opInions on ONE HEALTH
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OpinionHow Puerto Rico’s first microbiome research center can reshape global science collaboration
AMI’s Global Ambassador for the Americas, Dr. Filipa Godoy-Vitorino, Chair of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico, reveals why she is spearheading the planned Puerto Rico Center for Microbiome Sciences (PR-CMS)—the first of its kind in the region.
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OpinionWhen do human-driven changes to wildlife microbiomes become a One Health concern?
Animals live in close partnership with communities of microbes that support digestion, immune development, and defence against pathogens, but human activities are changing those partnerships, says Katherine M. Lagerstrom.
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OpinionWhy cruise ships remain vulnerable to viral outbreaks - and how new technologies could help
A dream holiday can quickly become a public health challenge when thousands of people share the same dining rooms, elevators and living spaces. Recent viral outbreaks on cruise ships have shown just how vulnerable these floating cities remain to infectious diseases.
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OpinionBiopiracy in microbiology: Who owns nature’s resources?
A growing global debate over “biopiracy” is raising urgent questions for microbiologists, researchers, industry and policymakers alike — and Applied Microbiology International is calling on members to help shape the conversation. Biopiracy refers to the unauthorised or unethical use of biological materials — including seeds, plants, ...
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OpinionReversing the threat: How to stop measles from spreading again
As the Global Virus Network issues a stark warning over the significant resurgence of measles in the US and globally, William J. Moss, Sten H. Vermund, and Maggie L. Bartlett set out what needs to be done if the preventable harms of the current surge are to be reversed.
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OpinionWhy chromogenic media matters when testing for invasive pathogens: Could the cheapest plate be an expensive decision?
Chris Armstrong, President of Microbiology, Thermo Fisher Scientific, argues that laboratories should stop judging fungal culture media on unit price alone.
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OpinionListeria: the inconvenient truth that shaped our industry
Director General of the Chilled Food Association, Karin Goodburn MBE, who sits on AMI’s Food Security Advisory Group, reveals why the publication of new Listeria guidance for the UK food industry is regarded as a landmark moment.
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OpinionWe couldn’t get people interested in science - until we started speaking their language
In 2020, Puerto Rico faced a misinformation crisis. Melanie Ortiz Alvarez De La Campa reveals how five STEM undergraduates created a sci-comm organization that helped pass legislation, educated thousands, and created an inclusive database of Caribbean scientists.
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OpinionSafety and nutritional claims for raw milk
Robert F Kennedy Jr. famously advocates drinking raw milk and promotes its benefits. But how safe is unpasteurised milk? Nicola Holden and Gil Domingue, who sit on Applied Microbiology International’s Food Security Scientific Advisory Group, take a deep dive into the science.
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OpinionScience and the humanities in the crosshairs
The German Research Foundation (DFG) President Professor Dr Katja Becker issued a stark warning about the “war on science” and the need for solidarity at the organisation’s annual meeting in July. The Microbiologist reports her speech in full.
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OpinionIt’s game over for dangerous Gain of Function research
The Trump adminstration has signed an Executive Order halting federal gain of function research on microbes - but does it throw the baby out with the bathwater? Virologist Simon Wain-Hobson, Emeritus Professor with the Pasteur Institute, Paris, gives his take.
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OpinionAirport travel and your footwear as a pathogen transmission vector – should you be concerned
Should we be seriously concerned about the role of footwear in pathogen transmission, and what steps can we take to minimize potential risks?
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OpinionReproductive biology though the lens of the microbiome
Madangchanok Imchen and Seth R. Bordenstein from the One Health Microbiome Center - winner of AMI’s WH Pierce Prize 2024 - explore the potential of the reproductive microbiome, particularly the fascinating Wolbachia, to counter global disease threats.
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OpinionSharing microbial sequence-based data: The way forward
Public sector data associated with health are a highly valuable resource, yet in practice data-sharing poses multiple challenges. Dr Nicola Holden, from AMI’s One Health Scientific Advisory Group, explores the murky morass of big data.
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OpinionDoes getting help for gut health have to be a waiting game?
Gut health issues impact millions of people every day, but how useful are the current UK government measures in improving patient outcomes?
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OpinionOnce-subtropical Vibrio infections on the move along coastlines
As new stretches of coastline become vulnerable to potential Vibrio outbreaks in a warming aquatic environment, Applied Microbiology International member Elizabeth Archer examines how human health is inextricably linked with ocean health.
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OpinionAntimicrobial chemotherapy - which direction now?
The answer to antimicrobial resistance might not be the continual discovery of new antibiotics - but judicious use of the antibiotics and insights into antibiotic producing organisms we have already discovered.
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OpinionIs climate change driving an increase in cases of anthrax?
The anthrax outbreak in Africa could be a harbinger of more to come, with climate change creating opportunities for the emergence of more cross-over strains capable of causing anthrax-like infections.
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OpinionCatch-22: the FDA, probiotics, and preterm infants
As the FDA issues warning letters about probiotic products sold for use in hospitalized preterm infants, families of babies threatened by necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) now face a deadly Catch-22 situation.
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OpinionSwimming with superbugs: the hidden threat in freshwater environments
AMI One Health Advisory Group member Elitsa Penkova delves into the growing antimicrobial resistance threat facing wild swimmers connecting with nature in rivers and lakes.