Food security
Millions of people are undernourished globally and with the population growing, food security is a major concern. Food security is multifaceted, requiring advancements in food safety, ensuring products have a good shelf life, reducing spoilage and providing dietary additions to improve the nutrient intake of the population. The application of microbiology is far reaching, and new approaches are required to maintain food security. Through an improved understanding of plant-microbe interactions, it is possible to forecast and mitigate food shortages.
News
Super sensitive method detects deadly infectious diseases
Rutgers researchers have developed a way of detecting the early onset of deadly infectious diseases using a test so ultrasensitive that it could someday revolutionize medical approaches to epidemics.
Read story
News Fast-track strain engineering for speedy biomanufacturing
The time and money required to engineer microbes to produce vital medicines and chemicals can be dramatically reduced with a new model-based method.
NewsPotential spoilage microbe found in microfiltered milk
A new filtration process that aims to extend milk’s shelf life can result in a pasteurization-resistant microbacterium passing into fluid milk if equipment isn’t properly cleaned early, scientists have found.
FeaturesUnder the microscope: the rhizosphere
Microorganisms have diverse roles in the rhizosphere, which can include plant nutrition, promoting growth, and inducing and/or preventing disease.
More food security
News
Researchers awarded €1.8 million to commercialise cultivated meat
Three companies have received a total of €1.8 million from EIT Food to develop innovative products to reduce the cost of producing cultivated meat within the next two years.
NewsTetrazolium salt tech speeds up bacterial testing in food
Scientists have developed a technology that can rapidly and accurately determine the number of viable bacteria in food products electrochemically, using tetrazolium salt (MTT), a water-soluble molecule.
CareersFungi-produced silver nanoparticles could be useful for wound healing
Scientists have synthesized silver nanoparticles using fungi, mainly of the genus Fusarium.
NewsNew method enables efficient isolation of raccoon-borne food poisoning pathogen
Scientists have come up with a novel culture medium for efficient isolation of Escherichia albertii, a harmful enteropathogen found in raccoon droppings.
NewsOne gene cluster switches fungus from beneficial to harmful
Scientists studying a pathogenic strain of a root fungus have found that activation of a single fungal secondary metabolism gene cluster determined the negative impact of the fungus on the host plant.
NewsNewly discovered fungus helps destroy a harmful food toxin
Scientists have identified a fungal strain that transforms patulin, a dangerous mycotoxin sometimes found in fruits, into less toxic byproducts.
NewsSanitized ready-to-eat salad may contain disease-causing bacteria
A review of research on minimally processed vegetables highlights cases of unsatisfactory microbiological safety and calls for best practice assurance throughout the supply chain.
NewsFungal-plant symbiosis offers a promising tool to boost crop resilience
A species of fungus that normally grows in the wild and kills insects can be successfully inoculated in oilseed rape plants where it fosters a unique symbiotic relationship.
NewsTiny magnetic beads produce an optical signal that can detect pathogens
Engineers have identified a new optical signature in a widely used class of magnetic beads, which could be used to quickly detect contaminants in a variety of diagnostic tests.
NewsSoil microplastics could usher superbugs into food supply
Micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil could contribute to antibiotic resistant bacteria with a ready route into our food supply, a new study warns.
NewsMicrobiome tools could reinvigorate degraded soils
Emerging microbiome tools could improve content and diversity of soil organic matters in degraded soils, a new study suggests.
NewsResearchers using synthetic microbiomes to protect aquatic communities from bacteria
Scientists have been awarded a grant to create synthetic microbiomes – communities of microorganisms – that will better protect aquatic environments from bacteria.
NewsMicrobial cell factories can produce eco-friendly food and cosmetic colourings
Microbial cell factories can produce amino acids, proteins, fats and fatty acids, vitamins, flavours, pigments, alcohols, functional compounds and other food additives used in various foods and cosmetics, a new paper reveals.
NewsDesert microbes turn on drought tolerance when needed
Germinating Arabidopsis and alfalfa with a microbe taken from the roots of a common desert plant has been shown to help them to thrive under drought conditions.
NewsImmune systems develop ‘silver bullet’ defences against common bacteria
Immune systems develop specific genes to combat common bacteria such as those found in food, new research shows.
NewsWidely consumed vegetable oil leads to an unhealthy gut
Researchers examined the gut of mice that were consistently fed a diet high in soybean oil for up to 24 weeks in the lab, finding beneficial bacteria decreased and harmful bacteria increased — conditions that can lead to colitis.
NewsPackaging tray can signal Salmonella contamination before food is unwrapped
Researchers have created a new packaging tray that can signal when Salmonella or other dangerous pathogens are present in packages of raw or cooked food such as chicken.
OpinionMicrobial hydrogen cycling - the good, the bad and the ugly
With global populations looking likely to top 10 billion by the year 2050, the practices that we use to grow food need to adapt in kind - and what better way is there but to harness the innate power of microbes!
CareersTransformative force: AMI grant helped me to present my work at a conference
Styliani Roufou from the University of Malta, supervised by Prof Vasilis Valdramidis, describes how presenting her work at a conference - with support from AMI’s Scientific Conference Abstract Scholarship grant scheme - has instilled her with a sense of purpose.
