Viruses found in Antarctic air, including some new to science
It may seem stark and lifeless, but the air around the remote sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia contains viruses, including some that are new to science. Using metagenomics, researchers discovered that South Georgia harbours a diverse and dynamic airborne viral community.
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Clinical considerations for the next pandemic: challenges facing Japan and strategic preparedness
Multiple global pandemics over the past century – the Spanish influenza (1918), Asian influenza (1957), Hong Kong influenza (1968), H1N1 influenza (2009), and COVID‑19 (since 2019) – have increasingly underscored the necessity for healthcare systems worldwide to be resilient, rapidly responsive, and forward‑facing.
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Clear but not clean: the hidden life of drinking water in Nigeria
In many communities across Nigeria, clear water is assumed to be safe. Transparency, both literal and visual, has become shorthand for purity. My recent research in Ede, southwestern Nigeria, began with a simple but uncomfortable question: what are people actually drinking?
Can we make a vaccine against the next Disease X in 100 days?
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the deadliest events in modern history. Estimated to have killed over 25 million people worldwide and caused trillions of dollars in economic damage, the devastation caused by this virus was both astronomical and unforgettable.
A journey to run a polymerase chain reaction in the kitchen
Did you know an air fryer can thermocycle?
Under the Lens video series
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 3
Is raw milk safe to drink? Prof Emmanuel Adukwu is joined by Prof Nicola Holden and Dr Gil Domingue for a conversation on the societal, scientific, and health implications of this pertinent question.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 2
In our second episode, Dr Callum Cooper joins Professor Emmanuel Adukwu to talk about all things bacteriophage, from alternatives to antibiotics, social impact, and regulation.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
In our first episode, Professor Raquel Peixoto joins Professor Jack Gilbert for a deep dive into coral reefs, microbes, and the future of our planet.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 3
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 2
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
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Why chromogenic media matters when testing for invasive pathogens: Could the cheapest plate be an expensive decision?
Chris Armstrong, President of Microbiology, Thermo Fisher Scientific, argues that laboratories should stop judging fungal culture media on unit price alone.
Disease X and the limits of voluntary multilateralism
Disease X is less a biological uncertainty than a governance stress test. The real question is whether the WHO Pandemic Agreement has corrected the failures exposed during COVID-19.
Listeria: the inconvenient truth that shaped our industry
Director General of the Chilled Food Association, Karin Goodburn MBE, who sits on AMI’s Food Security Advisory Group, reveals why the publication of new Listeria guidance for the UK food industry is regarded as a landmark moment.
Life is a rollercoaster: AMI Global Ambassador Chris Greening opens up on his ADHD journey
It can be the quiet moments that give you time to pause, ponder and sort through your tangled thoughts. For Professor Chris Greening, that moment came during a long bike ride last August that led to a ‘classic ADHD moment’.
Introducing AMI’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategy
Just over a month ago, AMI launched its first Diversity & Inclusion Strategy — the culmination of almost two years spent brainstorming, drafting, discussing, editing, and reviewing our role, responsibility, and ambitions within this vital space. Now that our strategy is live and visible to all, we’re proud to share the vision we’ve been building behind the scenes.
Summer Studentship: novel antivirals and host-virus interactions
Jessica Harris reports back on her Summer Studentship at De Montfort University, and her research into how plant-derived compounds affect viruses, and whether combining these antivirals might increase viral inhibition.
Study finds blood pressure drug effective for treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria
A new study reports that a drug used to lower blood pressure could also be the basis of a promising new treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Candesartan cilexetil not only killed MRSA bacteria at different growth stages, but also reduced the formation of biofilms.
Modeling premature aging in yeast reveals key effects of progerin on cellular lifespan
Researchers developed a yeast-based model to study premature aging by expressing Progerin, the toxic protein responsible for Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Using genetically engineered yeast cells, they compared the effects of Progerin with its normal counterpart, Lamin A.
Scientists explore the bidirectional skin-brain axis: Mental health, dermatology-related quality of life, and the role of probiotics
Researchers investigating associations between mental health, dermatology-related quality of life (DLQI), and probiotic intake in 305 Brazilian adults found that women had significantly higher scores for anxiety, depression, and stress compared to men.
Food security
Poor hygiene and food handling practices increase the risk of bacterial outbreaks in Brazilian households
A significant number of Brazilians engage in improper food hygiene and handling practices at home. Examples include washing meat in the kitchen sink and failing to properly wash vegetables.
Clean Water
Hong Kong’s waters at risk from over-the-counter drug pollution
A recent study of Hong Kong’s river and estuary systems has uncovered an overlooked major source of water pollution: common over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Accessible, everyday OTC drugs accounted for up to 85% of pharmaceutical pollution in these waters during the wet season.
Helping corals survive future heatwaves requires strong and strategic trait selection
A new study exploring host assisted evolution in corals have created a unique, pedigree-tracked coral population over the last eight years, allowing them to map family relationships and measure how multiple key traits—such as growth, reproduction and survival—are inherited.
