One health
Communicable diseases remain one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. There are disparities in the numbers of individuals affected by disease between low-and-middle-income countries and those in developed nations. Microbes will play in important role in drug discovery: producing anticancer drugs and antimicrobials. Applying One Health principles, to understand the interaction of pathogens and the human host, development of diagnostics, treatments, and disease prevention, applied microbiologists can shape global health and wellbeing outcomes.
News
Commercial water dispenser machines may contain more contamination than tap water
Water dispenser machines in commercial spaces may contain higher levels of microbial contamination if they aren’t cleaned regularly compared to the tap water sources supplying them that contain residual chlorine, according to a new study.
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NewsInfant gut bacteria may be the key to preventing asthma and allergies
A study shows that children are less likely to develop allergies and asthma if, as infants, they are colonized with certain bifidobacteria that produce a substance in the gut - a so-called metabolite - that dampens immune responses to allergens.
NewsA bacterial toxin can counteract colorectal cancer growth
A toxin secreted by cholera bacteria can inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer without causing any measurable damage to the body. Systemic administration of the purified bacterial substance changes the immune microenvironment in tumours.
NewsShould younger and older people receive different treatments for the same infection?
Scientists find the mechanisms young mice use to fight sepsis become disadvantageous in older age, suggesting age-specific treatments may be necessary in ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis.
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News
Gut bacteria molecule boosts lung cancer treatment response
Researchers have discovered a small compound produced naturally by gut bacteria that doubled the response to lung cancer immunotherapy treatment in mice and can now be made into a drug for testing in humans.
NewsPlant discovery could lead to new ways of producing medicines
Scientists studying a plant called Flueggea suffruticosa, which produces a particularly powerful alkaloid known as securinine, investigated how this chemical is made - and discovered that the process is driven by a gene that looks more like it comes from bacteria than from a plant.
NewsNew study explores therapeutic potential of CRISPRCas3 genome-editing system
Scientists working on the genetic disease transthyretin amyloidosis evaluated the efficacy of the CRISPR–Cas3 system in safely achieving a permanent reduction of transthyretin (TTR) production through genome editing of the TTR gene.
NewsSame moves, different terrain: How bacteria navigate complex environments without changing their playbook
New research shows that a diverse group of bacteria has learned how to use the same basic movements to move through a wide range of environments no matter how complex, from unconstrained fluids to densely packed soil and tissues.
NewsMaternal microbiome compound may hold key to preventing liver disease
Children born to mothers who consume a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding face a higher risk of developing fatty liver disease later in life. New research suggests that risk may be reduced by supplementing with a naturally occurring compound produced by healthy gut bacteria.
NewsA new study reveals how cholera virulence is activated
A new study provides a long-sought structural explanation of the regulatory cascade that allows Vibrio cholerae to colonize the human gut and produce the cholera toxin that causes life-threatening diarrhea.
NewsAboard the International Space Station, viruses and bacteria show atypical interplay
In a new study, terrestrial bacteria-infecting viruses were still able to infect their E. coli hosts in near-weightless “microgravity” conditions aboard the International Space Station, but the dynamics of virus-bacteria interactions differed from those observed on Earth.
NewsWhy don’t antibiotic-making bacteria self-destruct?
Scientists discovered a promising new antibiotic in a soil sample. The molecule, lariocidin, is produced by the microbe Paenibacillus and shows broad activity against pathogenic bacteria. Now, the researchers report how Paenibacillus avoids harm by its own antibiotic.
NewsWhen a virus releases the immune brake: New evidence on the onset of multiple sclerosis
A study investigating the links between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis shows that EBV can interfere with the control of B cells. One viral protein mimics a crucial “approval” signal that B cells usually require from other immune cells. Self-reactive B cells can then survive even when they should be shut down.
NewsResearch reveals hidden diversity of E. coli driving diabetic foot infections
New research has shed light on the diversity and characteristics of E. coli strains that drive diabetic foot infections, providing the first comprehensive genomic characterisation of E. coli strains isolated directly from diabetic foot ulcers across multiple continents.
NewsNew mechanism links Epstein-Barr virus to MS
Scientists investigating the links between the Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis show that when the immune system fights EBV, certain T cells – which normally attack the virus – can also react to a protein in the brain called Anoctamin-2 (ANO2), a phenomenon called molecular mimicry.
NewsBirding enthusiasts can help songbirds avoid salmonella epidemics
Biologists are developing a tool to predict when deadly salmonella outbreaks are likely to happen in wild songbird populations so that people can protect their feathered friends by taking down bird feeders at the right time.
NewsGenetic risk factor and viral infection jointly contribute to MS
One of the leading triggers for multiple sclerosis (MS) is an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. However, certain gene variants also play an important role. Researchers have shown that it is the molecular interaction between environmental and genetic risk factors that ultimately triggers the disease.
NewsProbiotic living microneedles designed by interbacterial competition for accelerated infected wound healing
Probiotic therapy offers a promising strategy for chronic infected wound management. Inspired by bacterial competitive interactions, researchers developed a multifunctional microneedle (MN) platform to overcome the limitations of weak competitiveness and poor penetration across biofilm barriers.
NewsNew test could help pinpoint IBD diagnosis, study finds
A test that rapidly detects signs of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in stool samples could improve future diagnosis and monitoring of the condition, a study suggests. The luminescent reporter lights up when it detects a molecule linked to gut inflammation.
NewsFirst extensive study into marsupial gut microbiomes reveals new microbial species and antimicrobial resistance
New research provides the first metagenomic data for 13 marsupial species , including the red kangaroo and the common brushtail possum. They revealed that host family, animal location, and diet all contributed towards variance between different microbiomes.
NewsA protein found in the GI tract can neutralize many bacteria
The mucosal surfaces that line the body are embedded with defensive molecules that help keep microbes from causing inflammation and infections. One of these molecules, intelectin-2, has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria found in the GI tract.
NewsNew hypothesis links HPV E6 and SARS‑CoV‑2 spike proteins to reduced p53 activity
Scientists have proposed a hypothesis suggesting that virally encoded proteins such as HPV-E6 or SARS-COV-2 Spike may cooperate in suppressing host defenses including tumor suppressor mechanisms involving p53.
NewsA gentler way to model deadly lung infections in old age
Researchers report a refined mouse model that successfully mimics chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in old age. The study introduces an agar bead-based delivery strategy that allows bacteria to persist in the lungs of aged mice without causing rapid death.