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.
Contact info
- News
Body lice may be bigger plague spreaders than previously thought
A new laboratory study suggests that human body lice are more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, than previously thought, supporting the possibility that they may have contributed to past pandemics.
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New tool may help prioritize high-risk infants for RSV immunization
On the heels of a shortage of nirsevimab for infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) prevention, a new tool may help identify newborns at highest risk for developing serious infections.
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Matcha mouthwash inhibits bacteria that causes periodontitis
Matcha, a finely ground green tea powder, may help inhibit the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of the chief bacterial culprits behind periodontitis.
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Study sheds light on bacteria associated with pre-term birth
Researchers have found that multiple species of Gardnerella, bacteria sometimes associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) and pre-term birth, can coexist in the same vaginal microbiome.
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Forget the freezer - air-dried soils will still give up their microbial secrets
Scientists have found that soil stored under refrigerated or air-dried conditions can still retain the needed information for understanding microbial community composition and structure for many years.
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Researchers deliver boost for HIV vaccine research
Scientists have developed a comprehensive platform for HIV vaccine research capable of both preclinically validating next-step boost immunogens and providing new insights into the basic biology of the antibody response.
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How vaccine messaging is framed makes a difference, new research reveals
A one-size-fits-all approach to communicating the benefits of vaccines isn’t effective. Message framing plays a crucial role depending on the mindset, so it requires communicating in different ways for different people, a new study says.
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Researchers uncover two new mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance
Two newly discovered mechanisms in bacteria have been identified that can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance.
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Scientists unravel the genetic interplay in impatiens downy mildew
A research team has analyzed the transcriptional response of Impatiens walleriana to Plasmopara obducens infection, revealing between 3,000 and 4,500 differentially expressed transcripts at various stages of the disease.
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Long-term protection from SARS-CoV-2 variants in mice by a Phase II clinically evaluated original mRNA vaccine booster
A new study discusses the development of an mRNA vaccine (LVRNA009) that encoded the S protein of the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain and evaluated the long-term protection potential against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Gut bacteria boost immune response to fight tumors
Roughly one in five cancer patients benefits from immunotherapy – a treatment that harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. Such an approach to beating cancer has seen significant success in lung cancer and melanoma, among others.
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Sea zombies: Viruses keep the most common marine bacteria in check
The ocean waters surrounding the German island of Helgoland provide an ideal setting to study spring algae blooms, a focus of research at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology since 2009.
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From fungi to fashion: mushroom eco-leather is moving towards the mainstream
As fashion designers look for alternatives to leather, growing mycelium – or fungi-based – ‘leather’ substitutes using a new paste media has opened up the possibility of growing this bio-fabricated material faster, and of cultivating it more easily.
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Mystery CRISPR unlocked: A new ally against antibiotic resistance?
CRISPR-Cas systems are bacterial adaptive immune systems that target and cut the nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) of invading genetic parasites like bacteriophages (phages); viruses that infect - and eventually kill - bacterial cells.
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Human activity over natural inputs determines the bacterial community in an ice core from the Muztag ata glacier
Scientists nvestigated the bacterial community from a 74 m ice core of Muztag ata glacier on the Tibetan Plateau to link biological indicators with past climate and anthropogenic activities.
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New test spots seafood pathogen in just 30 minutes
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking point-of-care detection method for Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium responsible for a significant number of foodborne illnesses.
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Call issued for actionable steps in response to the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
The AMR Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform has developed key recommendations for action on antimicrobial resistance for consideration by United Nations (UN) Member States in the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR.
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Scientists harness plant viruses to deliver genome editing reagents in diverse plant species
The use of viral vectors to deliver genome editing components offers potential solutions to many current technical bottlenecks involved in genome editing in plants.
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Scientists make strides in microbiome-based cancer therapies by iron deprivation at the tumor microenvironment
Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against cancer, exploring a dietary-derived bacterial strain, IMB001, that induces ’nutritional immunity’ to boost anti-tumor responses.
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Breakthrough research identifies mechanism behind drug resistance in malaria parasite
A new study has found that a cellular process called transfer Ribonucleic acid (tRNA) modification influences the malaria parasite’s ability to develop resistance to Artemisinin-based combination therapies.