All The Microbiologist articles in Web Issue – Page 26
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NewsResilient algae may speed up Greenland ice melt
Microscopic algae darken glacier surfaces and can accelerate melting. A new study investigating where the small algae get the necessary nutrients to survive in this hostile environment reveals how they absorb and store nutrients.
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NewsCoffee grounds and Reishi mushroom spores can be 3D printed into a compostable alternative to plastics
Researchers have developed a new system for turning coffee grounds into a paste, which is inoculated with Reishi mushroom spores to form a mycelial skin. The skin turns the coffee grounds into a resilient, fully compostable 3D printable alternative to plastics.
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NewsExpedition confirms spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in the Weddell Sea
The CSIC-UNESPA scientific expedition monitoring the presence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI H5N1) in Antarctica has confirmed the presence of the virus in all species detected on six islands in the Weddell Sea.
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NewsNovel antibiotic BTZ-043 also reaches tuberculosis bacteria hiding in dead lung tissue
Researchers have shown that the novel antibiotic BTZ-043 effectively penetrates tubercolous lesions and accumulates there in high concentrations. Consequently, the drug can fight Mtb bacteria even in hard-to-reach areas.
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News1 in 5 older adults get infections after heart surgery, and women have a 60% higher risk
One in five older adults gets an infection up to six months after heart surgery, with women far more likely to develop one, according to two studies which examined thousands of cases of coronary artery bypass grafting.
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NewsResearchers ID key immune differences that make one West African ethnic group less susceptible to malaria
Researchers have uncovered how genetic and lifestyle factors influence immune responses to malaria in children from two large West African ethnic groups. Children showed key differences in immune cell activity offering greater protection.
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NewsTransforming HIV diagnosis: a low-cost, point-of-care detection solution
A team of researchers has developed an innovative handheld device for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) detection that combines paper-based sample preparation with real-time isothermal amplification.
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NewsRapid diagnostic tests improve diagnosis access to indigenous Paraguayan community for Chagas disease
A study has shown that combining rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) with conventional serological tests proves to be a useful strategy for diagnosing Chagas disease in an indigenous community in the Paraguayan Chaco with its higher prevalence of the disease.
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NewsAMI member Christopher Stewart named as finalist in 2025 UK Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists
Applied Microbiology International member Dr Christopher Stewart of Newcastle University has been named as a finalist for the eighth Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK. He is the 2023 winner of AMI’s WH Pierce Prize for microbiology.
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NewsFungal compound could help protect against influenza
A preclinical trial uncovers how beta-glucan, a compound found in all fungal cell wall, can ‘reprogram’ immune cells to prevent lung inflammation from influenza and lower the risk of death by the host immune responses.
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NewsCould microRNAs help us understand why different birds react differently to being infected with bird flu?
Since microRNA was found to have a role in cell protein production, a connection between microRNA and birds infected with bird flu has been found in ruddy turnstones, which has significance with respect to the spread of bird flu due to their long distance flights.
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NewsAlgal blooms intensify in global large lakes over the past two decades
With climate change affecting algal blooms, researchers have discovered that the combined nutrient and meteorological factors have significant influence on bloom frequency in large lakes across the world.
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NewsMass polio vaccination campaign to continue in the Gaza Strip
The emergency polio outbreak response in the Gaza Strip is continuing, with a mass vaccination campaign scheduled from 22 to 26 February 2025. The novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) will be administered to over 591,000 children under 10 years of age.
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NewsGround-breaking technique deploys bacterium to deliver drugs directly to the brain
A landmark study using the nasal bacteria technique promises new treatments for neurological disorders by bypassing the blood-brain barrier.
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NewsPlague transmission may have begun a century before the Black Death, study shows
Evidence from 13th-century chroniclers and physicians indicates plague may have been involved in epidemics a century before the Black Death, a new study shows. Source: Dschingis Khan und seine Erben (exhibition catalogue), München 2005, p. 253 Conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols 1258. Right part of a double-page ...
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NewsUltrasound cleaning promotes phenolic synthesis in fresh-cut red cabbages
Not only can ultrasonic cleaning technology enhance the quality of fruits and vegetables and reduce microbial contamination on their surfaces but it can also serve as an abiotic stressor, inducing the synthesis and accumulation of bioactive compounds.
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NewsScientists unveil novel anti-CRISPR protein mechanism
Apart from their counter-defensive function, anti-CRISPR proteins hold great promise for enabling more precise control over CRISPR technologies. Researchers have now further elucidated the function of an important yet so far uncharacterized anti-CRISPR protein.
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NewsNo more antibiotics? Scientists pioneer a safer way to protect cultured meat
A new study explores the use of Random Antimicrobial Peptide Mixtures (RPMs) as a safe and effective alternative to antibiotics in cultured meat production. These synthetic peptide cocktails eliminate bacterial contamination without harming stem cell viability or contributing to antibiotic resistance.
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NewsResearchers uncover how Staphylococcus aureus ‘steals’ iron from our blood during infections
Researchers have revealed how Staphylococcus aureus bacteria extract iron from hemoglobin – a process crucial to their survival during infections. The study has identified the full sequence of protein–protein interactions during this iron ‘theft’.
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NewsScientists develop new natural killer cell strategy to target HIV
Scientists have successfully identified a new approach using natural killer (NK) cells to target and kill the HIV-positive cells that allow the virus to persist. They genetically modified NK cells to express CD64, a protein not normally expressed by NK cells.