All UK & Rest of Europe articles – Page 2
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OpinionScience and the humanities in the crosshairs
The German Research Foundation (DFG) President Professor Dr Katja Becker issued a stark warning about the “war on science” and the need for solidarity at the organisation’s annual meeting in July. The Microbiologist reports her speech in full.
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NewsBacterial signaling molecule that choreographs flip between biofilm and motility could transform biotechnology and medical applications
A bacterial signaling molecule involved in flipping the switch between sessile and motile forms could offer huge potential in improving probiotics, boosting wastewater treatment and producing therapeutic compounds.
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NewsStatistical modeling can help tackle neglected tropical diseases among migrant populations
A study of migrants in Italy has shown how statistical modelling can help improve the identification of Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) infections.
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NewsNew farmer-led research project explores how badger vaccination may be used within TB eradication strategy
A progressive new UK project is underway to explore the contribution, effectiveness and practicality of professionally scaled-up, industry delivered badger vaccination as part of a comprehensive TB eradication strategy.
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NewsLavender steps up as a natural preservative in skin-care emulsions
A new study shows that blends of lavender essential oil and hydrosol can replace synthetic preservatives in oil-in-water creams, cutting microbial counts by >99 % without irritating skin.
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NewsMicrobiome breakthrough: Gut bacterium may hold key to future treatments for widespread chronic diseases
Scientists have identified a common specific gut bacterial strain that may open the door to a new class of therapeutics. This bacterium produces two proteins that influence the body’s hormonal balance and affect weight, bone density, and blood sugar levels.
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NewsTwo new solutions for coral protection: a conductive biopaste and a natural healing patch
A research group in Italy has developed two new coral protection technologies for healing and restoring coral reefs: a biopaste and a natural patch, both successfully tested on real corals.
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NewsGut microbes: How many molecules influence our body?
Researchers have precisely quantified how many molecules are produced by gut bacteria and arrive in the body every day, enabling them to calculate how many gut bacteria are used up and regenerated each day.
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NewsMicrobial map reveals countless hidden connections between our food, health, and planet
A new map of ‘agri-food system microbiomes’ reveals how players at every stage of the food system can restore and protect dwindling microbiomes to help boost human and planetary health.
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NewsHospital superbugs that cause sepsis and meningitis could be hitching a ride on mobile phones
Hospital superbugs that cause sepsis and meningitis could be hitching a ride on mobile phones, allowing them to escape out of healthcare settings and into the community, according to research presented at MLS Future Forum earlier this year.
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NewsTurning biodiversity upside down: Conservation maps miss fungal hotspots by focusing on plants
For decades, scientists and conservationists have been using aboveground plant biodiversity as a metric for conserving ecosystems. Now a new study finds that there is a major mismatch between aboveground plant diversity and Earth’s underground fungal biodiversity.
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NewsHow the common fungus Candida albicans colonizes the gut
Researchers have discovered unexpected factors that help the fungus Candida albicans settle and persist in the gut. The findings expand our knowledge of the fungus-gut interactions and offer potential solutions to reduce colonization.
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NewsA non-invasive test enables accurate detection of infant meningitis
A high-resolution ultrasound device has shown great accuracy in detecting suspected meningitis in newborns and infants, potentially offering a non-invasive alternative to lumbar puncture, the traditional diagnostic method.
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NewsNew genomic study reveals key drivers of strangles transmission in UK horses
A novel study has revealed new insights into how the highly contagious disease strangles spreads amongst horses in the UK. It marks a significant step forward in understanding how to more effectively manage and prevent outbreaks of this devastating equine disease.
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NewsPioneering research reveals worldwide scale of Hepatitis C among babies and children
A new study has estimated for the first time the number of children born globally with hepatitis C virus. Each year around 74,000 children globally are born with hepatitis C virus (HCV), with around 23,000 of these estimated to still have HCV infection at age five.
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NewsSmart bandage with ‘plant power’ heals chronic wounds faster than market leaders
A multidisciplinary team has unveiled a next-generation wound dressing that behaves like a living leaf yet fights like a miniature pharmacy. It combines neomycin-grafted cellulose nonwovens with a polyvinyl alcohol/cellulose-nanofiber aerogel dyed with blueberry anthocyanins.
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NewsNew insights could help phages defeat antibiotic resistant bacteria
Researchers have worked out how bacteria defend themselves against viruses called phages and the new insights could be key to tackling antibiotic resistance. The new research is the first to describe how a bacterial defence mechanism against phages, called Kiwa, works.
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NewsDecoding the blue: Advanced technology realizes potential in harmful algal bloom monitoring
Researchers have developed a powerful new method to detect harmful blue-green algae in freshwater lakes. Their method can identify toxin producing blue-green algae before they become damaging in recreational waters and pose threat to public health.
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NewsRepurposing an abandoned drug may help treat a neglected parasitic infection
Researchers have mapped the human metabolic pathways that Cryptosporidium, an intestinal parasite, requires to survive. Shutting down these pathways may offer a new way to treat patients while avoiding the development of drug resistance.
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NewsSmart bacteria could transform global agricultural food production
An interdisciplinary team are to receive almost half a million pounds to fund the development of a ‘smart bacterium’ that can dynamically reprogramme how crops respond to environmental stresses in real-time.