Clean water
UNICEF estimates that over 2.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water. Micro-organisms are responsible for a host of waterborne diseases, but simultaneously offer solutions in purifying water and improving sanitation. Biofertilizers offer promising solutions for reduced nutrient runoff and wastewater recycling. As well as applying microbes to combat the problem, applied microbiologists can use their knowledge of health and disease to reduce cases of waterborne disease.
News
Wastewater 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.
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News‘Sunny day flooding’ increases fecal contamination of coastal waters
A new study finds that ‘sunny day flooding’, which occurs during high tides, increases the levels of fecal bacteria in coastal waters, suggesting policymakers and public health officials should be aware of potential risks associated with tidal flooding.
NewsGold may be key element for cleaner drinking water
Researchers are exploring the use of gold to develop a novel method to rid drinking water of harmful algal blooms, or HABs, which occur when colonies of algae grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on living creatures.
NewsImproved oral cholera vaccine achieves WHO PQ
EuBiologics and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) announced that Euvichol-S, an improved oral cholera vaccine (OCV) developed jointly by EuBiologics and IVI, has achieved World Health Organization prequalification.
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News
Cryptic genetic element in the human gut could double as sensitive biomarker
A study shows that a mysterious plasmid that is highly prevalent in the human gastrointestinal tract could be used to identify faecal contamination and offer insights into the severity of intestinal diseases.
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CareersThe Future is Fungi Award: showcasing the fascinating problem-solving scope of fungi
The huge potential of fungi for solving some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems came under the spotlight at The Future Is Fungi Award.
NewsOnline dashboard to help fight to save children from deadly diarrheal diseases
Researchers are developing a flexible online tool for navigating information used in the fight to save children from deadly diarrheal diseases by identifying transmission hotspots and accelerating the deployment of treatments and new vaccines.
NewsNew vaccine against a highly fatal tropical disease – and potential bioterror weapon – demonstrates efficacy in animal studies
In a mouse study, researchers tested a vaccine against the bacterium that causes melioidosis and found it was highly protective against the disease, which is endemic in many tropical areas.
NewsIn Lake Erie, climate change scrambles zooplankton’s seasonal presence
A new analysis of zooplankton in western Lake Erie shows that their biomass and seasonal behavioral patterns have been drastically altered by human-driven changes in water temperature and food webs.
NewsSustainable Microbiology to run themed collection on water treatment
Applied Microbiology International’s not-for-profit open access journal Sustainable Microbiology is to run a themed collection on ’Eco-Friendly Microbial Technologies for Water Treatment’.
NewsResearchers investigate how freshwater diatoms stay in the light
Scientists sampled the ice-covered (in 2019) and ice-free (in 2020) winter waters of Lake Erie to learn how diatoms are responding to changing environmental conditions.
NewsIVI starts technology transfer to Biological E. Limited to manufacture oral cholera vaccine for India and global markets
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) has announced that it has commenced a technology transfer of simplified Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV-S) to Biological E. Limited (BE), a leading India-based vaccines and pharmaceutical company.
NewsClimate change alters the hidden microbial food web in peatlands
A study of protists shows that a neglected part of the peatlands’ microbial food web is sensitive to climate change, and in ways that are currently not accounted for in models that predict future warming.
CareersLaboratorio Calidad de Aguas
The Water Quality Laboratory of the National University of Salta, founded by Dr Mónica Salusso and Dr. Liliana Moraña, is going from strength to strength - but faces challenges posed by major budget cuts to science and research in Argentina.
NewsRising incidence of Legionnaires’ disease due to cleaner air
Rising incidence of Legionnaire’s disease has been linked to an unexpected factor: a decline in air pollution.
NewsCanals used to drain peatlands are underappreciated hotspots for carbon emissions
A study found that one-third of the organic carbon leached from peatland soils into canal waters gets broken down and released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
NewsAlgae and bacteria boost production of green hydrogen and biomass while cleaning water
The mutual relationship between an algae and three bacteria presents the highest hydrogen production obtained so far by this type of consortium.
NewsNitrogen has been underestimated in lake ecosystems, researchers warn
A new study shows that algae growth in shallow lakes around the world is affected not only by phosphorus but also by nitrogen.
NewsMicrobial viruses act as secret drivers of climate change
In a new study, scientists have discovered that viruses that infect microbes contribute to climate change by playing a key role in cycling methane, a potent greenhouse gas, through the environment.
NewsResearchers shine light into the darkness of photosynthesis
Researchers have now succeeded for the first time in visualising the copying machine of chloroplasts, the RNA polymerase PEP, in high-resolution 3D.
