All University of Cambridge articles
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NewsNew study uncovers the complex history of the plague after the Black Death
A new study sheds fresh light on the long and complex history of the plague by analysing the DNA of the bacterium. Researchers reconstructed 26 genomes of Yersinia pestis from archaeological sites in Estonia, Russia, England, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
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NewsSweeteners shown to slow growth of important gut bacteria in lab tests
Researchers have shown how commonly-used sweeteners slow the growth of certain gut bacteria. One sweetener in particular – combined with the anti-depressant duloxetine - significantly impaired two important gut bacteria linked to regulating blood sugar and gut health.
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ArticleCOVID-19 vaccine boosters may help protect against future animal coronaviruses
COVID-19 vaccine boosters not only protect against SARS‑CoV‑2 but may also help protect against some future coronaviruses that risk spreading from animals to humans, researchers have shown.
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NewsDiscovery of severe pneumonia subtypes could lead to tailored treatments for life-threating disease
New research shows that severe pneumonia has three different subtypes, helping explain why some patients in intensive care units (ICUs) recover quickly, while for other patients the disease can be life-threatening.
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News‘Invasional mutualism’ between honey bees and myrtle rust pathogen
Newresearch has found that the Western honey bee - an introduced species to Australia - and the devastating, invasive plant fungus known as myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) may have formed a mutually beneficial relationship known as an ’invasional mutualism’.
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NewsMalaria shaped distribution of early human populations
Scientists investigated whether Plasmodium falciparum induced malaria shaped human habitat choice between 74,000 and 5,000 years ago, finding that malaria influenced habitat choice by pushing human groups away from high-risk environments and separating populations across the landscape.
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NewsScientists find a new way coronaviruses can get into human cells
An international team of researchers has identified an East African bat coronavirus capable of entering human cells. Whilst the virus can bind to a cell receptor found in the human lung, preliminary testing in Kenya suggests it has not spilled over into the local human population.
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CareersFrom one bench to another: Representing early-career scientists at Parliament’s Voice of the Future
Tyler Myers, an MPhil Candidate at the University of Cambridge, reports back from the Royal Society of Biology’s Voice of the Future event at Parliament, where he served as a guest panelist representing Applied Microbiology International.
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NewsNew lactic acid bacteria for plant-based yogurt alternatives
Researchers find that a particular type of lactic acid bacteria has considerable potential for producing plant-based yoghurt alternatives. The bacteria inhibit potentially harmful bacteria and break down sugars that can cause stomach discomfort.
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NewsResearchers combine polarized light and a magnetic field to spot malaria under the microscope
Researchers have developed a new microscopy method that uses a magnetic field and polarized light to provide quantitative measurements that could enable faster and more objective detection of malaria in blood.
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News‘Hidden’ bugs in our gut appear key to good health, finds global study
A single group of bacteria has repeatedly shown up in high numbers in the gut microbiomes of healthy people. Scientists found the level of CAG-170 bacteria present was consistently higher in healthy people than those with diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and chronic fatigue syndrome.
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NewsHidden mpox exposure detected in healthy Nigerian adults, revealing under-recognized transmission
The mpox virus appears to be circulating silently in parts of Nigeria, in many cases without the symptoms typically associated with the disease, according to new research.
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NewsSilent dengue infections may hold clues to future vaccine design, study finds
Researchers report the first single-cell immune atlas of asymptomatic dengue, offering a rare look at how the immune system can defeat the virus without triggering illness. The work could help guide the design of safer and more effective dengue vaccines.
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NewsVolcanic eruptions set off a chain of events that brought the Black Death to Europe
Researchers have used a combination of climate data and documentary evidence to paint the most complete picture to date of the ‘perfect storm’ that led to the deaths of tens of millions of people, as well as profound demographic, economic, political, cultural and religious change.
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NewsSingle-cell movies reveal how host physiology sets phage success - and how to time therapies
A new study outlines how an innovative imaging platform can be used to help uncover the reasons why phages succeed or fail when used to target bacterial infections.
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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.
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NewsPesticides and other common chemical pollutants are toxic to our ‘good’ gut bacteria
A large-scale laboratory screening of human-made chemicals has identified 168 chemicals that are toxic to bacteria found in the healthy human gut. These chemicals stifle the growth of gut bacteria thought to be vital for health.
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NewsA new gateway to global antimicrobial resistance data
To support global AMR research, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) has launched the AMR portal, a central hub that connects bacterial genomes, resistance phenotypes, and functional annotations, all in one place. The AMR portal ensures long-term availability, standardisation, and reusability of AMR data.
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NewsResearch finds higher rare risk of heart complications in children after COVID-19 infection than after vaccination
A whole-population study showed that although these conditions were rare, children and young people were more likely to experience heart, vascular or inflammatory problems after a COVID-19 infection than after having the vaccine — and the risks after infection lasted much longer.
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NewsResearchers probe how malaria harms unborn babies
UK-based Wellcome has awarded over €2 million to an international research effort to uncover how malaria can injure developing babies.