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
Semen facilitates infection with mpox virus
Researchers have found that seminal fluid can facilitate infection of skin cells with the mpox virus. An analysis of the seminal fluid showed that certain naturally occurring protein fragments are responsible for this effect.
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NewsMould toxins in food are not destroyed during cooking or baking
A survey shows that only a small proportion of the population (29 per cent) is concerned about potential health risks posed by mould, whilst the majority (51 per cent) do not give it any thought at all.
NewsPlant diversity: Does it really matter for gut health? (BTW, dark chocolate counts)
New research shows that eating a more diverse range of plants - including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices - on a weekly basis may be associated with better gut and metabolic health.
NewsSwimming in rivers and lakes linked to higher risk of stomach bugs and rashes
Researchers have found that people swimming in rivers and lakes were more than twice as likely to develop skin problems, while higher levels of bacteria linked to faecal pollution were associated with an increased risk of stomach bugs.
More One Health
News
Propionate from gut bacterium Akkermansia mitigates liver fibrosis
A recent study has identified the gut commensal bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila as a potent modulator of liver fibrosis.
NewsTraditional Chinese medicine compound shows promise against ischemic stroke by targeting the gut-brain axis
Researchers have uncovered new evidence that a polysaccharide derived from the traditional medicinal herb Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) can protect against ischemic stroke by acting through an unexpected route: the gut.
NewsStudy finds that cognitive decline after omicron infection is largely reversible
Cognitive problems, often described as “brain fog,” are a recognized feature of long COVID, affecting attention, memory, and executive function. Earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the original strain, Alpha and Delta, were associated with persistent cognitive deficits. However, the Omicron variant caused less severe disease, leaving uncertainty about whether cognitive decline ...
NewsMethylation puts parasites in motion
Researchers identify a molecular mechanism that enables single-celled parasites to switch on the machinery they need to move and invade host cells.
NewsA full-control strategy could cut simulated mpox infections by 97.8%, suggests mathematical model
Researchers have used mathematical modeling to explore how different interventions could work together to limit Mpox transmission. The model captures Mpox transmission dynamics across two interacting populations: humans and rodents.
NewsA bacterial protein fragment drives tissue fibrosis, but antibody treatment can help
A bacterial protein fragment called corisin drives the process of pulmonary fibrosis by infiltrating and disrupting the cell’s quality-control system, researchers found in a new study. Meanwhile, blocking corisin with an antibody impeded the damage.
NewsRECOVER-VITAL clinical trial finds no benefit of extended duration of PAXLOVID for Long COVID
Results from a clinical trial show that the antiviral drug, PAXLOVID, commonly prescribed to treat acute COVID-19, does not have an impact on Long COVID symptoms when compared to placebo.
NewsMicrobiome signaling system could open new paths for treating IBS-related constipation
New research expands scientists’ understanding of how the gut microbiome communicates with the body, and how our gut bacteria work together to control intestinal movement.
NewsResearcher awarded two NIH grants to advance research on antibiotic-resistant infections
The research is focused on developing new strategies to combat two infectious diseases: catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and invasive Group A Streptococcus skin infections, both of which are increasingly difficult to treat because of antimicrobial resistance.
NewsResearchers clear major obstacle in genetic engineering of proteins
An unexpected discovery about tRNAs leads to tool that can drive faster, safer production of new medicines.
NewsT cells are a powerful force against Zika virus
Scientists tested two Zika vaccines in a study that brings them one step closer to a “pan-orthoflavivirus vaccine”, which could teach T cells to fight several viruses at once.
NewsDietary tryptophan prevents sepsis
Dietary tryptophan protects against sepsis through gut microbiota-derived metabolites which enhance macrophage bacterial phagocytosis.
NewsImmune responses to urinary tract infection linked to birth outcomes
A new study shows that the increased risk of preterm pregnancies associated with urinary tract infection, is linked to the body’s immune response to the infection rather than to the bacteria themselves.
NewsFor Legionella bacteria, taking over a cell means playing by its rules
New research demonstrates how a protein produced by Legionella mimics the behavior of the host cell’s own proteins.
NewsTuberculosis transmission may hold the key to prevention
Scientists have discovered the specific mechanisms that enable the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis to not only survive drying but also to generate mutations linked to antibiotic resistance.
NewsGut bacteria may communicate differently with the human body in patients with Parkinson’s disease
A new study suggests that gut bacteria may send different biological signals in Parkinson’s disease.
NewsEmergence of Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans co-carrying carbapenem and tigecycline resistance from geese in China
Researchers have found strains of Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans with resistance to meropenem and reduced susceptibility to tigecycline in geese feces in Yangzhou, China.
NewsNew approach cuts sepsis diagnosis from days to hours
A research team has developed a way to condense the days-long sepsis diagnosis timeline to just hours, a method which could help clinical decision-making that avoids worsening antibiotic resistance in the bacterial strains causing infections.
NewsClimate warming could reshape China’s snail populations and transmission risk of schistosomiasis
Researchers show how climate warming, body size, and land use shape snail populations linked to risk of schistosomiasis transmission in China.