All The Microbiologist articles in Web Issue – Page 54
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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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News‘One and done’: A single shot at birth may shield children from HIV for years, study finds
A new study shows that delivering a single injection of gene therapy at birth may offer years-long protection against HIV, tapping into a critical window in early life that could reshape the fight against pediatric infections in high-risk regions.
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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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NewsExperiment on joint NASA and SpaceX mission will study the effect of space travel on disease-causing bacteria
ARC/Sheba Medical Center is launching an Israeli experiment on the International Space Station to investigate how microgravity and space conditions influence bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance.
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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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NewsHow bacteria use a protein associated with Alzheimer’s to fight off threats
Amyloids are perhaps best known as a key driver of Alzheimer’s disease. According to new research, these oft-maligned proteins also serve a critical role for bacteria in our environment, enabling them to fight off other “predatory bacteria.”
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NewsH5N1 found in dairy cattle retains preference for infecting birds, representing low risk to humans
Avian influenza virus from the ongoing outbreak in dairy cattle appears to be keeping its bird-infecting features rather than adapting to better infect other mammals, according to a new study.
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News‘Major leap in bioelectronic sensing’: researchers turn bacteria into tiny pollution detectors
Researchers have engineered E. coli to act as living multiplexed sensors, allowing these genetically modified cells to detect and respond to multiple environmental toxins simultaneously by converting their biological responses into readable electrical signals.
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NewsStudy reveals how climate shapes fungal spore traits with applications for soil health
A new study reports on how global climate conditions affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore traits and the species biogeographic patterns. The study is the first to examine multiple traits of this kind on a global scale.
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NewsWhy some strep infections turn deadly: A genetic clue
Researchers have identified a novel genetic mutation in Streptococcus pyogenes, a common bacterium which causes strep throat. A single mutation in the bacterial ferric ion transporter weakens bacterial growth in human blood.
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NewsHow fungus powers plant life in extreme environments
A new experiment suggests dark septate endophytes (DSEs) may be capable of linking the roots of neighboring plants to facilitate water sharing and boost their host’s biomass, and may even be keeping plant networks alive in drought-prone areas.
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NewsNew tool helps predict antibiotic resistance
Researchers have developed a platform that identifies drug resistance genes already circulating in the environment before they emerge in the clinic and directly couples this information to the design of resistance-evasive antibiotics.
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NewsMucosal vaccine shows transient action against Covid-19 variant
Mucosal adenovirus vaccine Ad5-XBB.1.5 boosting elicits nasal IgA and transiently prevents JN.1 wave infection for less than 6 months in real-world settings, a new study reveals.
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NewsRisk of deadly diarrheal diseases in children set to worsen as climate changes
Diarrhoea remains one of the most serious health threats to young children in the Global South, and new research shows that climate change is set to worsen the risk substantially.
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NewsAntiviral treatment fails to slow early-stage Alzheimer’s
A clinical trial has found that a common antiviral for herpes simplex infections, valacyclovir, does not change the course of the disease for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
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NewsTrapping gut bacteria’s hidden fuel improves blood sugar and liver health, study shows
Scientists have discovered a surprising new way to improve blood sugar levels and reduce liver damage: by trapping a little-known fuel made by gut bacteria before they wreak havoc on the body. It could open the door to new therapies to treat metabolic diseases.
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NewsReviving 80-year-old fungi offers new clues for sustainable agriculture
Researchers who revived 80-year-old fungal pathogens from a museum collection found that these pre-Green Revolution strains differ significantly from modern ones, revealing how decades of pesticide use and intensive farming have reshaped plant pathogens.
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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 research uncovers gut microbe-derived metabolites as potential therapy for obesity-related metabolic disorders
New research reveals that certain gut microbial byproducts may hold promise as a novel therapy for obesity-associated metabolic complications by restoring critical hormone-producing cells in the intestine.
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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.