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.
News
Bacterial villain behind Lake Erie’s ‘potent toxin’ unveiled by study
In Lake Erie, cyanobacteria can proliferate out of control, creating algal blooms that produce toxins that can harm wildlife and human health. Researchers have IDed the organism responsible for the toxins: a cyanobacteria called Dolichospermum.
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NewsBroader antibiotic use could change the course of cholera outbreaks, research suggests
Disease modeling research suggests that, for some cholera outbreaks, prescribing antibiotics more aggressively could slow or stop the spread of the disease and even reduce the likelihood of antibiotic resistance.
NewsCyanobacterium study reveals how circadian clocks maintain robustness in changing environments
New research has uncovered how a simple circadian clock network demonstrates advanced noise-filtering capabilities, enhancing our understanding of how biological circuits maintain accuracy in dynamic natural environments.
NewsMicrobes in Brooklyn Superfund site teach lessons on fighting industrial pollution
Researchers discover unprecedented pollution-fighting genetic adaptations in tiny organisms inhabiting Brooklyn’s highly contaminated Gowanus Canal, revealing a potential new approach for cleaning contaminated waters and recovering valuable resources.
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Patients with multi drug-resistant cholera in Europe linked to exposure to contaminated holy water from Ethiopia
Exposure to holy water from Ethiopia has recently been linked to several cases of cholera in the UK and Germany with a multidrug-resistant Vibrio cholerae strain, according to a new study.
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NewsAñana Saltern microorganisms help to clarify the groundwater flow pattern
The MicroIker group of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has explored the diversity and distribution of unicellular organisms in the springs of the Añana Salt Valley.
NewsIn Croatia’s freshwater lakes, selfish bacteria hoard nutrients, shaping food webs
Researchers have documented ’selfish polysaccharide uptake’ by bacteria in freshwater ecosystems for the first time. They found that nutrient hoarding allows selfish species to dominate over others, which could shape a lake’s food web.
NewsKīlauea volcano’s ash prompted largest open ocean phytoplankton bloom
Through satellite tracking, a global study uncovered the reasons behind the stimulation of phytoplankton growth in the North Pacific Ocean, linking to the deposition of ashes to the major eruption of the Kīlauea Volcano in 2018 and nutrient deprivation in the ocean.
NewsMulti-virus wastewater surveillance shows promise at smaller, site-specific scales
In a new study, wastewater surveillance for multiple pathogens at five different sites identified local trends that were not captured in larger surveillance programs, and some sites used the data to inform efforts to prevent disease spread.
NewsScientists discover new microbe phylum cleaning the water in Earth’s deep soil
Scientists have discovered a new phylum of microbes in the Earth’s Critical Zone, an area of deep soil that restores water quality. Ground water, which becomes drinking water, passes through where these microbes live, and they consume the remaining pollutants.
NewsResearch to tackle Prymnesium algal blooms which affect fish populations
A scientific initiative to combat harmful Prymnesium algal blooms in the Broads is gaining fresh momentum, thanks to a renewed collaboration.
NewsUK’s first water monitoring center launched to act as early-warning system for disease outbreaks and community health
The University of Bath is launching the UK’s first early-warning public health surveillance system based on detecting tiny traces of chemicals and biological markers found in water.
CareersRevolutionizing water safety: a rapid solution for detecting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli contamination
Contaminated water is particularly dangerous in rural areas where private groundwater wells supply drinking water to households - but AMI One Health Advisory Group member Dr Zina Alfahl reveals a low-cost, simple way to check for STEC.
News‘She loves me, she loves me not’: physical forces encouraged evolution of multicellular life, scientists propose
A new study presents a striking example of cooperative organization among cells as a potential force in the evolution of multicellular life. The paper is based on the fluid dynamics of cooperative feeding by Stentor, a relatively giant unicellular organism.
NewsAMI members show the way on how microbes are already solving environmental disasters
Applied Microbiology International members are among a team of high level microbiologists who have teamed up to highlight how the world’s tiniest creatures are delivering solutions to climate change and pollution.
NewsCoral diseases and water quality play a key role for coral restoration and survival efforts
A recent study which examined threatened Staghorn coral species found that while some coral genotypes displayed resistance to either high nutrient levels from run-off or disease, none were resistant to both stressors simultaneously.
NewsA study identifies ‘surprising’ cause of sargassum blooms in the Caribbean
A group of interantional researchers identified the cause of sargassum blooms in the tropical Atlantic Ocean using computer modelling. They have modelled the ocean currents, wind pattern and the growth conditions that help them thrive in the region.
NewsBacteria key to solar-powered method to convert sewage sludge into green hydrogen and animal feed
Scientists have developed an innovative solar-powered method to transform sewage sludge — a by-product of wastewater treatment — into green hydrogen for clean energy and single-cell protein for animal feed.
NewsResearchers announce breakthrough in next-generation polio vaccines
Researchers have taken a major step towards producing a more affordable and lower-risk polio vaccine using virus-like particles (VLPs). These particles mimic the outer protein shell of poliovirus, but are empty inside.