Clean water
UNICEF estimates that over 2.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water. Micro-organisms are responsible for a host of waterborne diseases, but simultaneously offer solutions in purifying water and improving sanitation. Biofertilizers offer promising solutions for reduced nutrient runoff and wastewater recycling. As well as applying microbes to combat the problem, applied microbiologists can use their knowledge of health and disease to reduce cases of waterborne disease.
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Rain showers can dramatically impact fungal communities in urban lakes
Rainfall can have dramatic effects on the microbial communities living in urban lakes, a new paper published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology reveals.
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FeaturesTap water troubles: how drinking water systems contribute to NTM infections
Commonly found in dust and soil, NTM are worrying microbiologists and health experts alike. But is tap water an unsuspected vehicle for these deceptively harmful infections?
NewsResearchers deploy yeast platform to turn urine into high-value bio-implant material
Researchers have engineered a yeast platform that converts human urine from wastewater into hydroxyapatite, a high-value, biocompatible substance for use in dental and bone implants, restoration of archaeological artifacts and other applications.
NewsLiving near harmful algal blooms reduces life expectancy with ALS
Living close to cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms — which are present US-wide but are more common in coastal and Great Lake states — heightens the rate of dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a study suggests.
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Prescribing fewer antibiotics might not be enough to combat threat of superbugs, says new research
Antimicrobial resistance is still spreading in the environment despite a reduction in the amounts of antibiotic drugs prescribed, according to a new study. Multiple approaches will be required to tackle the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance to public health.
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NewsResearchers to harness the power of fungi for water filters
A groundbreaking project exploring the power of fungi to combat agricultural pollution is making significant strides, with researchers looking to begin live field trials later this year.
NewsAn oral cholera vaccination campaign aims to reach more than 2.6 million people in Sudan’s Khartoum State
A 10-day reactive oral cholera vaccination campaign, launched on 10 June in 5 localities in Sudan’s Khartoum State, aims to protect more than 2.6 million people aged 1 year and above from cholera infection, interrupt transmission and help contain the cholera outbreak.
NewsScientists discover 230 new giant viruses that shape ocean life and health
Using high-performance computing methods, researchers have identified 230 novel giant viruses in publicly available marine metagenomic datasets and characterized their functions.
NewsScientists uncover how certain cholera strains are so successful at evading phage attacks
A new study shows that a virulent lineage of cholera acquired multiple distinct bacterial immune systems that have protected it from diverse types of phages. This defense may have contributed to the massive scale of the Latin American epidemic.
NewsNatural algal communities can inhibit aquaculture pathogens
A new study has demonstrated that it is possible to develop a consortium of bacteria that can inhibit bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. This could potentially reduce the use of antibiotics in aquaculture and possibly other applications.
NewsWater researchers develop prediction system for harmful algae
Researchers are collaborating on a next-day prediction model to warn and inform water managers about harmful algal blooms. Using water samples and computer algorithms, the team developed prediction models based on two water sources feeding the Caloosahatchee River.
NewsCould nanoplastics in the environment turn E. coli into a bigger villain?
New research suggests certain nanoplastics may make foodborne pathogens more virulent. Nanoplastics with positively charged surfaces were more likely to cause physiological stress in E. coli O157:H7, making them pump out more Shiga-like toxin.
NewsMicroalgae remove antibiotic residues from wastewater, reducing environmental contamination
In the laboratory, the species Monoraphidium contortum removed some of the drugs added to the liquid and produced biomass with potential commercial value.
NewsSulfate-reducing bacteria drive elevated levels of mercury in Colorado mountain wetlands
Climate change is melting glaciers and permafrost in mountains, freeing up minerals containing sulfate to flow downstream into local watersheds. Elevated sulfate levels can increase methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin that accumulates up the food chain.
NewsWastewater treatment to fight the spread of antibiotic resistance
A metagenomics study has demonstrated that one type of bioreactor used in some wastewater plants – anaerobic membrane bioreactors – may be better at reducing the amount of ARGs released into the environment.