All University of Melbourne articles
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NewsArtificial feeding platform transforms study of ticks and their diseases
The world’s first lab-based tick feeding system for bush ticks has transformed the study of ticks and how they transmit disease. The novel, host-free technology reduces the need for animal experiments in tick studies, facilitating more ethical, reproducible research.
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NewsNew tool reveals the secrets of HIV-infected cells
Scientists have developed a novel tool—named HIV-seq—for profiling the features of rare HIV-infected cells from people with HIV. Using the new tool, they’ve found key differences in people’s HIV-infected cells before versus after starting antiretroviral therapy.
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NewsUnderground fungal map of the world’s oldest, slowest-growing rainforest trees can boost the resilience of Earth’s long-term carbon sinks
Protecting and conserving old trees will protect hundreds, if not thousands, of mycorrhizal and other fungal species that inhabit soils around these giants, each of which play a role we might not fully understand in keeping these forests healthy and resilient.
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NewsSugar molecules point to a new weapon against drug-resistant bacteria
Researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognise a sugar found only on bacterial cells – an advance that could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections.
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NewsScientists unlock how viruses punch above their weight
A news study reveals how rabies virus manipulates so many cellular processes despite being armed with only a few proteins. Researchers believe other dangerous viruses like Nipah and Ebola may also work the same way.
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NewsLittle-known strep bacteria behind growing number of severe infections
An under-recognised strep bacterium is causing a growing number of serious infections in Australia, with First Nations Australians disproportionately affected, according to new research.
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NewsStudy identifies world-first treatments to prevent a life-threatening virus infection
A study found two HIV antivirals already on the market can suppress transmission of HTLV-1 in humanised mice and prevent disease. When used in combination with a compound that induces cell death, infected cells were killed – flagging a potential future curative strategy.
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NewsMore than 3 million children died from AMR-related infections in 2022, major study shows
A landmark study presented today at ESCMID Global 2025 has revealed that more than 3 million children worldwide lost their lives in 2022 due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related infections.
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NewsMulti-dose vaccines administered in the same site boost immune response
New research suggests that receiving multiple doses of a vaccine in the same limb leads to faster antibody development, an important strategy for providing immunity as quickly as possible during a pandemic or disease outbreak.
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NewsFrom Spanish flu to today: how immune cells keep up with a changing virus
In a breakthrough for influenza research, scientists have discovered immune cells that can recognise influenza (flu) viruses even as they mutate, raising hopes for a longer-lasting vaccine and a universal protection against future flu pandemics.
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News‘Low risk’ antibiotic has led to an almost untreatable superbug
A new study has found that an antibiotic for liver disease patients could expose them to greater risk of a dangerous superbug.
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NewsMarine sponge microbe provides insights into the evolution of tuberculosis
The surprising discovery of a bacterium in a marine sponge from the Great Barrier Reef with striking similarity to the pathogen responsible for tuberculosis (TB) could unlock and inform future TB research and treatment strategies.
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NewsWe should help coral microbial symbionts evolve heat tolerance in the lab, researchers say
Researchers discuss the potential of improving corals’ chances by inducing the evolution of heat tolerance in their symbionts—the mutualistic microbes that provide corals with nutrients in exchange for shelter and that are expelled during coral bleaching.
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CareersIn search of probiotics for the non-dairy market
Student Christo Opperman investigated non-dairy carriers for probiotics as part of a Summer studentship with Applied Microbiology International - and here’s what happened.
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NewsNew advances in genomic surveillance tech could slow the spread of deadly ‘superbugs’
Harnessing new advances in genomic surveillance technology could help detect the rise of deadly ‘superbugs’ and slow their evolution and spread, improving global health outcomes, a new study suggests.
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NewsResearchers developing an oral therapeutic to treat drug-resistant bacterial pneumonia
Australian researchers aim to rescue common antibiotics with a new therapeutic approach, using a drug originally developed to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
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NewsResearchers discover genes behind AMR in deadly superbug infections
Australian researchers have uncovered new genetic insights into Staphylococcus aureus, revealing what makes the bacterium so dangerous when it enters the blood.
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NewsBlood cancer drug shows promise in killing ‘silent’ HIV cells
An existing blood cancer drug has shown promise in killing ‘silent’ HIV cells and delaying reinfections – a significant pre-clinical discovery that could lead to a future cure for the disease.
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NewsNewly discovered antibodies can neutralize COVID-19 variants
Scientists have isolated potent neutralizing antibodies from a COVID-19 vaccinated SARS survivor that exhibited remarkable breadth against known sarbecoviruses.
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NewsMicrobiologist and virologist creating Global Pandemic Research Alliance
Columbia University virologist Professor David Ho and The University of Hong Kong (HKU) microbiologist Professor Kwok-yung Yuen are teaming up to create a global alliance for conducting research in emerging infectious diseases.