All Microbial Genetics articles
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NewsMap of bacterial gene interactions reveals potential drug targets
Researchers have developed a new technique called Dual transposon sequencing (Dual Tn-seq), which allows for rapid identification of genetic interactions. It maps how bacterial genes work together, revealing vulnerabilities that could be targeted by future antibiotics.
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NewsFungi set the stage for life on land hundreds of millions of years earlier than thought
New research indicates the diversification of fungi hundreds of millions of years before the emergence of land plants. It suggests a common ancestor of living fungi dating to roughly 1.4–0.9 billion years ago.
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NewsHow viruses build perfectly symmetrical protective shells
Researchers used a new simulation framework to capture key biological factors like protein diffusion, genome flexibility, and shape-shifting behavior to model how viral proteins self-assemble into symmetric shells.
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NewsEngineered gut bacteria improves survival outcomes in colorectal cancer tumors
A genetically modified Salmonella typhimurium strain can colonise tumours and release a therapeutic protein, LIGHT, to induce the formation of mature tertiary lymphoid structures (mTLSs) in laboratory models.
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NewsHPV integration: Moving from carcinogenesis mechanisms to clinical applications
The clinical significance of HPV integration into the host genome is substantial, particularly in cervical cancer screening programs. Integration testing has emerged as a valuable triage tool for detecting high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN III+).
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NewsHow HIV enters the genome – researchers identify previously unknown mechanism
Researchers have decoded a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 selects its integration targets in the human genome. A research team identified RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) as molecular signposts for the virus.
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NewsTargeted delivery of microRNA sponge short-hairpin RNA via VIR-inspired biotechnical vector
The Vir-inspired Biotechnical Vector (VIBV) is a novel hybrid platform that combines viral and non-viral elements with nanotechnology to enable personalized, tumor-specific gene therapy.
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NewsWar, trade and agriculture spread rice disease across Africa
Since the mid-1800s, human activities have rapidly facilitated the spread of rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV), a pathogen that infects rice, far and wide across Africa, according to a new study.
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FeaturesGenome sleuths: using DNA to trace the evolution of animal-to-human pathogens
Zoonotic spillovers have become a significant focus of global health, with outbreaks like SARS and COVID-19 underscoring how quickly these events can escalate into worldwide crises. Genomics is crucial in tracing the origins and predicting the emergence of zoonotic threats.
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News Ribosome profiling identifies thousands of new viral protein-coding sequences
With the help of a technique called Massively Parallel Ribosome Profiling (MPRP), scientists have identified more than 4000 open reading frames (ORFs) across 679 human-associated viral genomes.
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NewsScientist awarded $500,000 Gruber Genetics Prize for pioneering discoveries in bacterial immune systems
The 2025 Gruber Genetics Prize is being awarded to geneticist and molecular biologist Rotem Sorek, Ph.D., of the Weizmann Institute of Science, for his discoveries in the immune system of bacteria.
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NewsWily parasite kills human cells and wears their remains as disguise
The single-celled parasite Entamoeba histolytica gains resistance to the human immune system by ingesting proteins from the outer membranes of human cells and placing them on its own outer surface, a new study finds.
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NewsBacteria: Recording gene activity more efficiently
Researchers have presented a step-by-step protocol for creating single bacterial transcriptomes with MATQ-seq. The protocol also includes the experimental and computer-aided analysis of the data.
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NewsDesigner microbe shows promise for reducing mercury absorption from seafood
Scientists who inserted DNA-encoding methylmercury detoxification enzymes into the genome of an abundant human gut bacterium found it detoxified methylmercury in the gut of mice and dramatically reduced the amount that reached other tissues.
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NewsBacteria deployed as living test tubes to study human gene mutations
Bioengineers have developed a new simple approach to rapidly check on human gene changes and also screen chemicals as potential drugs by turning everyday bacteria into living test tubes.
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NewsScientists repurpose gene editing tool to help uncover hidden microbial diversity
Pioneering research has repurposed a gene editing tool to help shed light on the true biodiversity present in natural environments. The study could help pave the way for more productive soils and improved health.
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NewsNo more copy-pasting: DNA base editing for better Lactobacillus strains
Scientists were able to edit the DNA of Lactobacillus strains directly without a template from other organisms. This technique is indistinguishable from natural variation and enabled them to create a strain that doesn’t produce diabetes-aggravating chemicals.
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NewsResearchers discover large dormant virus can be reactivated in model green alga
Scientists have not only found a virus in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii but discovered the largest one ever recorded with a latent infection cycle, meaning it goes dormant in the host before being reactivated to cause disease.
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NewsBreakthrough gene therapy offers hope for rare, deadly heart disease in young men
Researchers have designed a gene-therapy strategy that could transform the treatment of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy type 5 (ARVC5), a rare and deadly heritable disease that particularly affects young men.
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NewsAntimicrobial resistance is a side effect of bacterial clockwork mechanism
Could a gene regulatory network in gut microbes have evolved its elaborate and tightly regulated molecular machinery only to pump out antibiotics indiscriminately? Researchers have shown that this is an auxiliary function.