All Middle East & Africa articles
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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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NewsScientists can decode wildlife movement to predict the next pandemic
By equipping wildlife with biologging devices that track movement and behavior in near-real-time, researchers can detect early signs of illness, monitor disease spread, and inform public health interventions before outbreaks reach crisis levels.
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NewsCoral-inspired pill offers a new window into the hidden world of the gut
Marine corals have evolved intricate, porous structures that shelter diverse microbial communities. Researchers have borrowed this biological blueprint to create an ingestible pill that can sample bacteria from one of the most inaccessible regions of the human body: the small intestine.
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NewsDesert soils emit greenhouse gases in minutes — even without live microbes
A groundbreaking study reveals that desert soils can emit powerful greenhouse gases within minutes of being wetted—even in the absence of microbial life. It challenges long-standing assumptions that soil microbes are solely responsible for post-rain “pulse emissions” of gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and nitric oxide (NO).
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NewsUnder The Lens: Raquel Peixoto reveals how tourists armed with probiotics could save world’s coral reefs
A fascinating conversation between Applied Microbiology International President Professor Jack Gilbert and Professor Raquel Peixoto examines how understanding and leveraging coral microbiomes is leading to innovative probiotic solutions to boost coral resilience.
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NewsBacteria survive dust storms and introduce new genetic traits into our air
Bacterial communities carried from Africa to Israel survive their airborne journey, arriving with genes that may affect human health and the environment, a new study reveals.
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NewsNext-generation ‘molecular scissors’ may offer hope for chronic hepatitis B sufferers
Researchers have developed engineered precision ’molecular scissors’ that can permanently disable the genetic blueprint of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The approach directly targets covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), the stubborn viral reservoir.
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NewsNew African swine fever vaccine candidate shows promise against some virus strains
An international team of scientists has found that a promising African swine fever (ASF) vaccine can protect pigs against some strains of the virus but offers little or no protection against others.
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NewsEpstein-Barr virus protein EBNA1 upregulates oncogenes in cervical cancer cells
New findings suggest that increased expression levels of Derlin1 and PSMD10 genes in HeLa cells by the EBV-EBNA1 might induce cancer cell survival and accelerates the development of cervical cancer (CC).
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NewsTiny creatures, big insights: The microbial signature of the sea uncovered by copepods
A new study has revealed that tiny planktonic crustaceans carry a unique microbial signature that better reflects ocean currents and environmental gradients than microbes found freely in seawater.
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NewsBee and frog proteins: nature’s double defense against farm superbugs
A new study reveals that combining natural antimicrobial peptides can significantly slow the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Using two peptides together prevents harmful bacteria from mutating as quickly, offering a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics.
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NewsKenya achieves elimination of human African trypanosomiasis as a public health problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Kenya as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness as a public health problem, making it the tenth country to reach this important milestone.
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NewsThe microbiome of the indri, a critically endangered lemur, has been described
An international study has ascertained the composition of the intestinal microbiome of the indri, a critically endangered lemur in Madagascar. It has found up to 47 unknown species of bacteria, and revealed the indri’s microbiome is transmitted within their social group.
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NewsM42 announces breakthrough results for its AI-powered tuberculosis screening
A new study is among the largest real-world clinical validations of an AI-driven healthcare solution to date, analyzing over one million chest X-rays (CXRs) to evaluate the efficacy and scalability of AI in TB screening.
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NewsNew drug combo outperforms Tamiflu in fighting flu (and chocolate is the key)
Scientists have unveiled a new drug pairing - including a compound found in chocolate - that outperforms Tamiflu, the most widely used anti-influenza medication, against even the deadliest flu strains, including avian and swine flu.
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NewsExperiment on joint NASA and SpaceX mission will study the effect of space travel on disease-causing bacteria
ARC/Sheba Medical Center is launching an Israeli experiment on the International Space Station to investigate how microgravity and space conditions influence bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance.
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NewsReviving 80-year-old fungi offers new clues for sustainable agriculture
Researchers who revived 80-year-old fungal pathogens from a museum collection found that these pre-Green Revolution strains differ significantly from modern ones, revealing how decades of pesticide use and intensive farming have reshaped plant pathogens.
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NewsTiny soil microbes turn detective to uncover the timeline of oil spill contamination
Scientists in Belfast and Nigeria have developed a diagnostic tool that deploys microbes to uncover the timeline of crude oil contamination in soils.
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NewsStudy discovers that soft drinks affect the communication of gut bacteria and the immune system
Gut bacteria can adapt to environmental changes through DNA inversions. Researchers investigating how these DNA inversions occur found that consuming soft drinks, which contain white sugar, can alter the DNA of gut bacteria and, in turn, impact the host’s immune system.
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NewsRNA viruses may differentially shape carbon recycling in the ocean
A new study has uncovered that certain ocean viruses—specifically RNA viruses—may disrupt how carbon and nutrients are recycled in the ocean, potentially altering the global carbon cycle.