Young Innovators & Early Career Research
Early career research is crucial for science, and in delivering applied microbiology to the world. This page is focused on showcasing innovations and research from early career researchers across the globe and provides a hub for the latest news, opinions, careers advice and research for early career scientists. Discover how interdisciplinary colleagues from around the world are making advancements in, and through, applied microbiology.
News
mRNA vaccine created to prevent and treat C. difficile
The vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine against C. difficile and would be the first vaccine in general to successfully ward off the bacterial infection.
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NewsBacteria thrive by playing nice before going their own way
A study tackles the question of how multiple bacterial species coexist in biofilms.
NewsIdentifying the genes that viruses ‘steal’ from ocean microbes
The microbes that cycle nutrients in the ocean don’t do the work on their own – the viruses that infect them also influence the process.
NewsPlankton balloon to six times their size in newly discovered mode of oceanic travel
Researchers describe a species of bioluminescent phytoplankton, called Pyrocystis noctiluca, that balloons to six times their original size of a few hundred microns, showcasing a unique strategy for long-distance ocean travel.
More Early Career Research
News
Bacterial vaccine shows promise as cancer immunotherapy
Researchers have engineered bacteria as personalized cancer vaccines that activate the immune system to specifically seek out and destroy cancer cells.
NewsNew bacteria-based therapy shows promise for fighting cancer
Researchers have developed a novel method to enhance the cancer-killing properties of bacteria residing in tumors.
NewsPresence of living bacteria in healthy vertebrate brains
Researchers have identified the presence of bacteria in healthy brains from fish. Understanding this connection between bacteria and animal brains could have future implications for the study of Alzheimer’s disease.
NewsWild birds’ health and likely survival is affected by the gut microbiome
Researchers have found that the gut microbiome affects the health of wild birds, which could impact their survival rates and ultimately population sizes.
NewsScientists have successfully bred corals to improve their heat tolerance
A new study has shown that selective breeding can lead to a modest rise in coral heat tolerance. The study documents the world’s first effort to selectively breed adult corals for the ability to survive intense marine heatwaves.
NewsFaulty ‘fight or flight’ response drives deadly C. difficile infections
The portion of our nervous systems responsible for the “fight or flight” response can shape the severity of potentially deadly C. difficile infections.
NewsScientists discover how innate immunity envelops bacteria
The human protein GBP1 fights against bacteria and parasites by enveloping them in a protein coat, but how the substance manages to do this has remained unknown until now. Researchers have unravelled how this protein operates.
NewsScientists uncover Chlamydia’s sneak attack strategies
Researchers have described the structural and functional methods Chlamydia pneumoniae uses to penetrate the human cell: It mimics molecular structures of the human cell (so-called “molecular mimicry”) and uses them for its attack.
NewsBioengineered mussel-inspired sticky microorganisms to help break down plastic waste
Scientists have tapped into nature’s adhesive genius, the sticky power of mussels, to create bioengineered microorganisms with powerful cling that could help transform environmental cleanup.
NewsStudy probes disparities in hepatitis C care for reproductive-aged women to break cycle of viral transmission
Researchers and clinicians are working to minimize racial and ethnic disparities in hepatitis C testing and treatment for women with opioid use disorder and their children through innovative programs.
NewsScientists study how a bacterium becomes a permanent resident in a fungus
To study the beginnings of endosymbiosis between two organisms, a team of researchers initiated such partnerships in the laboratory and observed what exactly happens at the beginning of a possible endosymbiosis.
NewsA tool to enhance taste and texture of sourdough and study the complexity of microbiomes
Researchers explore how acetic acid bacteria shapes emergent properties of sourdough, with implications across complex microbial systems.
NewsGut microbiome and tumor cachexia: New European research network
EU project ‘MiCCrobioTAckle’ aims to investigate the complex interactions between the gut microbiome and the human body in order to find ways of slowing down muscle breakdown in tumor cachexia, while promoting young scientists for microbiota medicine.
NewsFirst-ever imaging of pathogens on lettuce leaves in real-time
Researchers have developed a method that allows for imaging common plant infections. For the first time, this can be done without killing the plant and significantly faster than conventional microscopy.
NewsPigs may be transmission route of rat hepatitis E to humans
New research suggests that pigs may function as a transmission vehicle for a strain of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) common in rats that has recently been found to infect humans.
NewsRemarkable diversity in heat tolerance can help protect coral reefs
New research has found previously undocumented variation in coral heat tolerance on the Great Barrier Reef, giving hope that corals’ own genetic resources may hold the key for us to help in its recovery and adaptation.
NewsResearch team discovers molecular mechanism for a bacterial infection
Researchers have discovered the mechanism by which the bacterial pathogen Shigella flexneri, the causative agent of dysentery, manipulates molecular activity to assure its survival against its host’s natural defenses.
NewsScientists ID combination of bacterial strains that could treat antibiotic-resistant gut infections
Researchers have isolated 18 bacterial strains from stool from healthy people that could potentially be an effective treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in patients with chronic inflammatory intestinal conditions.
NewsScientists evolve microbial cultures that can sense pH changes
Scientists have successfully evolved microbial cultures that possess the ability to sense pH changes, enabling rapid responses to environmental fluctuations.
