More News – Page 29
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NewsSwansea spin-out Bionema Group receives second King’s Award for Enterprise
Bionema Group Ltd, a Swansea University spin-out specialising in biological crop protection and sustainable agriculture, has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2026. It highlights Bionema’s contribution to developing environmentally sustainable alternatives to synthetic pesticides.
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NewsStudy reveals common mutation linked to autoimmune diseases may protect people from viral infections
New research shows a “risk gene” linked to higher odds of developing autoimmune diseases such as diabetes or lupus may also provide a survival advantage fighting viral infections like coronavirus. The gene PTPN22 carries a mutation, 1858C>T (R620W), found in roughly one in 10 people in North America.
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NewsAlgal bloom crisis shows climate risks need evaluative governance
Identifying and analysing climate risks is a necessary function of governments, but researchers argue such processes will not lead to effective action without taking additional steps to understand which risks are considered unacceptable by the community and prioritising responses accordingly.
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NewsData hidden in tuberculosis screening tests sheds light on patients’ overall mortality
Researchers have uncovered a tool to study immune function of larger populations of patients, using a lab test that physicians already use regularly: tuberculosis screening tests called interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs). It could indicate how well an immune system can mount a response to an array of threats.
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NewsCRISPR system inhibits hepatitis E virus
Researchers have developed a novel antiviral concept - using the CRISPR/Cas13 system, they were able to specifically suppress the replication of the hepatitis E virus in human cells.
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NewsTen years on, the Nagoya Protocol on sharing genetic resources is still confusing scientists - so here’s some much-needed guidance
More than a decade after the Nagoya Protocol, which aims to fairly share the benefits of utilizing genetic resources, became law, scientists still face practical challenges and confusion. A new guide provides universally applicable frameworks for anyone working with biological resources.
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NewsAndes hantavirus outbreak: ECDC working on the frontline to support EU Member States
Genomic information also shows that the virus involved in the outbreak is similar to Andes viruses already known to circulate in South America, and is not a new variant. There is currently no evidence that this variant spreads more easily or causes more severe disease than other Andes viruses.
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NewsResearchers track the mutations that allow HIV-1 to escape broadly neutralizing antibodies
Scientists have established the most comprehensive view to date of how HIV-1 can escape broadly neutralizing antibodies. They have discovered viral mutations that make HIV-1 strains resistant to two bNAbs, 3BNC117 and 10-1074.
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NewsResearchers develop next-generation CRISPR biocontainment technology for controlling microbial survival without DNA cleavage
Researchers have employed a CRISPR-dCas9-based base editing system capable of introducing precise nucleotide changes without inducing DNA double-strand breaks. The researchers targeted the start codons of essential genes and irreversibly disrupted their function, permanently blocking cell survival.
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NewsUKHSA update on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak
The UK Government has announced it has worked with international partners to ensure the safe return of all remaining British nationals on board the MV Hondius, with passengers now safely transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital.
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NewsPregnant women’s mental images are directly linked to vaccine hesitancy and uptake
When pregnant women think about vaccinations, many experience vivid mental images – such as a sick baby in hospital – that have a direct link to their opinion of the vaccine and whether they ultimately have it, new research has shown.
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NewsThawing Arctic soil awakens only half of soil microbes, new study reveals
A study shows that even after months of thawing, around half of the microorganisms in High Arctic soils remain dormant. This challenges the assumption that warming uniformly boosts microbial activity and carbon release from thawing permafrost.
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NewsGut microbiota plays a role in metabolic health after bariatric surgery
Changes in gut microbiota after bariatric surgery are strongly linked to altered metabolic health and sustained improvement in type 2 diabetes. A study shows changes in gut bacterial composition and function are associated with metabolic improvements, including insulin release and blood sugar control.
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NewsInvisible smart bug fights gum disease
Current treatments for periodontitis often fail because they cannot simultaneously eliminate stubborn bacterial biofilms and calm the runaway inflammation that follows. Now researchers have engineered a living bacterium that does both, in the right order.
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NewsTesting cefiderocol and levofloxacin against hemorrhagic pneumonia
After separating mice into control, cefiderocol, and levofloxacin groups, researchers administered the drugs to mice with severe hemorrhagic pneumonia caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and evaluated the effects of each treatment.
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NewsIron minerals help decide whether dissolved organic matter becomes microbial food or long-term carbon
A new study shows how iron oxide minerals can reshape dissolved organic matter before microbes begin to break it down. The research focuses on goethite, and reveals that mineral adsorption does not simply remove organic matter from water.
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NewsExpanded tuberculosis screening does not speed up treatment initiation or improve survival in hospitalized patients with HIV
According to the EXULTANT trial, adding molecular tests on sputum, urine and stool samples does not appear to outperform the standard WHO-recommended diagnostic approach.
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NewsHow soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease
A study reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants’ immune defences. This mechanism, distinct from the classical paradigm of immune recognition, relies on direct interaction with the plant cell membrane.
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NewsAnti-CRISPR stops the protein assembly line in bacteria
Bacteria fend off invading viruses with molecular scissors that slice up viral DNA, but viruses can fight back with a molecular trick that stops the scissors from ever being made. A viral “anti-CRISPR” protein sits on the ribosome and jams it as a CRISPR protein named Cas12 begins to form.
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NewsMouse study suggests high-fat diets during pregnancy worsen severe GI illness in preterm babies
A new mouse study suggests a link between a high-fat prenatal diet and induction of potentially deadly symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature babies.