Latest news
Bacteria use collisions to navigate crowded environments
Scientists have found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa solves the challenge of moving in crowded environments with a simple sensory mechanism that allows the bacteria to actively modulate their collective organization through touch.
Vanillin provides a sweet solution for chronic wound healing
Researchers have found that vanillin has pronounced antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it a good candidate for wound-healing formulations.
New microscopy investment will help unlock solutions to costly crop diseases
The James Hutton Institute has secured £640,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) ALERT 2025 programme to install a new confocal microscope that will enable scientists to undertake a range of studies at the cellular level, while also opening up new scientific possibilities through enhanced imaging capabilities.
Even brief e-cigarette use can cause lasting lung damage and weaken defenses against respiratory viruses
Just days of e-cigarette vapor exposure can injure the lungs’ most delicate tissue and leave it more vulnerable to viral infection, according to a study. Prior vaping exposure also increased SARS-CoV-2 viral burden and suppressed several antiviral genes following infection.
Blue light could cut food poisoning from raw chicken
A low-power blue light could be the key to significantly reducing food poisoning caused by raw chicken in the UK, scientists have found.They tested violet-blue photodynamic inactivation (VB-PDI) against 64 different strains of Campylobacter - every strain was killed by the treatment, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile.
Model traces C. diff spread in hospital oncology units
In a new study, researchers modeled the transmission of Clostridioides difficile infections among patients in hospital cancer units. They found that most new infections were introduced by patients who were infected but not symptomatic at the time of admission, rather than by patients who were infected and symptomatic.
Bacteria use collisions to navigate crowded environments
Scientists have found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa solves the challenge of moving in crowded environments with a simple sensory mechanism that allows the bacteria to actively modulate their collective organization through touch.
Vanillin provides a sweet solution for chronic wound healing
Researchers have found that vanillin has pronounced antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it a good candidate for wound-healing formulations.
Even brief e-cigarette use can cause lasting lung damage and weaken defenses against respiratory viruses
Just days of e-cigarette vapor exposure can injure the lungs’ most delicate tissue and leave it more vulnerable to viral infection, according to a study. Prior vaping exposure also increased SARS-CoV-2 viral burden and suppressed several antiviral genes following infection.
AFYREN and Terrial renew their partnership for French-manufactured potash fertilizers
AFYREN and Terrial today announce the renewal of their strategic partnership with the signing of a new multi-year fertilizer supply contract, worth several tens of millions of euros This long-term contract strengthens both companies’ commitment to making French agriculture more sustainable and less dependent on international fertilizer markets.
Sharpening an essential tool for biotechnology
Scientists develop a database of validated guide RNAs to improve engineering of microbes for manufacturing applications.
Green hydrogen production and storage using alcohols, iron, and baker’s yeast
A new recyclable system uses baker’s yeast to store H₂ in organic molecules and iron ions to release it when needed - offering a promising route toward more sustainable hydrogen production and storage.
Scientists use bacteria to produce muconic acid from plants
Researchers have engineered a soil bacterium to synthesize muconic acid, a valuable chemical in the manufacturing industry, from plant matter.
Scientists mine fragmented data for antibiotics and cancer treatments
Researchers have developed a practical strategy for recovering biosynthetic information from fragmented metagenomic data. Through this work, the researchers identified and prioritized promising natural-product candidates with potential antibacterial or anticancer activity.
Water transformed into a weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Engineers have developed a new approach for turning ordinary water into a weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a study that hinges on a new kind of crystal made from titanium dioxide. These crystals transform the normal oxygen molecules in water into a special molecule known as “singlet” oxygen.
New microscopy investment will help unlock solutions to costly crop diseases
The James Hutton Institute has secured £640,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) ALERT 2025 programme to install a new confocal microscope that will enable scientists to undertake a range of studies at the cellular level, while also opening up new scientific possibilities through enhanced imaging capabilities.
Student earns competitive fellowship for research on corn’s defense against bacteria
New funding has been awarded for research focused on understanding how plants protect themselves against pathogens. Peyton Sorensen looks specifically at corn and two of its bacterial pathogens: Xanthomonas and Clavibacter, which cause bacterial leaf streak and Goss’s bacterial wilt and blight, respectively.
Soil Stars join forces to develop ambitious challenges to tackle global soil degradation
Scientists, farmers, policymakers, business leaders, investors and leading voices from science and culture have joined forces to develop ambitious new challenges designed to harness the power of soil microbes to tackle global soil degradation.