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.
A major study presented at ESCMID Global 2026 has found that antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces accelerated biological ageing in people with HIV (PWH) by nearly four years, a finding that could transform how clinicians monitor HIV treatment and long-term health outcomes.
Read storyA study has found critical gaps in knowledge, vaccination status, and acceptance of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine among patients visiting emergency departments across the United States. It examines how misinformation and access barriers may contribute to declining vaccination rates.
Rising stream temperatures may be weakening the foundation of river food webs by altering how carbon moves through these watery ecosystems. When water temperatures increase, microbes and aquatic insects process fallen leaves, twigs and bark more rapidly, but a smaller fraction of that leaf litter supports their growth.
A new national cohort study from Latvia provides important insights into the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The study shows that long-term disease-free survival rates are significantly higher than previous standard indicators suggest.
It may seem stark and lifeless, but the air around the remote sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia contains viruses, including some that are new to science. Using metagenomics, researchers discovered that South Georgia harbours a diverse and dynamic airborne viral community.
A new study provides direct evidence that keratinocytes can support viral replication and transmit the rabies virus to neurons. The investigators offer a mechanistic explanation for how superficial skin exposures from scratches or minor bites by dogs and bats can lead to neuroinvasion.
Adults with later-stage syphilis are more likely to develop major cardiovascular problems – including stroke, heart attack or aortic aneurysm – than similar patients without the infection. The increased risk is primarily found in those whose infection progressed longer than a year.
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) has announced Luis Daniel Sansores España, IADR Chilean Division, as the 2026 recipient of the IADR Norton Ross Fellowship.
Researchers investigating how disease affects coral structure turned to X-ray microcomputed tomography which generates detailed 3D reconstructions down to microscopic pores, which reveal internal skeletal features, including porosity, thickness and structural orientation, in a non-destructive way.
Dr. James Earnest, an assistant professor at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, is leading two new research projects to examine how humans build an immune response to dengue and the Zika virus over time, in pursuit of creating better preventative measures.
Living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria - according to a new study. Research on a colony of tiny island birds reveals they share more of their gut bacteria with the birds they spend the most time with.
Experiments in mice and human tissue indicate that a reduction in bacteria living in the large intestine decreases mucus production and affects nutrient absorption, particularly in older adults.
In a rare long-term public study that compared the effects of phytochemicals from rosemary and oregano with antibiotic growth promoters, animal scientists found that the natural agents given to weaned pigs supported favorable gut health and growth performance later in their lives.
Scientists report that as sea surface temperatures rise over the next century, phytoplankton in polar regions will adapt to be less rich in proteins, heavier in carbohydrates, and lower in nutrients overall.
People with long COVID are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Women with long COVID had just over twice the risk of receiving a cardiovascular diagnosis compared with women without long COVID. Men had approximately a third higher risk.
Areas with the highest intensity of conflict between 2008 and 2019 recorded a higher disease burden, highlighting the need for control strategies tailored to each territory.
Viruses can “eavesdrop” on each other using chemical signals – but it can backfire for the eavesdropper, new research shows. Scientists studied chemical communication by phages, viruses that infect bacteria.
New research demonstrates that polysaccharides extracted from various seaweeds and freshwater cyanobacteria possess remarkable bioactive properties and can accelerate wound healing, reduce inflammation, and protect skin cells from UV-induced damage.
In a new study of viral abundance over a short time frame in the Sargasso Sea, researchers found that almost all viruses with cyclical changes in abundance were most active at night – a somewhat surprising find.
Researchers have developed an AI tool that can help determine whether unfamiliar bacteria carry genetic features linked to disease. By enabling the detection of harmful bacteria before they infect humans, this could transform pandemic preparedness.
Researchers have developed an inexpensive way to make biodiesel from materials found along the banks of their Louisiana bayou: algae and oyster shells.
New research to be presented at MLSFF26 reveals whole-genome sequencing as a powerful tool that can distinguish between antibiotic-resistant and susceptible strains of urinary tract pathogens by identifying the specific genetic signatures that confer resistance.
Researchers studying leafcutter ants have demonstrated how bacteria in the colonies respond to different diets provided by ants to the fungi they cultivate. The study paves the way for a better understanding of how colonies function and may lead to the discovery of new molecules for biotechnological use.