Economic Equality
Across the globe there are huge disparities in access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and economic resources, with the UN estimating over 98 million people live on less than $1.90 a day. It is vital for microbial research to identify those areas which actively maintain cycles of poverty and disparity. In recognising the interconnected nature of human financial systems and environmental health, microbial research can be a leader in working toward Economic Equality.
News
Study cites link between mental health and long COVID in older women
Older women who have a history of both depression and anxiety had a 78% higher risk of developing long COVID after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, report researchers. Infection rates were not higher; only their risk of complications increased.
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NewsNaval Research Lab Space Station study reveals key challenges and opportunities for microbial biomanufacturing in space
Scientists have completed a spaceflight biology investigation aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that reveals how microgravity fundamentally alters microbial metabolism, limiting the efficiency of biological manufacturing processes critical to future long-duration space missions.
NewsEarly warning for wine spoilage glows in the dark
Researchers have built a living biosensor made of bacteria that lights up when it detects acetic acid, the main chemical signal that wine is starting to spoil. It works in real time, even in high-alcohol conditions, so wineries can catch problems early, before flavor and quality are damaged.
NewsMethane eating microbes turn a powerful greenhouse gas into green plastics, feed, and fuel
Methane eating microbes could help turn a powerful greenhouse gas into everyday products like animal feed, green plastics, and cleaner fuels, according to a new scientific review of fast moving research on these unusual bacteria.
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How a potential antibiotics ban could affect apple growers
Antibiotic resistance in human and animal health is on the forefront of public debate, but it’s a less well-known issue in plant agriculture. However, antibiotics are important tools in fruit production, and their efficacy hinges on avoiding resistance in disease-causing bacteria.
Scientists synthesize medicarpin in baker’s yeast
Scientists have developed a way to synthesize medicarpin in yeast. Like palitaxel in the 1990s, this tumor-attacking sustance has only limited natural quantitites and is considered difficult to synthesize.
From small experiments to big production: how constant impeller tip speed helps scale-up
Rhamnolipids (RL) are widely used in areas such as oil recovery and bioremediation, but their industrial production has long faced key challenges in the scale-up stage, including poor scalability and reproducibility.
Scientists reprogramme E. coli to transform sugars into eco-friendly surfactant
A new study demonstrates a sustainable microbial strategy for producing lauryl glucoside by engineering a non-natural biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli, revealing precursor availability as a key bottleneck and moving towards greener biomanufacturing.
Decoding the fermentation of ‘Nam Hom’ coconut cider: How yeast choice shapes aroma, flavor, and bioactive compounds
A new study offers a scientific roadmap for producing coconut cider from ‘Nam Hom’ coconut with tailored flavor profiles and enhanced bioactive value, opening new opportunities for value-added coconut beverages.
Scientists develop new biosynthetic route to optically pure S-2-Hydroxyisovalerate
By uncovering an unexpected enzyme activity and combining it with precise metabolic engineering, scientists has transformed Escherichia coli into a microbial factory capable of producing gram-per-liter levels of optically pure S-HIV from renewable carbon sources.
Scientists explore how gut bacteria alter the flavor of Black Ivory coffee beans
Coffee beans that pass through the digestive tracts of animals get their unique flavors from the activity of gut microbes, report researchers. Bacterial activity that reduces the pectin content of Black Ivory coffee could be the source of its smoother, chocolaty, and less bitter flavor.
Not only toxic but also a nutrient: guanidine as a nitrogen source
Cyanobacteria are key ecological players of global carbon and nitrogen cycles. They are also becoming increasingly important for carbon-neutral biotechnology. They could serve as green cell factories for a light-driven and sustainable production of chemicals and fuels – a central pillar of the sustainable bioeconomy.
From palm oil to designer enzymes: researchers reprogram yeast cells
Many everyday products contain fatty acids from palm oil or coconut oil, but the extraction of these raw materials is associated with massive environmental issues. Researchers have now developed a biotechnological approach that could enable a more environmentally friendly production method.
Commercially viable biomanufacturing: designer yeast turns sugar into lucrative chemical 3-HP
Using a tiny, acid-tolerant yeast, scientists have demonstrated a cost-effective way to produce industial chemical 3-Hydroxypropanoic acid, making disposable diapers, microplastics, and acrylic paint more sustainable through biomanufacturing.
Beyond gene scissors: New CRISPR mechanism discovered
Two studies describe how researchers found a novel CRISPR mechanism, Cas12a2, in a family of nucleases that exclusively cleave DNA. In contrast, Cas12a2 was able to broadly cleave both RNA and DNA.
CRISPR discovery could lead to single diagnostic test for COVID, flu, RSV
Researchers report newly discovered details about the Cas12a3 immune system that precisely targets transfer RNA in invading pathogens, without destroying host cells.
Researchers eye goal of turning garden and crop waste into plastics
A research team will combine eco-friendly and application-oriented approaches to develop a cost-effective, energy-efficient technology for making innovative plastics based on polybutylene succinate (PBS) which are made entirely out of organic waste.
New database to target chronic UTIs – a long-overlooked condition that may begin in childhood
A new database targeting chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) – a long-overlooked condition that may begin in childhood – is set to help researchers uncover why millions of women and girls worldwide suffer from infections that defy treatment and stump microbiologists.
A practical guide for characterization of novel CRISPR-Cas systems with Pro-CRISPR factors
In this protocol, the authors provide a method encompassing protein purification, biochemical characterization, validation of protein-protein interactions, and preliminary in vivo functional assays in bacteria for Cas nuclease and its associated Pro-CRISPR factor.
A new natural sunscreen: novel compound discovered from thermophilic cyanobacteria
Natural sunscreens shield the skin from harmful radiation, without triggering allergic reactions. Researchers have discovered a novel compound, β-glucose-bound hydroxy mycosporine-sarcosine, which is produced in thermal cyanobacteria under UV-A/UV-B and salt stress.
Scientists reveal how excess hydrogen triggers metabolic shifts and viral defense in syngas microbiomes
Syngas biomethanation—converting CO/CO₂/H₂ into renewable methane—relies on coordinated microbial interactions. A study reveals that excess hydrogen disrupts this balance, reducing methanogenesis efficiency and triggering major shifts in microbial metabolism and viral dynamics.
Rare earth elements: of peptides and the origins of life
Elements from the group of rare earth metals are of great importance today, also in technical applications. Researchers have published two new studies - one examining peptides, which can bind these elements, while the other highlights the potential role of the elements in the origins of life.
Mutated baker’s yeast at the forefront of petroleum substitute tech
Researchers engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) introduced mutations into the genomic DNA. The researchers engineered four altered strains and subjected them to ethanol, heat, and low pH stressors.