species of microscopic algae can behave in strikingly different ways because of their genetics.