Linda Stewart
News and Current Affairs Editor
Linda studied Pure & Applied Biology BA at St Anne’s College, Oxford, before completing an MSc in Conservation at UCL. After two years in a Water Service lab in Northern Ireland, she switched to a career in newspaper journalism, working as a general reporter at the Belfast Telegraph before becoming the regional daily’s first Environment Correspondent from 2008 until 2016. She was named Environment Correspondent of the Year 2011 and Feature Journalist of the Year in 2014 at the NI Media Awards. After serving as editor on a number of retail sector magazines, she is enjoying turning her journalism skills to delivering fresh and fascinating scientific news content in The Microbiologist.
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NewsExperts developing way to harness Nobel Prize winning CRISPR technology to deal with antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Scientists show how the latest CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology can be used to help modify and attack AMR bacteria.
NewsMaking transfusion-transmitted malaria in Europe a thing of the past
The current strategy used in Europe to mitigate malaria transfusion risk is efficient with just 10 reported cases over the past 20 years, but current serological tests used to identify “at risk” donors are not sensitive enough to completely eliminate the risk.
NewsCRISPR is promising to tackle antimicrobial resistance - but remember bacteria can fight back
Experts are looking to use the Nobel winning technology to target resistance genes and make bacteria sensitive to first line antibiotics again; but the bacteria have ways to fight back.
NewsExperimental NIH malaria monoclonal antibody protective in Malian children
One injected dose of an experimental malaria monoclonal antibody was 77% effective against malaria disease in children in Mali during the country’s six-month malaria season, according to the results of a mid-stage clinical trial.
NewsAntibiotic use in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 appears to have no beneficial effect on clinical outcomes
An analysis of more than 1,300 German adults hospitalised with moderate COVID-19 finds treatment with antibiotics was associated with five times greater likelihood of COVID-19 deterioration compared to patients not given antibiotics.
NewsEffective health comms needed to save lives during epidemics
An African infectious disease expert discusses how effective public health communication is critical for fighting epidemics and saving lives across the African continent.
News Antimicrobial-resistant hospital infections remain at least 12% above pre-pandemic levels, major US study finds
Despite progress in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the USA since its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital-acquired AMR infections remain well above pre-pandemic levels, according to a major new study examining AMR before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in 120 US hospitals.
NewsBarley plants fine-tune their root microbial communities through sugary secretions
Different types of barley recruit distinct communities of soil microbes to grow around their roots by releasing a custom mix of sugars and other compounds, according to a new study.
NewsVitamin D availability enhances antitumor microbes in mice
Dietary vitamin D modulates the gut microbiome to enhance the response to cancer immunotherapies, according to a new study in mice.
NewsWastewater plant yields giant viruses that infect deadly parasite
Researchers have discovered giant viruses that infect the single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri which ranks among the deadliest human parasites.
NewsClimate change linked surge in malaria transmission could be less than feared
Despite concerns about the potential impact of climate change on increasing malaria risk, there is still limited understanding of how temperature affects malaria transmission – until now.
NewsMicrobiota enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis-secreted BFT-1 promotes breast cancer cell stemness and chemoresistance
A new study highlights the importance of considering the microbiome as a factor in cancer treatment and offers a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing efficacy of breast cancer treatments.
NewsExperts call for global genetic warning system to combat the next pandemic and antimicrobial resistance
Clinical and public health microbiologists have called for investment in technology, capacity, expertise, and collaboration to put genomic surveillance of pathogens at the forefront of future pandemic preparedness.
NewsSynthetic droplets cause a stir in the primordial soup
A synthetic droplet may give researchers clues on how the simplest forms of life on the planet could navigate their surroundings.
NewsPaclitaxel-induced immune dysfunction and activation of transcription factor AP-1 facilitate Hepatitis B virus replication
A study finds that Paclitaxel treatment directly promotes HBV replication and transcription, leading to HBV reactivation in HBV stable expression cell models, HBV natural infection cell models, and HBV transgenic mouse models.
NewsStudy finds artificial intelligence can develop treatments to prevent superbugs
Researchers developed an AI model that can determine the best combination and timeline to use when prescribing drugs to treat a bacterial infection, based solely on how quickly the bacteria grow given certain perturbations.
NewsTo mask or not to mask? Understanding public health behaviors during COVID-19
Researchers from Osaka University find that mask-wearing behavior depends on complex relationships between context and social norms.
NewsScientists graft Prunus sp. to control crown gall disease by regulating the rhizosphere environment
This study provides insights into the mechanism whereby grafted Prunus plants make use of root exudates and the rhizosphere microbiome to suppress soil-borne crown gall disease.
NewsUndiscovered diversity of Micropsalliota: Seven new species and one newly recorded species in southern China
Multi-gene phylogeny and morphological characters reveal seven new species of Micropsalliota (Agaricales, Agaricaceae) from southern China, with an updated key for the species distributed in China.
