All The Americas articles
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NewsDengue vaccine remains 80.5% effective against severe cases after five years
The tetravalent dengue vaccine was 80.5% effective against severe dengue cases with warning signs over a five-year period. Overall, the vaccine was 65% effective in preventing symptomatic dengue (caused by any serotype) during the five years of monitoring.
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NewsDiversification of termite diets was made possible by genome modifications
Study reveals that evolutionary divergence occurred before ecological divergence, enabling these insects to feed on both wood and soil. Future discoveries may be applied to the production of biofuels.
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News Natural dye produced by Amazonian fungus can be used in cosmetics
A red extract made from Talaromyces amestolkiae was tested in the bases of potential products, including face cream, shampoo, and gel sticks, for its antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
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NewsResearchers identify ‘neuroimmune signature’ that can predict viral hepatitis complications
A network of genes linked to the nervous and immune systems can predict cancer risk and even explain symptoms such as fatigue and depression resulting from viral hepatitis infection.
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NewsUnderground fungal map of the world’s oldest, slowest-growing rainforest trees can boost the resilience of Earth’s long-term carbon sinks
Protecting and conserving old trees will protect hundreds, if not thousands, of mycorrhizal and other fungal species that inhabit soils around these giants, each of which play a role we might not fully understand in keeping these forests healthy and resilient.
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NewsBacterial cellulose as a sustainable vehicle for the controlled release of nisin and mandelic acid: A clean beauty-based approach for acne treatment
A new study developed a bacterial cellulose-based delivery system loaded with nisin and mandelic acid, targeting acne treatment. Bacterial cellulose, derived from Komagataebacter xylinus, served as a biocompatible, biodegradable matrix to control the release of bioactive compounds.
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NewsProposals for exploring viruses and skin as the next experimental quantum frontiers share US$30,000 science award
Viruses exist at the boundary between living and non-living matter, while skin is a living interface between physics and biology, making them perfect—but until now overlooked—arenas for testing the interplay between quantum physics, biology and life.
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NewsHow food shortages reprogram the immune system’s response to infection
When food is scarce, stress hormones direct the immune system to operate in “low power” mode to preserve immune function while conserving energy. This reconfiguration is crucial to combating infections amid food insecurity.
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NewsShorter treatment regimens are safe options for preventing active tuberculosis
A study comparing one- and three-month antibiotic treatments to prevent active tuberculosis (TB) finds that a high percentage of patients successfully completed both regimens and suffered few adverse side effects.
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NewsSynthetic compound has the potential to treat malaria and prevent its transmission
Tests on cell cultures and rodents have shown that the new molecule acts on all three stages of the disease cycle, eliminating the parasite from human blood and liver and preventing transmission to mosquitoes.
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NewsFirst known lichen in the fossil record helped structure terrestrial ecosystems
A group of researchers has confirmed the identity of the first lichens to inhabit Earth, Spongiophyton, around 410 million years ago, in great detail for the first time. The study confirms that the symbiosis between fungi and algae that dissolves rocks helped form the first soils.
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NewsAncient DNA pushes back record of treponemal disease-causing bacteria by 3,000 years
Scientists have recovered a genome of Treponema pallidum from 5,500-year-old human remains in Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia. The research expands knowledge about the history of this infectious disease and its occurrence in human populations.
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NewsDeadly to amphibians, a fungal strain emerged in Brazil and spread around the world
The fungal infection Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is responsible for the decline of toad and frog populations across the globe. A new study has pinpointed the origin of the fungal strain.
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NewsSoil microbes in Colombia’s páramo and tropical forests respond to seasonal shifts
A new study has demonstrated that microbial communities in the soil of Colombia’s tropical forests and high-altitude páramos are significantly influenced by seasonal changes, particularly during the dry season.
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NewsThe COVID-19 virus manipulates host cell RNA to shut down the immune system
Researchers have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 uses a sophisticated tactic to evade the human body’s defense system. In addition to evading the immune system before invading the host cell, SARS-CoV-2 manipulates the host cell’s genetic material in a way never before seen in other pathogens.
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CareersCBCTA 2024 oral presentation winners: Isabella and Lia take home the honours
Letters in Applied Microbiology sponsored the best oral presentation award at the 29th Brazilian Congress of Food Science and Technology (CBCTA 2024). Winner Isabella Bassoto Xavier and runner-up Lia Mariano Aquino take a dive into their research.
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NewsRice resists change: Study reveals viral tools for probing gene function fall short
Researchers tested two popular viral vectors - barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) and foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) - to see if they could temporarily switch genes on or off in rice (Oryza sativa). They found no evidence that these virus-enabled reverse genetics (VERG) techniques work in rice.
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NewsParasitic fungus may have emerged 18 million years before the ants with which it lives today
An analysis of 309 strains indicates that the genus Escovopsis emerged 56.9 million years ago, but only began interacting with today’s mutualistic ants 38 million years ago, challenging the theory that they all emerged at the same time.
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CareersThe Future is Fungi 2025: award-winner Michroma’s mission to harness fungi for clean food dyes and flavors
Winner of The Future is Fungi Award 2025, US and Argentina-based foodtech startup Michroma is replacing petrochemical coloring with fungibased natural ingredients, launching one of the world’s leading sustainable platforms for food flavors and colors. Here’s its story.
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NewsStudy links childhood vaccination to lower risk of drug-resistant bacteria
Children in Guatemala who received a common vaccine that helps prevent pneumonia were less likely to carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a new study examining whether rotavirus (RV) and pneumococcal (PCV13) vaccines reduce gut colonization by a group of bacteria.