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.
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Enzyme found to have surprising role in earliest infant gut microbiome development
Microbiologists have found that an enzyme, not normally associated with microbial activities in the human gut, to have a role in how some bacteria access key nutrients in breast milk.
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NewsWho actually benefits from H. pylori treatment? A genetic score can tell before the first pill
In two Chinese randomized trials, a genetic score built from 11 variants identified people whose gastric cancer risk fell 56%–80% after Helicobacter pylori eradication — cutting the number needed to treat from 112 to 43.
NewsAn eight-year study of epidemiology and disease burden of child enterovirus in China
An eight-year multicenter study from China shows that while most hospitalized enterovirus cases occur in very young children and have favorable outcomes, a small number develop serious complications involving the brain, heart and other organs, leading to substantially greater use of hospital resources.
NewsFunctional food microecology links gut microbes to One Health
A new review proposes the framework Functional Food Microecology (FFM) that connects functional foods, the gut microbiome and host health. Rather than viewing diet only as calories and nutrients, the authors described food components as signals that gut microbes can transform into bioactive molecules.
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Can the microbiome really change medicine? Scientists confront the evidence gap
At Targeting Microbiota 2026 in Málaga, international scientists will explore how microbiome discoveries can move beyond laboratory research toward evidence-based clinical applications.
NewsSAA1+ epithelial cells emerge as inflammatory ringleaders in periodontitis
Periodontitis is driven not only by bacteria but by how the gingival epithelium responds to them. This study maps that response at spatial and single-cell resolution, showing that a distinct serum amyloid A1 (SAA1)-high inflammatory epithelial subpopulation (SAA1+Epi) sits at the junctional epithelium, where subgingival plaque meets host tissue.
NewsHalf of long COVID patients see meaningful symptom improvement within three years
A prospective cohort study found that about half of people living with long COVID a year after their initial COVID-19 infection experienced a meaningful symptom improvement within three years, whereas a quarter experienced a complete remission.
NewsAdvancing toward a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B: China’s evolving role
China has made progress in preventing HBV infections through infant vaccination and measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission. However, approximately 75 million people in the country still live with chronic HBV infection. A new review examine China’s contribution to developing treatments for chronic hepatitis B.
NewsHerpes infection detailed in human skin model
Researchers have traced step by step how herpes simplex virus 1 infects the multiple layers of skin cells. Using human hair-bearing skin organoids as a model, the researchers mapped how the virus spreads and which signaling molecules cells release to their neighbors upon being infected.
NewsA shield for the fungus, fuel for the immune response
In an earlier study, researchers demonstrated that albumin, the most abundant protein in human blood, can enhance the pathogenic properties of Candida albicans. It has now been revealed that this protein can also trigger an excessive inflammatory response.
News$3.67m NIH grant targets alphaviruses and their neurological damage
A $3.67 million NIH-funded project is developing antiviral compounds that could block alphavirus replication and help protect the brain from severe infection. Researchers will also use blood-brain-barrier-on-a-chip models to test whether early treatment can reduce neurological damage.
NewsDiscovery in gut microbiome of vegans surprises researcher
A study investigated the gut microbiome of 75 vegans and 75 omnivorous Danes. The researchers initially expected the vegan group to have the healthiest gut microbiome across all parameters, but found one notable weakness: gut bacterial diversity was, on average, lower among vegans than among omnivores.
NewsGut bacteria emerge as potential targets after spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury may reshape the gut microbiome in ways that influence inflammation, weight loss and muscle-related metabolism. Researchers have built a genome-level catalogue of gut microbes after injury and identified bacterial species that could become targets for future microbiome-based treatments.
NewsResistant bacteria are favored in hospital sewers – responsible antibiotics identified
A study examined sewer systems and wastewater from hospitals and municipal treatment plants in eight Swedish cities. Sewage from all ten hospitals promoted antibiotic-resistant bacteria, while no such effects were found after exposure to sewage from the corresponding municipal treatment plants.
NewsAmino acid boosts last-resort antibiotic’s effectiveness
Colistin is a powerful, last-resort antibiotic for bacterial infections, but the number of colistin-resistant infections is growing. New research suggests that adding L-arginine, an amino acid, to colistin may overcome resistance. Lab and mouse studies show promising results, but more tests are needed before the strategy can help people.
NewsReview explores hepatitis B surface antigen clearance rate in chronic hepatitis B virus infection treated with pegylated interferon-α
Researchers review the hepatitis B surface antigen clearance rate with pegylated interferon-α therapy in different chronic hepatitis B infection populations.
NewsNew report calls for stronger One Health systems as climate risks grow
Climate change and shrinking global health budgets are increasing the pressure on systems designed to prevent diseases that spread between animals and people. A new report calls for stronger One Health surveillance, more investment in frontline veterinary and environmental services, and greater emphasis on preventing spillover before outbreaks begin.
News40-year mystery solved: Common gut virus infects bacteria, not human cells
Ever since one denizen of the gut microbiome, known as picobirnavirus, was first spotted decades ago, researchers thought it directly infected human tissue and played a role in gastrointestinal illness. But researchers have just rewritten that story: This widespread virus infects gut bacteria, not human cells.
NewsHow evolutionary changes in a key enzyme may have tuned the protein synthesis rate
Evolutionary changes in key protein synthesis enzyme, isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IleRS), may help bacteria fine-tune how quickly proteins are made, report researchers. Researchers traced the enzyme’s evolutionary history and identified three distinct IleRS clades.
NewsSelective inhibitory effects of docosahexaenoic acid on oral bacteria
Researchers evaluated four polyunsaturated fatty acids against five common oral bacteria, in single-species and mixed-species cultures, and conducted an 8-day randomized, placebo-controlled human mouth-rinse intervention, analyzing saliva by metagenomic sequencing and qPCR.
NewsNew Chinese consensus sets out 16 recommendations for severe dengue
China has issued new clinical guidance for severe dengue as the disease spreads into new regions and increasingly affects older adults and people with underlying conditions. The consensus sets out 16 recommendations covering early warning signs, organ complications, fluid management and blood-product use.
NewsLarge-scale DNA assembly is reshaping microbial cell factory engineering
Engineering microbes to make medicines, fuels and fine chemicals increasingly depends on assembling very large stretches of DNA. A new review maps how technologies from Gibson assembly to synthetic genomes and neochromosomes are expanding what microbial cell factories can be programmed to produce.
NewsDead bacteria can keep making DNA with help from viruses
Researchers at Aarhus University have discovered that bacteria can continue producing DNA after they die. And they have found a way to control what gets produced. The discovery could eventually contribute to the development of new biological materials.