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
Researchers discover how Ebola and Marburg disrupt the gastrointestinal tract
A new study sheds light on the mechanisms behind the damage caused by Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) to the gastrointenstinal tract. TIt found that both viruses are capable of infecting and replicating within human gut epithelial cells and that the viruses interfere with the cells’ ability to regulate fluid secretion, mirroring the severe symptoms observed in patients.
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NewsStudy shows why mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines can cause myocarditis
Investigators have unearthed the biological process by which mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 can cause heart damage in some young men and adolescents — and they’ve shown a possible route to reducing its likelihood.
NewsOlder age, chronic kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease linked with increased risk for paralysis and death after West Nile virus infection
Older people with a history of chronic kidney disease or conditions affecting blood flow to the brain such as stroke face about double the risk for developing neuroinvasive disease that can lead to paralysis and death following infection with West Nile virus, new research finds.
NewsIn pneumonia’s tug-of-war, lung microbiome could tip the balance
Scientists have found the lungs’ own microbial community, or microbiome, appears to influence how pneumonia evolves, who responds well to treatment and whether a patient will recover successfully or continue to deteriorate.
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Opioid use linked to higher risk of C. difficile infection
New research from the University of Georgia suggests that opioid use could make patients more vulnerable to infections. The meta-analysis examined four studies of almost 120,000 patients. The researchers found that about 31% of patients who were prescribed and taking opioids caught C. diff, compared to 17% of patients who weren’t using them.
NewsCloves and miswak: Antimicrobial effects of Syzygium aromaticum and Salvadora persica against common pathogens in vitro
Clove essential oil (CEO) derived from Syzygium aromaticum and miswak (Salvadora persica) contains bioactive compounds with antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of CEO, miswak, and their combination against key peri-implantitis pathogens.
NewsStudy reveals promising gut-targeted therapy for C. difficile infections
Researchers have uncovered how the body’s bile acids bind to block C. diff’s most dangerous toxin. The research has informed the development of a new compound that can protect against C. diff in preclinical models, offering hope for safer, more effective treatments.
NewsHuman ‘mini-noses’ help understand why RSV infections are more severe in children than in adults
Why does RSV affect babies more severely? To better understand the cellular reasons behind this age-related difference, researchers compared infant and adult human nose organoids, also called mini-noses, regarding their susceptibility and response to infection.
NewsNew method to accelerate vaccine and drug development for norovirus
Researchers have developed a simple and efficient system for understanding the functions of specific norovirus genes, providing new avenues for developing antivirals and vaccines.
NewsReceptors in mammary glands make livestock and humans inviting hosts for avian flu
A new study shows that the mammary glands of several other production animals besides cows – including pigs, sheep, goats, beef cattle and alpacas – are biologically suitable to harbor avian influenza, due to high levels of sialic acids.
NewsNew review reveals how microbial communities accelerate the global spread of antibiotic resistance
A new scientific review has uncovered how complex microbial communities, including those in the human gut and the natural environment, act as powerful engines that drive the evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
NewsIncreased risk of severe bacterial infection after high teenage BMI
High BMI and poor physical fitness during later adolescence increase the risk of both contracting and dying from sepsis and other severe bacterial infections in adulthood, according to a study.
NewsHow polyphenol-rich diets promote healthy aging through microbiome and metabolome modulation
New findings suggest that polyphenol-rich diets can serve as a simple, safe, and effective nutritional strategy to counteract inflammation and support healthy aging.
NewsInstitutions team up to advance first AI-designed mRNA vaccine against deadly tick-borne disease
Scientists are developing what could become the world’s first mRNA vaccine against severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS)—a tick-borne viral disease associated with this condition.
NewsEverolimus alleviates ulcerative colitis via inflammation suppression and microbiota remodeling
A new study reveals how targeting the CLEC4E receptor and reshaping the gut metabolite axis offers a promising therapeutic avenue for inflammatory bowel disease.
CareersSummer studentship: Lucy creates a synthetic microbiome to study mosquito-borne diseases at different life stages
Lucy Ella Malvern reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which investigated microbiome assembly in mosquitoes across developmental stages.
NewsCARB-X to support investigation of Exhalon’s breath-based lower respiratory tract infection testing platform
CARB-X has awarded Exhalon US$1M in seed funding to evaluate whether exhaled breath can be used as a non-invasive sample type to aid in the rapid and accurate diagnosis of lower-respiratory tract infections (LRTIs).
NewsStudy suggests that chlorine treatment may impact the risk of legionnaires’ disease
Preliminary results of a nationwide study suggest that the disinfectant used to treat water before it is distributed through pipes may impact the incidence of Legionnaire’s disease in certain parts of the country.
NewsInside the gut: What our poo could tell us about our diet, gut microbes and health
Researchers have found that molecules in stool samples can accurately reflect what people eat and how their gut microbiome responds, offering a potential new tool to study nutrition and its impact on health.
NewsStudy reveals how bacteria resist hostile attacks from rival bacteria
When attacked by bacteria from a different species, Pseudomonas rapidly assembles the type VI secretion system (T6SS) – to inject its aggressor with a toxic cocktail. A new study probes how Pseudomonas can strike back when it has already been hit by a deadly cocktail itself.
NewsStudy unlocks the key microbes contributing to postnatal growth retardation
Postnatal growth retardation (PGR) has a high incidence during early postnatal development of piglets and humans. Researchers have found that hindgut-enriched Methanobrevibacter smithii compromises the weight gain in the pig PGR model.
NewsTuberculosis: Scientists develop novel drug candidate for combating resistant pathogens
Researchers have developed a promising new substance for targeting bacteria that cause tuberculosis. The team have produced a compound that inhibits the pathogens’ ability to produce energy and causes them to die.
NewsOld molecules show promise for fighting resistant strains of COVID-19 virus
SARS‑CoV‑2 continues to mutate, with some newer strains becoming less responsive to current antiviral treatments like Paxlovid. Now, researchers have identified several promising molecules that could lead to new medications capable of combating these resistant variants.