AMI warns that the threat of antimicrobial resistance in viruses and other pathogens cannot be underestimated
Applied Microbiology International (AMI) has urged global policymakers to strengthen the revised Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (GAP-AMR), calling for a more inclusive, clear and equitable approach to tackling one of the world’s most urgent health challenges.
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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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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?
Key lessons from the saMBA studies on human gut microbiome diversity
A recent study published in Nature Communications introduced the South American MicroBiome Archive (saMBA). The study offers several critical insights that deserve careful consideration.
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.
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.
Traces of bacteria inside brain tumors may affect tumor behavior
Scientists have uncovered unexpected traces of bacteria within brain tumors. This discovery offers new insights into the environment in which brain tumors grow and sets the stage for future studies seeking to improve treatment outcomes.
Next-generation microbiome medicine may revolutionize the treatment of Parkinson’s and similar disorders
Scientists have engineered the probiotic bacterium Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 as a drug-delivery system that continuously produces and delivers the gold-standard Parkinson’s drug Levodopa, which is converted to dopamine in the brain. E. coli Nissle strain was chosen for its century-long record of safely treating gastrointestinal disorders in humans.
Food security
New blueprint for nature’s carbon-capturing nanomachines revealed
Researchers have uncovered how bacterial organelles assemble, opening new routes for bioengineering and climate innovation. The team has unveiled the most detailed picture yet of how bacteria construct microscopic compartments known as carboxysomes – natural nanomachines that play a vital role in capturing and converting carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Clean Water
Everyday levels of antibiotics in the environment may accelerate the global spread of resistance, new study finds
A new study shows that even very small amounts of antibiotics that commonly appear in soil, rivers, wastewater, and agricultural runoff may significantly accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria.
Predicting the development of biological communities in different kinds of ecosystems
Researchers tested a mechanistic consumer-resource model and confirmed its high predictive capacity. Using the model, the researchers refined current rules on the coexistence of species, too. Their findings can be applied to any situation in which communities of organisms compete for resources.
