The road ahead: why conserving the invisible 99% of life is fundamental to planetary health
A new paper outlines how scientists came together to put together the first microbial conservation roadmap under the leadership of Applied Microbiology International President, Professor Jack Gilbert.
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Clostridioides difficile: the unseen passenger from farm to fork
Once known as a hospital superbug, Clostridioides difficile is now turning up in surprising places – production animal farms, soil, retail meats, vegetables, ready-to-eat salads, and even household kitchens. Recent research suggests this gut pathogen may not be confined to just hospital wards but is moving through our food chain, raising questions regarding how C. difficile finds its way to our plates, and what might be the result.
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Rewilding the microbiome: how the SanaTerra Living Lab bridges science and tradition to restore One Health
After years of living and working across four continents, Faiza Hajji and her family fell in love with La Vera, a fertile corner of Extremadura, western Spain. This journey gave rise to SanaTerra One Health & Microbiome Living Lab, founded in 2024: a platform where scientists, farmers, educators, and communities co-create innovations rooted in microbiome health, regenerative agriculture, and planetary wellbeing.
Microbial-induced pathologies in 80-million-year-old dinosaur bones
In the microbiology laboratory, we observe infection in real-time: bacterial colonies spreading across agar plates, inflammatory markers rising in blood samples, and immune responses captured at single timepoints. But what if we could watch only one frame at a time of an entire infection unfold from initial pathogen invasion through ...
What are we swimming in? The growing need for Microbial Source Tracking
The pandemic changed the way many of us connect with the outdoors. Wild swimming and other aquatic pursuits have seen an increase in public interest since 2020, and with that, a heightened awareness of water quality.
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The politics behind the global divide in bacteriophage therapy
The therapeutic potential of bacteriophages (or ‘phages’) has been widely dismissed for decades in the West, despite being regularly used to treat patients worldwide in the early and mid-20th century. In an age rife with disinformation, can the true potential of clinical phage technology be communicated to a public already uneasy about scientific intervention?
Pride in Microbiology Network: the road so far
Bruno Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira, a founding member of the Pride in Microbiology Network, reveals how it has developed since it was launched three years ago - and what needs to happen next.
Could livestock-originated probiotics replace synthetic antibiotics for livestock?
In many developing countries, the use of antibiotics in both humans and animals is often indiscriminate and poorly regulated. Could livestock-originated probiotics be a suitable replacement?
Summer studentship: Megan investigates the mobile gene element that gives MRSA its clout
Megan Stenton reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which investigated the frequency of the SCCmec gene - a mobile gene element that houses the methicillin resistance gene - across members of the same species of Staphylococcus aureus.
Summer studentship: Jonas investigates how metals influence bacterial ecosystems
Jonas Flohr from Portsmouth reports back on his AMI-sponsored summer studentship at Durham University investigating how metals influence bacterial ecosystems.
Summer studentship: Taiwo uncovers native strains for mycotoxin control in stored nuts
Taiwo Boluwatife Omowunmi reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which assessed native microbial strains for mycotoxin biocontrol in stored nuts.
Scientists uncover how COVID-19 variants outsmart the immune system
Researchers have created the most comprehensive map to date showing how antibodies attach to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, and how viral mutations weaken that attachment.
Global Virus Network awards pandemic preparedness grants to advance global surveillance and early detection of viral threats
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is awarding pandemic preparedness research grants, totaling $160,000, to scientists across four continents, supporting innovative, investigator-led projects designed to enhance viral surveillance, early detection, and scientific preparedness.
New research confirms HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer
Two new Cochrane reviews show strong and consistent evidence that HPV vaccines are effective in preventing cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes, especially when given to young people before they are exposed to the virus.
Food security
Microbial nano-selenium breakthrough boosts tea quality and safety
Scientists developing selenium-enriched tea have identified a powerful selenium-reducing bacterium, Raoultella ornithinolytica S-1, capable of converting inorganic selenium into selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) while simultaneously promoting plant growth.
Clean Water
Global Virus Network awards pandemic preparedness grants to advance global surveillance and early detection of viral threats
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is awarding pandemic preparedness research grants, totaling $160,000, to scientists across four continents, supporting innovative, investigator-led projects designed to enhance viral surveillance, early detection, and scientific preparedness.
Team discovers cyanobacteria activate different genes by day and by night
By analyzing gene expression in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme, scientists discovered that during daylight, the cells focus on metabolism. But under cover of darkness, they turn to the control of genome repair and activate various genetic elements.
