Young Innovators & Early Career Research
Early career research is crucial for science, and in delivering applied microbiology to the world. This page is focused on showcasing innovations and research from early career researchers across the globe and provides a hub for the latest news, opinions, careers advice and research for early career scientists. Discover how interdisciplinary colleagues from around the world are making advancements in, and through, applied microbiology.
News
Boyce Thompson Institute names Dr. Natalie Hoffmann inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellow
How do beneficial fungi grow into and through plant cells without destroying them in the process? That question sits at the center of Dr. Natalie Hoffmann’s research – and it’s what earned her the inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).
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News Researchers unveil new AI-driven system set to transform coral reef restoration
Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind bespoke AI system designed to assess coral health and detect early stress. BlueBiome is reimagining coral reef care by applying the same principles of preventive, precision health commonly used in human gut health.
NewsNew kind of CRISPR could treat viral infection and cancer by shredding sick cells’ DNA
A new technology uses a relative of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to kill target cells. When activated by a specific, programmable genetic target, the Cas12a2 protein rips a cell’s genome apart. Researchers programmed Cas12a2 to kill virus-infected cells or cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.
NewsResearchers flip the CRISPR script to develop world’s first DNA-guided gene editing tool for precise infectious disease diagnosis
A research team has successfully developed the world’s first DNA-guided CRISPR-Cas system capable of programmable RNA targeting and cleavage. This breakthrough overturns the conventional CRISPR paradigm, which uses RNA as a guide to target DNA.
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Careers
Q&A: Meet Letters in Applied Microbiology junior editor Verônica Ortiz Alvarenga
We caught up with Verônica Ortiz Alvarenga, a food engineer and Professor at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil, who is one of the newest Junior Editors with Letters in Applied Microbiology.
NewsNutrient imbalance may drive coral disease more than heat stress, new study suggests
New research shows that an imbalance of nutrients in seawater can cause coral disease – possibly to a greater extent than that from heat stress of warming oceans. Disruption of the delicate nutrient balance of the sea can destabilise microbial communities that live in harmony with corals.
NewsEarly life on Earth relied on a surprisingly scarce metal
A new study shows that 3.4 billion years ago, life on Earth relied on a metal called molybdenum, despite its limited availability at the time. It is the first to trace molybdenum’s use this far back in time.
NewsClimate change increases spillover risk of rodent-borne arenaviruses
Climate change is likely to drive rodent-borne arenaviruses into parts of South America that have never faced these diseases, according to an early risk projection model that incorporated climate projections, shifting rodent populations and the risks of human infection.
NewsModerate UV light is best to boost the vitamin D content of edible mushrooms, study finds
Researchers have discovered that moderate ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is best when the technique is used to enhance vitamin D₂ in edible mushrooms. Excessive exposure leads to nutrient degradation or a plateau effect, they found.
NewsProviding food baskets to people with tuberculosis is cost-effective and could avert over 100,000 deaths annually in India
Undernutrition is the single greatest modifiable risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). Researchers found that providing food baskets to people with TB and their households may save tens of thousands of lives annually in India if implemented at scale.
NewsResearchers identify natural compound that disarms drug-resistant bacteria
Scientists studying MRSA discovered that geranylgeranoic acid (GGA) – a naturally occurring fatty acid found in plants like ginger and turmeric – interferes with the bacteria’s virulence, its ability to infect, spread, defend itself, and cause disease.
NewsIn mice, viruses gain virulence in some individuals, depending on genetics and sex
New research demonstrates that some hosts appear to serve as “evolutionary accelerators” that could enable viruses to gain virulence more quickly.
NewsSimple new system keeps microscopes in focus automatically
Anyone who has ever used a microscope knows that it takes time to bring a sample into sharp focus. Now a team of scientists has developed an inexpensive robust fix for this problem that involves little more than a couple of LED lights and some physics-based processing.
NewsStick-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.
CareersFrom microbial processes to biofilm control: our interview with LAM deputy editor Marciane Magnani
We catch up with food microbiologist Professor Marciane Magnani of the Federal University of Paraíba in Brazil who has just been appointed as a Deputy Editor of Letters in Applied Microbiology.
NewsA 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.
NewsHow AI can help us count the ‘good’ viruses used in biopharmaceuticals
Researchers have developed a new methodology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to identify and count target viruses more efficiently than previous techniques. The new approach can be used in applications such as pharmaceutical biomanufacturing.
NewsResearchers deploy phage therapy in new frontier against antimicrobial resistant infectious diseases
A revelatory treatment for patients with life-threatening infectious diseases is being pioneered in Melbourne. VICPhage, a clinical partnership between The Alfred and Monash, is one of the first in Australia to offer end-to-end capacity in phage therapy to treat some of the most challenging infections.
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.
NewsNew study examines measles vaccination coverage after a postelimination outbreak
In 2022–2023, a large postelimination measles outbreak occurred in central Ohio. A study found that 20 months after the outbreak, MMR coverage across the entire primary care network (PCN) population remained well below herd immunity levels, with minimal gains.
NewsMen and women may differ in how fitness level Is linked to gut microbiome diversity
Aerobic fitness may be influenced by microbes in the gut, but men and women appear to show a different connection, according to a first-of-its-kind study.
NewsCosmetics from waste? New microbial discovery could enable more sustainable production of high-value chemical products
Researchers have made a key discovery about how certain bacterial strains produce a set of economically valuable chemicals — opening the door to new, more sustainable production methods. A family of molecules could be made via bacterial fermentation instead of from palm oil, as they are today.
NewsMicrobes contribute a surprisingly large array of proteins in fermented foods
A study examining the proteins found in fermented foods like yogurt, cheese and bread found that a surprisingly large number, and percentage, of microbial proteins contribute to their overall protein content.