All UK & Rest of Europe articles
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NewsWhen bacteria get hungry, they kill – and eat – their neighbors
Scientists have discovered a gruesome microbial survival strategy: when food is scarce, some bacteria kill and consume their neighbors. The researchers show that under nutrient-limited conditions, bacteria use a specialized weapon — the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) — to attack, kill, and slowly absorb nutrients from other bacterial cells.
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NewsNew superchannels enable superfast virus machines inspired by nature
A research team has developed a novel extension of virus machines, an emerging computing model that draws inspiration from how viruses propagate among hosts. These super virus machines, as the team calls them, address time efficiency limits in basic virus machines.
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NewsNew research reveals how bacteria export the building blocks of biofilms
Chemists examined how the polysaccharide “Pel” – a central component of many biofilms – is exported out of the cell by the pathogen P. aeruginosa and describe the structure of the so-called PelBC export complex, which represents the last station in the cell before “Pel” is released.
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NewsCultured mini-organs reveal the weapons of aggressive Shigella bacteria
Thanks to lab-grown miniature intestines, researchers have successfully mapped how aggressive Shigella bacteria infect the human gut. The study opens the door to using cultured human mini-organs to investigate a wide range of other serious infections.
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NewsLove your Cavapoo? It’s one of the 6 dog breeds that are more likely to get diarrhoea
Approximately one in every 12 dogs in the UK will be diagnosed with diarrhoea each year, with some breeds more susceptible than others, according to a new study.
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NewsGreen light activates this antibiotic only where it’s needed
To make a more efficient antibiotic treatment, researchers have modified penicillin so that it’s activated only by green light. In early tests, the approach precisely controlled bacterial growth and improved survival outcomes for infected insects.
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NewsUrgent need to quantify role of fungal toxins in rising liver cancer rates in Ghana
There’s an urgent need to quantify the role of aflatoxins, found on agricultural crops, such as maize and peanuts, in the escalating rates of liver cancer in Ghana, as well as elsewhere in Africa and Asia, concludes a commentary.
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NewsResearchers pinpoint fungal hotspots of ‘dark taxa’ across Earth’s underground ecosystems
A new study finds that 83% of ectomycorrhizal fungi are known only by their DNA sequences that can’t be linked to named or described species, posing problems for conservation.
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NewsNew study reveals global warming accelerates antibiotic resistance in soils
A new international study has revealed that climate change is accelerating the rate of development and global abundances of antibiotic resistance bacteria in soils.
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NewsUltra-selective aptamers give viruses a taste of their own medicine
Inspired by the way viruses attach to cells, scientists have developed a method for engineering ultra-selective aptamers. The synthetic molecules bind to targets like viral spike proteins, making them useful for biomedical diagnostics and treatments.
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NewsTwin study detects gut bacteria that play a role in development of multiple sclerosis
Researchers examined stool samples from 81 pairs of twins, and compared their composition between siblings. They identified 51 taxa—groups of microorganisms—that differed in abundance between twins with and without MS symptoms.
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NewsThe RVC appoints new diagnostic laboratories manager to drive future direction and success
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has appointed Dr Libby Graham as its new Diagnostic Laboratories Manager, who joins the Pathobiology and Population Sciences Department, located at the RVC’s Hawkshead campus, Potters Bar.
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NewsRapid testing for sexually transmitted infections on the horizon
Birmingham spin-out Linear Diagnostics has been awarded £1m funding to finalise the development of a low-cost, accurate, near-patient diagnostic platform that aims to diagnose STIs from a single sample faster than any commercially available alternative.
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NewsNew source of natural antibiotics hidden within our own proteins identified
A team of scientists has identified a new type of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in human proteins that are capable of selectively eliminating multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly of the gram-negative type, responsible for serious hospital acquired infections.
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NewsComputer-identified antiviral drug candidates confirmed by lab experiments
An interdisciplinary research team has identified two antiviral drug candidates effective against a wide range of viruses. The study demonstrates how combining computer-aided modeling with laboratory validation can speed up the development of new antiviral drugs.
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NewsFungal resistance in wheat: preserving biodiversity for food security
Researchers have found traditional wheat varieties from Asia that harbor several genes that confer resistance against yellow rust. They may serve as a durable source of yellow rust resistance in commercial varieties in the future.
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NewsEarly career scientists gear up for LAM ECS Symposium next week
More than 100 delegates have now signed up for the Letters in Applied Microbiology Early Career Scientists Symposium 2025, a one-day event which is taking place in Liverpool on June 12.
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NewsBaby’s microbiome may protect against childhood viral infection
A baby’s makeup of gut bacteria — their microbiome — which starts to form as soon as they are born, could help protect against viral infections later in childhood, a new study suggests.
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NewsAntibiotics taken during pregnancy may reduce preterm births
A study of almost 1000 pregnant women in Zimbabwe found that a daily dose of a commonly used, safe and inexpensive antibiotic may have led to fewer babies being born early.
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NewsHeatwaves greatly influence parasite burden; likely spread of disease
New research implies that heatwaves have a major influence on the spread of many diseases – and that many existing predictive models have overlooked this complexity. Differences in heatwaves can increase disease burden by up to 13 times in an animal model.