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
‘Accidental’ discovery lays foundation for novel flu treatment strategies
Scientists investigating how influenza viruses replicate within cells “accidentally” discovered that different flu viruses use distinct strategies to infiltrate cells in the first place. They also found that it is possible to target specific molecules to prevent the viruses from entering new cells, thereby stopping their replication.
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NewsEU project aims to make climate-neutral plastics and cosmetics using bacteria
A European research team is aiming to revolutionize the chemical industry: as part of the CarboNcare project, scientists are developing bacteria that can produce important chemical base materials from sustainable methanol – thereby replacing fossil resources.
NewsEngineered gut bacteria therapy emerges as scalable potential alternative to fecal microbiota transplants following clinical trial
Researchers have developed a new manufacturing platform for producing targeted mixtures of beneficial gut bacteria, an approach that could help expand access to microbiome-based therapies for patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection.
NewsReal-time brain monitor detects infections earlier
A research team has created a new monitoring system to save lives and significantly reduce health-care costs in brain-injury cases through the early detection of infections in intensive care units. NeuroSense connects to drainage lines to detect biomarkers of infection.
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News
Asian scientists unveil 10-year roadmap for building synthetic cells
Scientists from six Asian countries have launched an ambitious 10-year effort to build synthetic cells from non-living molecules, marking the region’s first coordinated push to create an artificial single-celled biological system.
NewsPan-European One Health Network established to bolster infectious disease response
iiCON: the Infection Innovation Consortium has successfully secured funding from COST to establish a unique pan-European COST Action network with over 70 collaborators from 21 countries and international organisations to harmonise the European response to infectious disease threats.
NewsWhat is the link between HIV and chronic pain?
A mouse study reveals a mechanism linking HIV to chronic pain. Targeting each of the molecular players in this mechanism alleviates pain and may hold treatment promise for HIV-associated pain, though more work is needed.
NewsNew fluorescent nanosensor enables first-of-its-kind detection of key gut health biomarker
Researchers have developed a novel fluorescent nanosensor capable of rapidly detecting indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), an emerging biomarker linked to gut health and disease. The sensor produces a rapid optical readout within minutes, offering a significantly faster and more accessible alternative to conventional analytical techniques.
NewsOne simple trick makes zebrafish a better model for microbiome research
A new advance in animal husbandry involving a popular aquarium fish should speed the pace of discovery in laboratory studies of host-microbe interactions, researchers report.
NewsBehind the diagnosis: How laboratory testing guided a complex histoplasmosis case
A diagnosis of histoplasmosis forced a teenager with juvenile arthritis onto an uncertain path, one defined by months of treatment, recovery, and a long-term course of antifungal therapy expected to last up to three years. Histoplasma capsulatum, a dimorphic fungus that causes histoplasmosis, found its way into her lungs.
NewsPost-discharge antibiotics may offer limited benefit after pediatric appendicitis
Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies among children, and complicated acute appendicitis (CAA), including perforated or gangrenous disease, carries a higher risk of infection and longer hospitalization. While intravenous antibiotics during hospitalization are standard practice, the role of oral home antibiotics (OHA) after discharge remains controversial.
NewsPrecigen presents new long-term durability data for PAPZIMEOS, recently granted seven-year market exclusivity
Precigen, Inc. has announced updated long-term follow-up data from the pivotal study of PAPZIMEOS™ (zopapogene imadenovec-drba) for the treatment of adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).
NewsNew analysis confirms benefits of childhood flu vaccines
Pediatric flu vaccines significantly reduce the number of childhood cases of influenza, new research confirms. The findings show that for every 100 children vaccinated, between nine and 14 fewer children catch the flu.
CareersA week in the life of a Parvovirus researcher
Alejandro Fernández Llorente works as a predoctoral researcher at Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM-CSIC), a prestigious biomedical research centre located in Madrid, Spain.
NewsProtection for newborns: New treatment aims to prevent meningitis without antibiotics
One of the leading pathogens responsible for meningitis cases in newborn babies is the K1 form of the E. coli bacterium. Now, researchers have developed a triple-pronged approach that seeks to prevent transmission to newborns.
Long ReadsLosing the Earth’s bounty
Farmland degradation and soil erosion have caused food shortages and the collapse of civilizations throughout human history. Today, soil degradation is a growing driver of global threats such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. Loss of soil, the resource that supports production of 95% of the food supply, ...
NewsScientists clarify the interplay between host and gut microbiota in selenium metabolism
In a recent study, researchers used rats to investigate how gut microbiota and the host jointly manage selenium metabolism. They found that gut microbiota actively transform selenium into various metabolites that influence selenium utilization, detoxification, and excretion, and that the host’s selenium intake affects bacterial diversity.
NewsResearchers discover tick protein that may block disease transmission
Researchers have found that ticks produce an exosomal glycine-rich protein that plays a vital role in helping ticks feed and transmit viruses. When they used genetic tools to silence the gene responsible for this protein, ticks lacking the protein struggled to feed effectively and showed reduced body weight after feeding.
NewsHealth researchers call for support to develop pandemic prevention
The Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics has received large-scale government grants and contracts to fund the discovery of human antiviral antibodies. The problem is the next step — finding corporate partners to develop the antibodies through human testing.
NewsSkin-to-skin care may save newborn lives
Kangaroo mother care, first introduced as an alternative to insufficient incubator care, combines skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, early discharge, and follow-up support. A new review case makes the case for treating iKMC not as an optional add-on, but as a core part of neonatal care for eligible preterm and low-birth-weight infants.
NewsRecent study reveals how bacteria capture a rare type of sugar molecule
Researchers have identified a novel transport protein that binds cyclic β-1,2-glucans, revealing unexpected diversity in bacterial sugar uptake mechanisms.
NewsNovel therapeutic drug for tuberculosis is proposed using high-precision molecular simulation
Researchers have proposed a novel therapeutic agent for tuberculosis, using high-precision molecular simulation techniques. The proposed drug is anticipated to bind strongly to the drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP).
NewsNew antibiotic design could help treat drug-resistant infections
A new study has shown that antibiotics can be chemically redesigned so they are less easily removed by efflux pumps. This allows the antibiotic to remain inside the bacterial cell at higher concentrations, restoring its ability to kill bacteria even when resistance mechanisms are present.