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
New CRISPR proteins expand editing access to heart disease genes
A researcher has used his AI-supported Sequence Display technology to expand the targeting abilities of CRISPR/Cas9, evolving several variants of a compact Cas9 that could efficiently target stretches of DNA previously inaccessible for editing. The evolved Cas9s were successfully used to edit two genes found in coronary heart disease.
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NewsHow a gut virus hijacks mucus production to slip past the body’s protective barrier
A recent study reveals how astroviruses use goblet cells as an escape route from the small intestines to evade host immunity and enhance spread and transmission, presenting a new path for treating pediatric diarrhea.
NewsSimulator predicts jumping genes’ roles in changing genome size
Researchers have created a new computational tool that works from an inferred ancestral point and evolves forward to the modern-day genome to trace the insertion and deletion dynamics of these ’jumping genes’, known as transposable elements.
News40-year mystery solved: Common gut virus infects bacteria, not human cells
Ever since one denizen of the gut microbiome, known as picobirnavirus, was first spotted decades ago, researchers thought it directly infected human tissue and played a role in gastrointestinal illness. But researchers have just rewritten that story: This widespread virus infects gut bacteria, not human cells.
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News
Review probes marine host-microbe symbioses - and what they mean for conservation
A new review casts new light on what the ocean can tell us about the partnership between animals and microbes. Almost every marine organism, from corals and sponges to squid, fish, deep-sea mussels and seagrasses, lives as a holobiont: a host together with the bacteria, archaea, microscopic eukaryotes and viruses it carries.
NewsMigratory birds spread avian influenza to Greenland’s polar bears
Migrating birds that breed in the Arctic are spreading avian influenza to polar bears in eastern Greenland, according to a new study that found evidence of infections in bear blood samples acquired from Greenland Inuit subsistence hunters.
NewsScientists discover migration-mediated mechanism enabling bacteria-virus coexistence
A study shows how collective movement enables viruses to persist with migrating bacterial colonies while minimizing the risk of either complete viral takeover or bacterial escape.
NewsLike humans, some primates become cautious of germs in the wake of a viral outbreak
Researchers found that macaque monkeys who had lived through a deadly disease outbreak became significantly more cautious about food that appeared contaminated, even though they did not know how the disease had spread. The findings suggest that pathogen-avoidance behavior can be shaped by experience, offering clues about the evolutionary roots of disgust.
NewsCould plywood provide a better home for oil-degrading microbes?
The material used to support microbial biofilms could influence their potential role in treating water generated during oil production. Researchers examined whether different supporting materials affect the formation, abundance, and composition of biofilms inside a 14-hectare constructed wetland treating oil-produced water.
NewsNewly discovered viruses could bridge a missing link in evolution
Researchers have uncovered previously unknown viruses that appear to bridge the evolutionary gap between viruses and protein compartments found inside cells. The discovery suggests these systems may have evolved from one another repeatedly, offering new clues about the origins of cellular organisation and the early evolution of life.
NewsScientists discover a way to reverse coral bleaching at record speed
For the first time, scientists have observed bleached corals on the brink of death fully recover through brief contact with healthy clones. Ghostly white corals returned to full health in a laboratory setting within seven weeks, the fastest documented recovery to date, according to a study.
NewsResearchers engineer the first bacterial biocatalyst of a toolbox to produce greener pharma and food ingredients
To produce pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, and flavours and fragrances, it is often necessary to oxidise alcohols. But there is a more sustainable route: living organisms, including fungi, produce galactose oxidases, proteins that can carry out the same reactions on alcohols and simple sugars under mild conditions, using oxygen.
NewsStudy finds Helicobacter pylori exposure may be associated with more than one in five colorectal cancer cases worldwide
An international collaborative research study has found that exposure to Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium known to cause stomach ulcers and gastric cancer, may be associated with approximately 22% of colorectal cancer cases globally.
NewsResearchers engineer more sensitive CRISPR tool for virus detection
Researchers have engineered a more sensitive version of the RNA-targeting CRISPR enzyme Cas13a, improving its detection performance by 100-fold without sacrificing stability. The tool could support faster and more adaptable tests for HIV and a wide range of other RNA viruses.
NewsCoral heat tolerance depends on species and location
Not all corals cope with rising ocean temperatures in the same way. New research shows that heat tolerance can vary sharply between species and even between nearby populations, with some corals from cooler, more exposed reefs proving unexpectedly resilient to thermal stress.
NewsMicroalgae show promise as sustainable fertiliser for malting barley
New research has demonstrated that microalgae could provide a sustainable alternative to conventional mineral fertilisers for malting barley production. The study explored whether microalgae could help reduce the agricultural sector’s reliance on synthetic mineral fertilisers while maintaining crop performance and grain quality.
NewsElephants continue to shape the savanna even after death
Researchers who studied the sites of elephant carcasses in South Africa’s Kruger National Park discovered that decomposition creates nutrient hotspots that can persist on the landscape for years, possibly decades. This flush of nutrients fuels microbial activity and plant vigor, which attracts herbivores to the site long after the visual signs of the elephant have disappeared.
NewsResearchers uncover blueprint for more sustainable agriculture
Researchers have revealed an entirely unexpected blueprint for how one of the oldest microbes on Earth processes nitrogen to create ammonia, the building block of fertilizer. They uncovered a previously unknown structure in a key enzyme responsible for biological nitrogen fixation.
NewsThe gooier marine snow is, the better it is at transporting carbon, new study finds
Scientists have revealed that the viscosity of marine snow can have a major impact on how quickly it’s broken down and how far it sinks, factors that influence how much carbon it transports to the deep ocean. They found that gooey marine snow can shuttle more than six times the carbon to the deep ocean than less viscous particles.
NewsFungi that colonise human faeces: first scientific study lays the groundwork for myco-sanitation
Filamentous fungi can colonise fresh human faeces, and the choice of fungal species shapes how the material changes, according to a new study. Depending on the species, the fungi accelerated degradation, reduced faecal indicator bacteria, suppressed faecal odour or changed the appearance of the material.
NewsWhat makes hantaviruses jump from rodents to humans?
Why do some hantaviruses jump from rodents to humans while others remain largely confined to wildlife? A new study will combine viral genetics, climate data and wildlife ecology to uncover the conditions that drive spillover and help identify where future outbreaks are most likely to emerge.
NewsWine-like terroir: Influence of wild plants results in distinctive microbial and flavour signatures in Munkoyo
Wild plants traditionally used as natural starter cultures for fermentation of Munkoyo, a traditional non/very low-alcoholic fermented cereal beverage consumed in parts of Africa, can influence not only the initiation of fermentation but also the microbial communities and flavour characteristics of the final beverage.
NewsPetal ‘windows’ affect the abundance of microbes within flowers
Some flowers have petals with small semi-translucent sections. Research reveals that these “windows” alter the amount of light and heat entering the flower and create conditions that influence microbial abundance.