Research
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NewsResearch uncovers how bacteria fight viruses, opening the door to better virus-based antibiotics
New research has revealed that bacteria detect viruses when a viral enzyme cuts an important sensor molecule in the bacterium, kicking off the immune response. The discovery paves the way for development of better phage therapies that can evade the bacterial immune system.
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NewsSugar amplifies damage done to gut health by antibiotics
Eating sweets while taking antibiotics may worsen the harm done by the drugs to the normal community of bacteria in the gut, a new study has found. The study of hospitalized cancer patients found an additional 21% reduction in the variety of helpful bacterial species present for every 100 grams of sugar consumed in the 48 hours before treatment.
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NewsWeather and poultry litter shape E. coli survival in onion fields
How long can E.coli survive in the soil beneath an onion crop? A two-year field study suggests the answer depends not only on the type of poultry-based fertiliser used, but also on weather conditions such as humidity, rain, temperature and wind. The findings could help growers and regulators better assess food safety risks as extreme weather becomes more common.
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NewsWealth and health aren’t the only indicators of national happiness – there are also cats. And their parasites!
National happiness is influenced by complex relationships beyond basic economic factors, according to a study that finds that cats and their parasites are strongly correlated with both positive and negative happiness scores worldwide.
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NewsViral infections can accelerate the progression of ALS, researchers find
A new study suggests that common viral infections — like influenza or COVID-19 — may accelerate the onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The findings suggest that it is the immune response triggered by these infections that accelerates the onset and progression of ALS.
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NewsGel and water reveal bacteria’s hidden world
What if the answer to seeing beyond the limits of a microscope was simply to make the bacteria bigger? Scientists have used gel and water to physically expand tiny cells, revealing structures that conventional optics struggle to resolve. The technique gave researchers a clearer view of Chlamydia and new insight into how its DNA is organised.
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News‘Molecular movie’ fills in blanks of how non-enveloped viruses infect cells
Researchers have answered a longstanding question about how certain non-enveloped viruses punch through the cell membrane to deliver their genetic material. The findings deepen understanding of virology and could aid the biotech industry’s search for ways to deliver relatively large therapeutic agents into cells to treat or prevent disease.
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NewsMicrobes supercharge plant nutrition
Researchers have shown that microorganisms can improve the amino acid composition of crops. A new method can make plant-based foods more nutritious and also improve animal feed. In the long term, it could help reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture
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NewsHow and where mcrobes die in soil influences residues, organic matter, and soil health
Healthy soils depend not just on plant inputs, but also on the remains of microbes. A new study found that microbial residues build up when they bind to fine-textured, non-crystalline minerals that are rich in reactive iron.
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NewsNew treatment aims to achieve lasting cure for persistent bacterial vaginosis
Researchers and clinicians are trialing new combinations of antibiotics to treat persistent bacterial vaginosis (BV), following their landmark discovery that the condition is sexually transmissible. A new study reveals why some women continue to experience a repeat diagnosis of BV even when their male partners are treated concurrently.
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NewsCrawling Asgardians: Unexpected dynamics of ancient microbes discovered
Microbiologists placed Asgard archaea in an oxygen-free environment and filmed the living cells under a microscope. This resulted in the first live-cell recordings, which show dynamic changes in shape and a novel crawling movement across surfaces. The results reveal a remarkably dynamic, actin-based cytoskeleton, with parallels to that found in human cells.
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NewsChinese mangrove sediments reveal scale-dependent assembly of fungal communities
Researchers collected 300 sediment samples from seven representative mangrove wetlands across six national nature reserves along the southeastern coast of China. The team employed dual-amplicon high-throughput sequencing to simultaneously characterize fungal and prokaryotic communities.
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NewsPneumonia can reveal undiagnosed blood cancer
Severe pneumococcal disease requiring hospitalization, most commonly pneumonia, can be a sign of previously undiagnosed blood cancer and immunodeficiency in adult patients, according to a study.
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NewsFirst insight into the virome composition of the vulnerable Naemorhedus griseus
The Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus) has been identified as a vulnerable species on the Red List of China’s Biodiversity. Scientists performed the whole virome profiling of a rescue-failed Naemorhedus griseus, which identified a diverse viral community across multiple organ tissues of the animal.
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NewsHow ancient oceans sustained life
A newly uncovered feedback loop between phosphorus, microbes, and oxygen may explain how Earth stayed habitable billions of years ago, with implications for early life, modern oceans, and the search for life beyond Earth.
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NewsBlueberries modify gut microbiome in older adults with mild depression
A new pilot study has found that older, sedentary adults who consumed blueberries daily showed a greater, more consistent reduction in depressive symptoms, paired with minor changes in markers of gut microbial enzymes.
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NewsResearchers warn eye infections can cause preventable vision loss
Rising rates of infectious eye diseases are increasing the risk of preventable sight loss, with researchers warning that delayed diagnosis can have lasting consequences. New reviews highlight the importance of recognising symptoms such as blurred vision, floaters and sudden visual changes early, when treatment is most effective.
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NewsFirm advances measles antibodies toward clinical development
Researchers have identified two potent human monoclonal antibodies that could become the first antibody-based therapy for measles. The antibodies strongly neutralized the virus in laboratory studies and animal models, offering a potential new option for vulnerable people who cannot safely receive or fully benefit from vaccination.
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NewsIn African lakes, microbes living on algae reduce a powerful greenhouse gas
Lakes emit as much methane as agriculture. Researchers have shown that, in 79 African lakes, bacteria living on the surface of microalgae act as a natural filter. The greener the water becomes, the more these methanotrophs break down this powerful greenhouse gas.
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NewsGut enzyme links microbiota, barrier dysfunction and MASH progression
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is often viewed through the lens of hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis. A new study identifies intestinal neutral ceramidase as a gut-derived driver of MASH progression through its effects on microbial metabolism, epithelial signalling and intestinal barrier function.