Food security
Millions of people are undernourished globally and with the population growing, food security is a major concern. Food security is multifaceted, requiring advancements in food safety, ensuring products have a good shelf life, reducing spoilage and providing dietary additions to improve the nutrient intake of the population. The application of microbiology is far reaching, and new approaches are required to maintain food security. Through an improved understanding of plant-microbe interactions, it is possible to forecast and mitigate food shortages.
News
One strain, two jobs: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1 degrades wheat straw and suppresses aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1SQ1 functions as a dual-purpose biocatalyst for wheat straw biomass, breaking down cellulose while inhibiting fungal growth, thereby enhancing straw biotransformation, mitigating mycotoxin risk and supporting early crop growth.
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NewsHow plants unwittingly help fungal pathogens
Infecting a maize plant is no simple task for a fungal pathogen such as Ustilago maydis. A group of researchers has now uncovered how the fungus detects that it has successfully entered its host. This signal triggers changes in fungal growth.
NewsVirus-based tool opens a faster route to studying cowpea genes
Genome sequencing of cowpea has provided researchers with numerous candidate genes, and genetic transformation has enabled studies of traits such as drought and heat tolerance. A new study reports sustained gene silencing across seven cowpea varieties and demonstrates the system’s utility for investigating jasmonate regulation during leafminer infestation.
NewsNew platform reveals broad viral exposure histories in pigs
Pigs can retain antibody traces of past viral encounters, yet conventional tests usually examine only a limited number of viruses at a time. Researchers have developed a platform that uses 36,416 short protein fragments from 140 swine-associated viruses to screen many antibody responses in parallel.
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Manganese-enhanced biochar helps soil retain nitrogen while reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Adding manganese to biochar can help soil retain more nitrogen by strengthening a natural microbial process. Scientists demonstrated that manganese-loaded biochar increased a key nitrogen-conserving microbial process by 2.9 times compared with untreated soil, while substantially reducing emissions of nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas.
News£4 million awarded to develop vaccines that protect livestock and tackle growing biosecurity threat
Scientists are set to receive £4 million to help tackle the growing biosecurity threat faced by the UK. The project will develop an mRNA vaccine platform for use across major livestock species. This platform will help prepare for future epidemics, tackle antimicrobial resistance, and accelerate the development of next-generation animal vaccines.
NewsTwo paths to healthier soils: Scientists reveal how straw and biochar store carbon differently
Researchers discovered that combining manure with straw or biochar significantly increased soil organic carbon, but through two distinct pathways. Straw primarily stimulated microbial activity and carbon transformation, while biochar improved soil structure and the physical protection of carbon.
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.
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.
NewsMultitarget compound strengthens tomato defenses against TYLCV with layered response
Scientists testing compounds against tomato yellow leaf curl virus found that one antiviral appears to protect tomato plants by coordinating several defensive routes rather than depending on one narrow antiviral action. It strengthens resistance-associated gene activity while also engaging host proteins that may support viral infection.
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.
CareersFood and innovation: Reflections from FOODMicro 2026
AMI Food Security Advisory Group member Professor Marciane Magnani, a Full Professor of Food Science at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Brazil, reflects on her experiences of FOODMICRO 2026 in Slovenia.
NewsGut bacteria shape how fiber works
Eating more fiber does not necessarily mean the same thing for every gut microbiome. New research shows that plant-based carbohydrates can favor Segatella copri only when certain other bacteria are already present, revealing how strongly diet depends on the microbial community it enters.
NewsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics warns of dangers in consuming raw dairy products
Updated guidance warns that raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products can expose children and pregnant people to serious infections, with H5N1 now emerging as an additional concern. Experts say pasteurisation provides the same nutritional benefits while dramatically reducing the risk from harmful bacteria and viruses.
NewsAn unexpected lab guest reveals a natural pest repellent
An accidental fruit fly invasion in a research lab has led scientists to identify a naturally occurring yeast that repels a major blueberry pest. The unexpected discovery could eventually support new non-chemical ways to protect soft-fruit crops.
NewsNew microscopy investment will help unlock solutions to costly crop diseases
The James Hutton Institute has secured £640,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) ALERT 2025 programme to install a new confocal microscope that will enable scientists to undertake a range of studies at the cellular level, while also opening up new scientific possibilities through enhanced imaging capabilities.
NewsBlue light could cut food poisoning from raw chicken
A low-power blue light could be the key to significantly reducing food poisoning caused by raw chicken in the UK, scientists have found.They tested violet-blue photodynamic inactivation (VB-PDI) against 64 different strains of Campylobacter - every strain was killed by the treatment, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile.
NewsDesert alga could hold the key to more resilient crops
A single-celled green alga from the sand dunes of the Negev Desert has, within just a few years, become a key model organism in modern photosynthesis research. Chlorella ohadii helps researchers better understand plants’ adaptability to extreme environmental conditions.
NewsStaphylococcus aureus is highly resistant and virulent in milk
Staphylococcus aureus is frequently found in human and veterinary infections. Its ability to withstand antibiotic treatment makes it a major clinical challenge. To better understand the factors underlying this resistance, the scientists investigated the growth of the bacterium in two environments relevant to infection: milk and serum.
NewsStudent earns competitive fellowship for research on corn’s defense against bacteria
New funding has been awarded for research focused on understanding how plants protect themselves against pathogens. Peyton Sorensen looks specifically at corn and two of its bacterial pathogens: Xanthomonas and Clavibacter, which cause bacterial leaf streak and Goss’s bacterial wilt and blight, respectively.
NewsWeather and poultry litter shape E. coli survival in onion fields
How long can E.coli survive in the soil beneath an onion crop? A two-year field study suggests the answer depends not only on the type of poultry-based fertiliser used, but also on weather conditions such as humidity, rain, temperature and wind. The findings could help growers and regulators better assess food safety risks as extreme weather becomes more common.
NewsMicrobes supercharge plant nutrition
Researchers have shown that microorganisms can improve the amino acid composition of crops. A new method can make plant-based foods more nutritious and also improve animal feed. In the long term, it could help reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture
VideoSoil Stars Heligan Summit Highlights
Watch highlights from the Soil Stars Heligan Summit and hear from those involved about the ideas, discussions and ambitions that shaped the meeting.