All Microbiological Methods articles
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NewsHarnessing the positive health benefits of microbes
A new article introduces the ‘Database of Salutogenic Potential’, a world-first prototype open-access repository that catalogues microbes and natural compounds linked to positive health outcomes.
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NewsA ‘one-pot’ assay of or rapid portable identification of genotypes I and II African swine fever viruses
Researchers in search of an African swine fever virus genotyping method developed an isothermal ‘one-pot’ CRISPR-Cas12i3/Cas13d-based assay, designated OBServe.v2, to detect two amplified targets from multiplex recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) in a single tube.
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NewsBreakthrough AI speeds up discovery of life-supporting microbes
Scientists have developed a powerful new artificial intelligence tool called LA⁴SR that can rapidly identify previously overlooked proteins in microalgae - tiny organisms that produce much of the Earth’s oxygen and support entire aquatic ecosystems.
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NewsSmarter tools for peering into the microscopic world
In a pair of new studies, researchers introduce powerful tools that make it easier, more accurate and more scalable to figure out how microbes are related. One tool improves how scientists build microbial family trees. The other provides a software foundation used worldwide to analyze biological data.
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NewsFecal tests reveal active termite attacks
Termite pellets can linger long after the insects that dropped them have disappeared. By testing for microbes in the excrement, researchers can distinguish old droppings from fresh, and whether a colony is actively chewing its way through a home.
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NewsApplications of AI in antimicrobial resistance prevention and control
Researchers have published a review shedding light on how AI is revolutionizing the prevention and control of AMR. The article illustrates how machine learning and deep learning are transforming surveillance, diagnosis, treatment optimization, and drug discovery.
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NewsBacteria double as Trojan horse for artificial amino acids
Researchers have hijacked a natural transport system of the bacterium E. coli to develop a solution that allows artificial amino acids to be introduced into bacteria efficiently. This means the “amino acid toolbox” can be expanded for widespread use in medicine and the biotech industry.
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NewsPersistent antibiotic resistance of cholera-causing bacteria in Africa revealed
In 2024, representatives from 14 African countries came together for a five-day intensive workshop on a whole-genome sequencing method called Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) aimed at strengthening cholera surveillance capabilities across the continent.
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NewsRice resists change: Study reveals viral tools for probing gene function fall short
Researchers tested two popular viral vectors - barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) and foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) - to see if they could temporarily switch genes on or off in rice (Oryza sativa). They found no evidence that these virus-enabled reverse genetics (VERG) techniques work in rice.
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NewsResearchers use ‘brain-on-a-chip’ to revolutionize fight against deadly encephalitis viruses
A transparent chip no larger than a stick of gum is helping scientists transform the way researchers study the human brain and develop treatments for some of the world’s deadliest viruses.
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NewsSingle-cell movies reveal how host physiology sets phage success - and how to time therapies
A new study outlines how an innovative imaging platform can be used to help uncover the reasons why phages succeed or fail when used to target bacterial infections.
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NewsScientists clarify how much metal in soil is 'too much' for people and the environment
A new review explains which laboratory tools, models and tests best capture the true bioavailability of heavy metals in soil and how regulators worldwide are starting to use them.
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NewsCedars-Sinai and Exobiosphere partner to launch biomedical research aboard the Haven-1 Space Station
Cedars-Sinai is partnering with Exobiosphere, a company that has developed scientific hardware to automate biomedical research in space and on Earth, and will send experiments to Haven-1, set to become the world’s first commercial space station.
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NewsGroundbreaking technique unlocks secrets of bacterial shape-shifting
Scientists have long known that bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but understanding what those differences mean has remained a major challenge, especially for species that can’t be grown in the lab. A groundbreaking method could change how researchers study bacterial diversity.
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NewsNew global guidelines streamline environmental microbiome research
A team of nearly 250 researchers from 28 countries has developed a new set of reporting guidelines for environmental microbiomes called STREAMS. The guidelines are organized by the structure of a scientific manuscript and help ensure that important details aren’t overlooked.
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NewsResearchers subvert plasmids to combat antibiotic resistance
Scientists have devised a way to track the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance in individual bacteria by measuring competition among plasmids. Plasmids evolve independently but also help drive bacterial evolution, including the development of resistance to antimicrobial compounds. They are the primary way that resistance can jump from one type of bacteria to another.
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NewsDiphtheria toxin fragment harnessed to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH
Researchers have discovered a novel way to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH. By harnessing a fragment of the diphtheria toxin, the team achieved vesicle membrane fusion without the need for pre-treatment or harsh conditions, opening the door to new applications.
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NewsResearchers diagnose disease with a drop of blood, a microscope and AI
Scientists have developed an automated, high-throughput system that relies on imaging droplets of biofluids for disease diagnosis in an attempt to reduce the number of consumables and equipment needed for biomedical testing.
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NewsBacteria ‘pills’ could detect gut diseases — without the endoscope
Researchers report that they’ve developed a sensor made of tiny microspheres packed with blood-sensing bacteria that detect markers of gastrointestinal disease. Taken orally, the miniature “pills” also contain magnetic particles that make them easy to collect from stool. Excreted from mouse models with colitis, the bacterial sensor detected gastrointestinal bleeding within minutes.
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NewsMicropores pave the way for infection research
Organ-on-a-chip technology often contains gels that imitate the 3D environment of our tissues - however, many of these gels are too dense, hindering the passage of microbes and immune cells, and movement is essential to recreate how infections really develop. In this study, the research team developed a new type of porous gel that solves this problem.