Latest news
Data from Earth’s most remote atoll show soil fungi are key to island regeneration
Palmyra Atoll, a remote, uninhabited speck of land, coral and sea halfway between Hawaiʻi and American Samoa, is one of the healthiest, intact atolls on the planet—so ecologically sensitive that visiting researchers freeze their clothes at night to kill invasive species.
The handbook that can prepare countries for the next pandemic
A new handbook has been published to pave the way for better decision-making and greater preparedness for the next pandemic. It provides practical guidance on how mathematical models can be used to inform decision-making, and how the results can be communicated in times of crisis.
Scientists source anti-cancer treatment in bacteria
Researchers have developed an anti-cancer therapy inspired by bacteria found in cancer tumors. The therapy is made from a fragment of a bacterial protein, a peptide called aurB. In cancer tumors in the animal models, aurB prevented energy production in the tumor cells’ mitochondria, essentially cutting off the tumor’s fuel.
Tracking a persistent threat: How antibiotic-resistant bacteria travel from poultry farms to fresh produce
A new study develops an integrated quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to trace the pathway of ESBL-producing E. coli from broiler farms to lettuce consumption, quantifying human health risks and identifying effective intervention strategies.
Plasmodium uses its own PI3K to suppress eat-me signal and evade host immune clearance
A study finds that Plasmodium PI3K actively suppresses the externalization of phosphatidylserine on the surface of infected erythrocytes. When the activity of parasite PI3K was chemically inhibited or genetically disrupted, phosphatidylserine exposure on infected red blood cells increased markedly.
How the immune system battles lifelong viral infections acquired at birth
Millions of people worldwide carry viral infections they acquired at birth, often for life. For a long time it was assumed that the immune system hardly fights these pathogens. Researchers show that the body’s defenses do indeed act against the virus.
Data from Earth’s most remote atoll show soil fungi are key to island regeneration
Palmyra Atoll, a remote, uninhabited speck of land, coral and sea halfway between Hawaiʻi and American Samoa, is one of the healthiest, intact atolls on the planet—so ecologically sensitive that visiting researchers freeze their clothes at night to kill invasive species.
Scientists source anti-cancer treatment in bacteria
Researchers have developed an anti-cancer therapy inspired by bacteria found in cancer tumors. The therapy is made from a fragment of a bacterial protein, a peptide called aurB. In cancer tumors in the animal models, aurB prevented energy production in the tumor cells’ mitochondria, essentially cutting off the tumor’s fuel.
Tracking a persistent threat: How antibiotic-resistant bacteria travel from poultry farms to fresh produce
A new study develops an integrated quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to trace the pathway of ESBL-producing E. coli from broiler farms to lettuce consumption, quantifying human health risks and identifying effective intervention strategies.
CDI breakthroughs lead to new drug development deal for deadly NTM bacteria
Scientists have developed new compounds against non-tuberculous mycobacteria which are now the subject of a new collaboration and license agreement with the Switzerland-based and publicly listed BioVersys AG.
Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics signs agreement to develop anti-measles antibody treatment
The Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics has signed an option agreement with Saravir Biopharma Inc. for the company to develop human monoclonal antibodies isolated in the laboratory of James Crowe Jr., MD, for the treatment and prevention of measles.
Cleanroom specialist Total Clean Air appointed European partner for US-based biodecontamination firm, TOMI
UK-BASED cleanroom engineering company Total Clean Air (TCA), a UKAS ISO 17025-accredited cleanroom constructor, has been appointed European partner for US-based decontamination technology firm TOMI®Environmental Solutions.
Stick-on gel offers new way to treat and monitor plants
Scientists have developed an adhesive gel that can be loaded with substances, such as small molecule drugs or nanoparticles, and applied directly onto a plant to deliver those materials into its tissues. In tests, a gel loaded with antibiotics cleared a bacterial infection in a plant within about 48 hours.
A universal toolkit for editing bacterial DNA
A major collaboration involving nine labs has transferred a particularly useful DNA editing system from E. coli into 14 new species of bacteria, spanning three major branches of the bacterial family tree.
Computational approach takes the guesswork out of drug development for Chagas disease
Researchers have established a computational protocol that could accelerate the development of more effective treatments for life-threatening parasitic infections such as Chagas disease, by enabling scientists to accurately identify reactions that can result in successful drug candidates without the need for trial and error.
The handbook that can prepare countries for the next pandemic
A new handbook has been published to pave the way for better decision-making and greater preparedness for the next pandemic. It provides practical guidance on how mathematical models can be used to inform decision-making, and how the results can be communicated in times of crisis.
Global Virus Network statement on H5N1 vaccine developments
The new vaccine momentum reflects the growing urgency of avian influenza (H5N1) threat and reinforces the need for coordinated global preparedness.
Phage therapy at a turning point: Valencia 2026 to define the next era of antibacterial medicine
The Targeting Phage Therapy 2026 Congress will bring together leading scientists, clinicians, microbiologists, engineers, biotech leaders, regulators, hospital teams, start-ups, and innovators to ask: How can phage therapy move from promising science to accessible, validated, and deployable medicine?