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
Wine’s leftovers could help wean chicken farms off antibiotics
Every year, millions of gallons of wine are pressed, leaving behind a mountain of pulpy residue that wineries struggle to dispose of. Now, researchers say this overlooked byproduct could serve as a replacement for the antibiotics routinely added to chicken feed.
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NewsStudy provides detailed assessment of shifts in toxin producing phytoplankton abundance
Researchers in the UK have shown how the distributions of two phytoplankton groups – known to produce natural toxins that can halt shellfish harvesting – have changed in the North East Atlantic over the last six decades.
NewsFungus-powered farming: Bigger harvests, better taste
Researchers have identified a natural, eco-friendly way to significantly increase agricultural yields while also improving the quality and taste of produce. The study focuses on an extract derived from the yeast-like fungus Pseudozyma aphidis.
NewsThe hunt for red: Chromatin-mediated upregulation of Monascus pigments in Talaromyces purpurogenus OUCMDZ-019 via disruption of Ash2
The industrial application of Monascus pigments has been hindered by three key bottlenecks: unstable yield, poor environmental stability, and the risk of contamination by citrinin. Researchers adopted an epigenetic derepression strategy to unlock the hidden biosynthetic potential of MPs in Talaromyces purpurogenus OUCMDZ-019.
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Biodegradable sensors attached to plants detect pesticides in three minutes
Researchershave created biodegradable, “wearable” sensors for plants to monitor their health, made from carbon ink and screen-printed onto transparent cellulose acetate bioplastics. They can monitor temperature, humidity, dehydration, biomarkers, diseases, nutrient levels, and the presence of pesticides.
NewsTiny molecules unlock big gains in soil health
By adding lignin- and humus-based small molecules (LSMs and HSMs) to straw-amended soils, researchers observed remarkable gains in the formation of stable mineral- and particulate-associated carbon, driven by shifts in microbial communities and enhanced cross-trophic interactions.
NewsProtists and bacteria form secret alliance to stop fusarium wilt
Scientists have uncovered how phagotrophic protists team up with beneficial bacteria to suppress watermelon Fusarium wilt. Through microbial sequencing and ecological network analysis, they found that nutrient imbalance disrupts these partnerships, allowing the fungal pathogen to spread.
NewsStudy reveals how strawberries and raspberries were ambushed by fungal parasites
Plant diseases often arise when the pathogens that cause disease are introduced into new territories where native plants don’t recognize the pathogen and therefore may have minimal defenses against it. But how often does the reverse happen?
NewsSelf-renewing bacteria offer new hope for heavy metal cleanup
Scientists have revealed a powerful bacterial defense strategy against Cd toxicity. The team found that Stenotrophomonas sp. H225 sheds Cd-laden cell wall fragments and rebuilds new protective layers through a process involving the mtgA gene.
NewsSwansea spin-out Bionema Group receives second King’s Award for Enterprise
Bionema Group Ltd, a Swansea University spin-out specialising in biological crop protection and sustainable agriculture, has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2026. It highlights Bionema’s contribution to developing environmentally sustainable alternatives to synthetic pesticides.
NewsHow soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease
A study reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants’ immune defences. This mechanism, distinct from the classical paradigm of immune recognition, relies on direct interaction with the plant cell membrane.
NewsBoyce Thompson Institute names Dr. Natalie Hoffmann inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellow
How do beneficial fungi grow into and through plant cells without destroying them in the process? That question sits at the center of Dr. Natalie Hoffmann’s research – and it’s what earned her the inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).
NewsThe Nexus of Food Systems, Ecosystems and Human Health: Sign up for our fascinating free webinar!
What if health is not produced by humans alone, but co-created with the ecosystems, organisms, and food systems we depend on? A fascinating free webinar will explore how microbes connect people to food systems and the ecosystems that undergird food production.
NewsDNA analyses uncover what is hiding under the cap plaguing the white button mushroom industry
Researchers have uncovered that bacterial blotch is not caused by a single disease-causing bacteria or pathogen as originally learned, but by a complex of pathogenic bacterial species that thrive in the indoor controlled, humid environments where they are grown.
CareersQ&A: Meet Letters in Applied Microbiology Junior Editor Verônica Ortiz Alvarenga
We caught up with Verônica Ortiz Alvarenga, a food engineer and Professor at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil, who is one of the newest Junior Editors with Letters in Applied Microbiology.
NewsDairy farms in California may transmit H5N1 virus through multiple sources
A new study suggests that avian influenza (H5N1) is transmitted through multiple, previously unknown sources on dairy farms and that some H5N1 positive cows do not show clinical signs of infection.
NewsNew research finds that almost all plant-based meat alternatives contain mycotoxins
New research into plant-based food and drinks has found a prevalence of mycotoxins – naturally occurring poisonous compounds produced by fungi - in hundreds of vegetarian and vegan products.
NewsModerate UV light is best to boost the vitamin D content of edible mushrooms, study finds
Researchers have discovered that moderate ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is best when the technique is used to enhance vitamin D₂ in edible mushrooms. Excessive exposure leads to nutrient degradation or a plateau effect, they found.
NewsNovel wheat hybrids increase resistance to major fungal disease by up to 70%
A new experimental study has identified a novel genetic locus in a common agricultural weed that provides significant resistance to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) and has now been successfully transferred into wheat to produce FHB resistant hybrids.
NewsWhy antibiotics may soon fail to curb the plague bacterium - and where we can find new strategies
A new review shows that while most infections caused by the Yersinia plague bacterium can currently be treated with antibiotics, concerns about rising antimicrobial resistance mean that we need to come up with new ways to disarm the bacteria instead of killing them.
NewsSouth American camelids: Potential carriers of the zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter
A comprehensive investigation has identified a previously underappreciated source of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. in South American camelids (SACs)—alpacas and llamas kept in Germany. The findings underscore the importance of expanding epidemiological surveillance beyond traditional livestock.
NewsHow does oligochitosan induce plant resistance against potato virus Y?
Plant immune inducers are crucial tools for the green management of crop diseases. As an environmentally friendly biological inducer, oligochitosan (COS) can activate plant defense mechanisms to resist pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
NewsCan rhizobacterial metabolites enhance plant drought tolerance?
A study shows that lettuce plants inoculated with PGPR strains exhibited significantly higher survival rates and better fresh weight recovery after drought stress compared to the uninoculated control group.