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
Antibiotics could trigger immune response through gut microbiome metabolites
Researchers report how one of the most abundant gut bacteria responds to tetracyclines, a class of commonly prescribed antibiotics. Newly characterized signals released by the bacterium could aid the host’s immune response, inhibit pathogens and restructure the gut microbiome.
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NewsFish freshness easily monitored with a new sensor
Researchers have developed a simple, effective electronic device that quickly measures a compound that forms when decomposition starts. The prototype sensor can determine how fresh a fish is in less than two minutes.
NewsLight-sensitive microbial protein may herald new cancer therapies
Researchers used a mouse cancer model to show that tumors expressing Archaerhodopsin 3 shrink after exposure to green light.
NewsStudy links childhood vaccination to lower risk of drug-resistant bacteria
Children in Guatemala who received a common vaccine that helps prevent pneumonia were less likely to carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a new study examining whether rotavirus (RV) and pneumococcal (PCV13) vaccines reduce gut colonization by a group of bacteria.
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News
Common water pill may help HIV medicines work faster and reduce inflammation, early study suggests
Adding a readily available diuretic to standard HIV therapy appears to reduce circulating virus by four-fold, a new study shows. Researchers treated HIV-infected mice with human immune cells with first‑line antiretroviral therapy plus a long‑acting form of spironolactone.
News‘Creeping catastrophe’: Climate change is driving global rise in infectious diseases, leading health experts warn
Infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, and tuberculosis are considered to pose as great a challenge to global health as new or emerging pathogens, according to a study. Participants reported that climate change, poverty, and drug resistance are combining to create an escalating health crisis.
NewsProfessor named EMBO Young Investigator for work on the infant microbiome
Prof. Moran Yassour has been selected as one of the 2025 EMBO Young Investigators. She receives this prestigious recognition for her innovative research on the developing infant microbiome and its impact on pediatric health.
NewsPresurgical vaccine may prevent orthopedic device infections
Researchers have developed a novel presurgical vaccine strategy that may prevent dangerous infections in patients receiving hip, knee, and other joint replacements, creating an injectable scaffold designed to stimulate the immune system.
NewsStudy unravels the fungi-cancer connection
A growing body of evidence indicates that the microbiome within the gut and tumors significantly influences cancer initiation, progression, and treatment response. Current research primarily focuses on bacteria, whilst the role of fungi is only now gaining attention.
NewsToxoplasmosis: How a deadly parasite infects its host cells
Researchers have discovered how the parasite Toxoplasma gondii builds a specialised structure that allows it to move and invade host cells. They identified two proteins that control how the conoid complex is assembled - this acts like an engine for movement and cell-invasion.
NewsHorizon Awards 2025: Max Fisher named as individual winner of Dorothy Jones Award
Max Fisher, a leading Disability & LGBTQIA+ Advocate, and Senior Research Associate at ViaNautis Bio, has been named as individual winner of the Dorothy Jones Diversity & Inclusion Achievement Award 2025.
NewsPositive signs in the fight against superbugs: CHINET 2024 surveillance report
The 2024 CHINET antimicrobial resistance surveillance report uncovers a hopeful trend in China’s battle against bacterial resistance, with a significant reduction in resistance among several key pathogens.
NewsPathogens are the biggest threats at festivals and mass gatherings
A comprehensive review led by public health experts reveals that infectious disease outbreaks and foodborne illnesses are the most common public health threats at youth-focused mass gatherings, ranging from music festivals and cultural celebrations to sporting and religious gatherings.
NewsLargest study of nose microbiome helps highlight those at risk of staph aureus infection
People who persistently carry Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in their nose have fewer species of other bacteria, while certain bacteria may help to prevent S. aureus colonisation, according to the findings of the largest-ever study of the nasal microbiome.
NewsA molecule opens a breach in HIV, providing access to its reservoirs
An international team has unveiled how a molecule capable of opening the “shell” of HIV improves the elimination of infected cells. The study demonstrates how a new CD4-mimetic compound, CJF-III-288, modifies the HIV envelope protein structure to allow for a better immune response.
NewsResearchers rescue antibiotics from resistance using phototherapy
Researchers have used phototherapy to inhibit a protein in E. coli bacteria that makes them resistant to antibiotics. This new method, if proven safe and effective in living organisms, holds promise for rescuing the effectiveness of antibiotics that bacteria have become resistant to.
NewsResearchers identify why some people with HIV achieve remission after antibody treatment
Researchers have discovered why some people living with HIV who are given broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies (bNAbs) can safely stop taking standard, lifelong HIV medications and maintain control of the virus for years, while others given the same treatment do not achieve this remission.
NewsVIRE: a global data platform to better understand viruses
Researchers have released a comprehensive viral genome database covering diverse ecosystems to advance the understanding of viral evolution and ecosystem functions.
NewsThe immune system creates its own targets within viruses
A new study reveals that our immune system does more than defend against viruses. In certain cases, it induces mutations within viruses that make them easier to recognize later on.
NewsBridging controversy: New international guidelines redefine diagnosis and treatment of fungal eye infections
A global expert panel from the Asia-Pacific region has now issued 20 consensus statements providing comprehensive, evidence-based guidance for the diagnosis and management of a sight-threatening condition - fungal endophthalmitis.
NewsPoint-of-care rapid tests can improve screening for latent tuberculosis
A new test shows promising results for detecting latent tuberculosis infection in resource-limited settings. Latent tuberculosis is often diagnosed using a laboratory test called QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus - this was compared with another test, TB-Feron.
NewsResearchers discover latent antimicrobial resistance across the world
A team of researchers has discovered that latent antimicrobial resistance is more widespread across the world than known resistance. They call for broader surveillance of resistance in wastewater.
NewsHow reactive oxygen species target viruses differently: new clues for safer water disinfection
A new study systematically explored how reactive oxygen species (ROS) inactivate viruses with distinct structures. The results revealed clear heterogeneity: enveloped RNA viruses were most susceptible to oxidation, while double-stranded DNA viruses showed strong resistance.