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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New ‘permanently wet’ coating method could transform wastewater treatment by helping bacteria survive better
Living bacteria embedded in coatings could clean wastewater, capture carbon and generate biofuels – if they survive the manufacturing process. Researchers have developed a method that keeps bacteria submerged throughout coating formation, increasing the number of surviving cells by around 500 times compared to conventional approaches.
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NewsHidden viruses reshape one of Earth’s largest carbon systems, study finds
Viruses play a far more active role in Earth’s carbon cycle than previously understood, according to new research that reveals how they infect and control microbes responsible for carbon production in some of the planet’s largest, darkest ecosystems.
NewsSynthetic biology leads to recyclable textiles: Engineered protein fibers for a cleaner future
Scientists have created protein-based materials, which are produced in bioreactors using genetically engineered microbes. These materials can be readily recycled after use and remade into the same fibers over multiple cycles. In addition, any microparticles, if released from these fibers during washing, would be biodegradable.
NewsSunlight and PVC pipes create a hidden driver of antibiotic resistance
New research shows that chemicals leaching from everyday PVC—especially after exposure to sunlight—can dramatically speed up the spread of resistance genes between bacteria. The effect was strongest at low to moderate concentrations, where the leachate triggered bacterial stress responses without killing the microbes.
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Flu signals in wastewater offer an early warning for community outbreaks
A research team has demonstrated that measuring influenza viral RNA in wastewater can be used to estimate community influenza incidence. The approach may help identify outbreak trends about one week earlier than publicly available patient report data.
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NewsResearchers develop AI tool to predict E. coli contamination in waterways
A new artificial intelligence framework will alert water managers to E. coli contamination risk before anyone falls sick. The AI-powered predictive modeling framework uses environmental and hydrometeorological data to provide early warnings of contamination in recreational waterways.
NewsSwansea spin-out Bionema Group receives second King’s Award for Enterprise
Bionema Group Ltd, a Swansea University spin-out specialising in biological crop protection and sustainable agriculture, has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2026. It highlights Bionema’s contribution to developing environmentally sustainable alternatives to synthetic pesticides.
NewsHow bacteria ‘chat’ their way to carbon-neutral water treatment
Global climate goals demand that wastewater treatment plants transform their operations. A new review reveals that quorum sensing (QS), the chemical communication system bacteria use to coordinate behavior, could be the key.
NewsHow river DNA can track fish, frogs, fungi and human feces — all at once
A single scoop of water from an Irish river revealed evidence not only of Ireland’s only frog species, but also signs of the dreaded B. dendrobatidis fungus, marking the first time this devastating amphibian disease has been spotted in the country and exposing a previously unknown risk to Ireland’s frog population.
NewsScientists uncover how pathogens switch on their virulence
A research team has uncovered how a key protein switches on the machinery that enables Leptospira pathogens to survive and cause disease. The findings provide new insights into how pathogens regulate their virulence and may open new avenues for therapeutic interventions.
NewsDetailed map of life-threatening Vibrio bacteria reveals new target for treatment
Scientists have mapped in unprecedented detail the structure of Vibrio bacteria, which can cause life-threatening infections linked to antibiotic resistance. The team behind the study say the finding could provide new targets for life-saving treatment.
NewsIs asphalt bad for our health? And can algae help?
Scientists studying how asphalt emissions impact respiratory health are also working on less toxic, lower-emitting asphalt formulations. One project involves growing a strain of algae that could reduce VOC emissions using wastewater from a treatment plant.
NewsViruses enhance sulfamethoxazole removal in wetlands by modulating bacteria-phage interactions
A new study examines the role of viruses in sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal in constructed wetlands. The research demonstrates that the addition of phage-concentrated solutions (PCS) enhances the degradation of SMX by enriching SMX-degrading bacteria.
NewsEngineered dual-bacterial sensors turn chemical signals into electricity
Most bacterial information transmission is done via electricity. While electricity-emitting bacteria exist, manipulating them into useful sensors has been quite challenging. Researchers recently developed a flexible bioelectrical sensor system called electroactive co-culture sensing system.
NewsHong 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.
NewsDon’t build the engine, grow it: biohybrid miniature robots using living organisms
By fusing living organisms like bacteria, algae, and insects with synthetic payloads, researchers are creating living biohybrid miniature robots that self-fuel, self-repair, and navigate environments that would paralyze a rigid silicon chip.
NewsStudy: Microbes show almost universal potential for biodegrading plastics
Researchers have identified more than 600,000 microbial proteins capable of breaking down natural and synthetic plastics, revealing a far broader biodegradation potential across microbes than previously known.
News American microbiologist behind global water safety breakthrough wins 2026 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
Professor Joan Bray Rose has been recognised for pioneering Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) as a global approach for assessing pathogen risks in water. QMRA has been adopted into global drinking water standards and enabled safe water reuse.
NewsHow soil microbes adapt to life in lakes
Researchers have analyzed the genome of bacteria living in Lake Zurich to conclude that microbes employ two different strategies to colonize new habitats. Some acquire new traits – but others reduce the size of their genome and lose some functions in order to successfully move to a new home.
News‘Safe’ fertilizer linked to extreme water quality loss in Canadian Prairies
Research has found that widespread application of the common farm fertilizer, urea, severely degrades water quality in the Canadian Prairies. Urea added to farm ponds increased growth of algae to levels 10 times higher than seen in other damaged ecosystems, such as Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba.
NewsFunctional traits, not phylogeny, drive gut microbial assembly in estuarine fish
By examining the gut microbiota of 61 sympatric fish species within the ecologically diverse Pearl River Estuary, researchers utilized this “natural laboratory” to disentangle complex biological drivers without the interference of geographical variation.
NewsNameko mucilage: An eco-friendly solution for microplastic pollution
Researchers use natural mucilage from nameko mushrooms for the removal of micro- and nano-plastics from water. The mucilage is rich in polysaccharides, particularly pectin—a naturally occurring plant-based compound—which is known for its particle-binding properties.