All Microbiological Methods articles
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NewsNew kind of CRISPR could treat viral infection and cancer by shredding sick cells’ DNA
A new technology uses a relative of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to kill target cells. When activated by a specific, programmable genetic target, the Cas12a2 protein rips a cell’s genome apart. Researchers programmed Cas12a2 to kill virus-infected cells or cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.
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NewsHow river DNA can track fish, frogs, fungi and human feces — all at once
A single scoop of water from an Irish river revealed evidence not only of Ireland’s only frog species, but also signs of the dreaded B. dendrobatidis fungus, marking the first time this devastating amphibian disease has been spotted in the country and exposing a previously unknown risk to Ireland’s frog population.
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NewsPolymer ‘bristles’ could help repel proteins — and germs — from surfaces in medical settings
A non-toxic coating made of polydimethylsiloxane prevents proteins from sticking to surfaces — potentially offering a new tool in the fight against hospital-acquired infections.
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NewsModular Clean Air strengthens position as part of Total Clean AIr
Modular Clean Air (MCA) is now wholly owned by Total Clean Air (TCA), marking the next phase in its development following its successful launch as a joint venture in 2025.
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NewsSimple new system keeps microscopes in focus automatically
Anyone who has ever used a microscope knows that it takes time to bring a sample into sharp focus. Now a team of scientists has developed an inexpensive robust fix for this problem that involves little more than a couple of LED lights and some physics-based processing.
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NewsA universal toolkit for editing bacterial DNA
A major collaboration involving nine labs has transferred a particularly useful DNA editing system from E. coli into 14 new species of bacteria, spanning three major branches of the bacterial family tree.
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NewsHow AI can help us count the ‘good’ viruses used in biopharmaceuticals
Researchers have developed a new methodology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to identify and count target viruses more efficiently than previous techniques. The new approach can be used in applications such as pharmaceutical biomanufacturing.
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NewsAutomation platform enables high-resolution spatial mapping of microbial communities
Researchers have developed a sequential error-robust FISH spatial mapping platform (SEER-Map) which enables fully automated, high-multiplexity spatial profiling of complex microbial communities at single-cell resolution.
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NewsNew clues to hepatitis B species restriction could help build a novel model for studying infection and testing therapies
For decades, it was thought that the barrier to creating a workable mouse model for hepatitis B is an inability for the virus to gain a genetic foothold in the mouse due to its unique type of DNA. Now researchers have discovered that the problem is something different altogether—likely a misstep in the entry process.
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NewsMetagenomic software advance boosts research into microbial diversity
Researchers studying the diversity of microbes in environmental samples now have access to a new tool that opens the door to cheaper, more accessible analysis of their samples.
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NewsResearchers combine polarized light and a magnetic field to spot malaria under the microscope
Researchers have developed a new microscopy method that uses a magnetic field and polarized light to provide quantitative measurements that could enable faster and more objective detection of malaria in blood.
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NewsStudying two very different viruses helps to develop new strategies
When the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began, virologist Theodora Hatziioannou, in conjunction with Paul Bieniasz brought her HIV-honed skills and tools to this new global threat, which made it easier and faster for researchers to gain insights into the virus and test antibodies for potential therapeutic candidates in real time.
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NewsModeling premature aging in yeast reveals key effects of progerin on cellular lifespan
Researchers developed a yeast-based model to study premature aging by expressing Progerin, the toxic protein responsible for Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Using genetically engineered yeast cells, they compared the effects of Progerin with its normal counterpart, Lamin A.
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NewsColor test ‘sniffs out’ dangerous staph strains fast
Researchers have developed a rapid colour-changing test that can distinguish between different strains of golden staph, including those likely to be virulent and antibiotic resistant.
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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.
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NewsStudy reveals hidden damage in stony corals using 3D imaging and AI
Researchers investigating how disease affects coral structure turned to X-ray microcomputed tomography which generates detailed 3D reconstructions down to microscopic pores, which reveal internal skeletal features, including porosity, thickness and structural orientation, in a non-destructive way.
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NewsNew bite-sized CRISPR molecule may open doors for therapeutic genome editing
The safest, most accurate gene-editing tools don’t fit inside viral delivery mechanisms that could target them to specific cell types or tissues inside the human body. Researchers have developed a smaller pair of “molecular scissors” for gene editing that could make site-specific delivery within the body possible.
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NewsNanodisc platform improves vaccine design for Ebola, HIV and more
Scientists have created a platform that allows viral surface proteins to be studied in a form that more closely resembles how they appear naturally, utilizing nanodisc technology where these proteins are embedded into particles made of lipid molecules, preserving them in a membrane-like structure.
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NewsMethod for amplifying the full genome of human papillomavirus 16 uses overlapping extension polymerase chain reaction
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a double-stranded circular DNA virus with a genome of approximately 7–8 kb. A new study aims to establish an overlapping extension polymerase chain reaction method for the amplification of the entire genome of HPV16.