All The Microbiologist articles in Web Issue – Page 298
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NewsIncrease in cell volume and nuclear number of the Koji fungus enhances enzyme production capacity
This study revealed cellular traits of the koji fungus Aspergillus oryzae linked to enzyme production through cell biological analysis. The authors found that, over time in culture, hyphae thicken, resulting in a tenfold increase in cell volume. Simultaneously, the number of nuclei per hyphal cell also rises tenfold, exceeding 200.
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NewsGolden spruce trees: Gold forms nanoparticles in the needles – bacteria show the way
A new study has, for the first time, uncovered a connection between bacteria living in Norway spruce needles and gold nanoparticles. This discovery could pave the way for environmentally friendly gold exploration methods, while examining similar processes in mosses may also help remove metals from mining-impacted waters.
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NewsMicroplastics found to change gut microbiome in first human-sample study
New research presented today at UEG Week 2025 shows that microplastics can alter the human gut microbiome, with some changes resembling patterns linked to depression and colorectal cancer.
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News‘Good’ gut bacteria boost placenta for healthier pregnancy
Research has found the first clear evidence that the ‘good’ gut bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in pregnant mothers regulates the placenta’s production of hormones critical for a healthy pregnancy. Pregnant mice without Bifidobacterium breve in their gut had a higher rate of complications, and increased fetal loss.
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NewsScientists blaze new path to fighting viral diseases
Scientists have identified a potential new drug against the virus that causes COVID-19 - and devised a powerful new platform for finding medicines to fight many types of infectious diseases. Compound 6, led SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins to misfold, malfunction, and ultimately, be destroyed and removed by cells, in lab tests.
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NewsYeast proteins reveal the secrets of drought resistance
A new study in Cell Systems helps explain how organisms can come back from desiccation (the removal of water or moisture) while others fail by looking at the cell’s proteins. In the first survey of its kind, a team of researchers profiled thousands of proteins at once for their ability to survive dehydration and rehydration.
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NewsNew study reveals where HIV hides in different parts of the body
A new study reveals that HIV cloaks itself in the DNA of infected cells using unique DNA patterns in the brain, blood and parts of the digestive tract. For example, in the brain, the virus avoids genes and hides in less active parts of the DNA.
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NewsTrailblazing Young Scientists honored with $250,000 prizes at Blavatnik National Awards Gala
Three of America’s most promising young scientists were awarded top honors at the 2025 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists, one of the country’s most significant prizes for early-career researchers. The Life Sciences Laureate was Philip J. Kranzusch, Harvard Medical School (Microbiology).
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NewsCould slime mold microbes be a source of potent antimicrobials?
The cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is a soil microbe that produces diverse natural products with potential antibiotic activity. In this study, researchers optimized lab culture conditions of Dictyostelium cells to boost the levels of low-abundance chlorinated compounds and to characterize their antimicrobial properties.
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NewsProfessor awarded $3.9 million to fight deadly parasites that threaten children and immunocompromised adults
A multi-institutional team will develop effective drugs that are urgently needed to manage cryptosporidiosis in young children, immunocompromised adults and as a countermeasure to epidemic outbreaks.
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NewsNew vaccine shows promise against typhoid and invasive salmonella in first human trial
Researchers have completed a successful Phase 1 clinical trial of a novel vaccine designed to protect against both typhoid fever and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella–two major causes of illness and death among children in sub-Saharan Africa.
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NewsMitochondria & microbiota: Targeting Extracellular Vesicles 2025 to explore game-changing pathways in medicine
The Second World Congress on Targeting Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) is scheduled for 15–16 October 2025 in Valencia, Spain. This event will spotlight the rapidly evolving science where mitochondrial biology and microbiome research intersect via extracellular vesicles.
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NewsResearchers find key to stopping deadly infection
New research has identified a key step that enables rotavirus to infect cells. The researchers found that disabling the process in tissue culture and in mice prevented infection.
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NewsChanges in gut microbiota influence which patients get AIG-related neuroendocrine tumors
Researchers have discovered how the balance of bacteria in the stomach affects the growth of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). By identifying the specific bacteria involved and the biochemical reactions that cause tumor growth, they hope to detect which patients are most likely to develop cancer.
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NewsResearchers’ call: Consider the risk of wildlife-spread diseases during ecosystem restoration
Researchers are urging adaptive ecosystem restoration, which implements key considerations for minimizing the zoonotic disease risk otherwise associated with restorations. A new study is providing practical guidance for restoration project stakeholders.
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NewsMicrobiome and nanoparticle discoveries hold promise for treating gut pain
In an effort to develop targeted treatments for gut pain, scientists have discovered a new enzyme in gut bacteria and are using nanoparticles to deliver drugs inside cells. PAR2, a receptor involved in pain signaling, is activated by certain enzymes called proteases.
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NewsSoil bacteria and minerals form a natural ‘battery’ that breaks down antibiotics in the dark
Researchers have unveiled a surprising new way that soil microbes can use sunlight energy. The team developed a “bio-photovoltage soil-microbe battery” that can capture, store, and release solar energy to power the breakdown of antibiotic pollutants in the dark.
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NewsDeadwood-decomposing fungi feed germinating orchids
Deadwood-decomposing fungi feed germinating orchids, providing the carbon their tiny seeds don’t have. The finding not only closes a gap in our understanding of wild orchid ecology but also uncovers an important carbon flux in the ecosystem.
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News1,000-year-old gut microbiome revealed for young man who lived in pre-Hispanic Mexico
Analysis of preserved feces and intestinal tissue has revealed specific types of bacteria that were present in the microbiome of a young adult man who lived in Mexico about 1,000 years ago, prior to Spanish colonization.
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NewsResearch team with the latest Nobel Prize laureate reveals regulatory immune cell precursors disrupted in severe COVID-19
A research team joined by Professor Shimon Sakaguchi – the latest Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine – has identified a subset of immune cells called precursor T follicular regulatory cells (preTfr) that play a critical role in preventing autoantibody production.