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.
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Miso made in space tastes nuttier, researchers on the ISS find
A new study reveals how researchers successfully made miso on the International Space Station (ISS). They found that the miso smelled and tasted similar to miso fermented on Earth—just with a slightly nuttier, more roasted flavor. The team hopes this research will help broaden the culinary options available to astronauts.
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NewsEdible biofilm based on pomegranate peel extract extends the shelf life of strawberries
Fruit coated with the material showed 11% less weight loss during storage and took longer to start becoming contaminated by fungi.
NewsA new model is validated to predict the growth of listeria in artisanal fresh cheeses
Researchers have developed a new mathematical model capable of predicting the growth of listeriosis within food, making it possible to estimate the shelf lives of food products under different foreseeable storage conditions.
NewsNew discovery boosts wheat’s fight against devastating disease
A new study reports a previously unknown molecular event that initiates the immune response to a major wheat disease. The findings provide strategies to engineer wheat that has stronger immunity against infection.
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AMI 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.
NewsBfR organises three-day conference on food microbiology
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the German Society for Microbiology and Hygiene (DGHM) and the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) are inviting researchers to the 19th Food Microbiology Conference in Berlin from 1 to 3 April.
NewsInfluenza of avian origin confirmed in a sheep in Yorkshire
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed a case of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep in Yorkshire following repeat positive milk testing.
NewsNature’s warriors: How rice plants detect and defend against viral invaders
A groundbreaking study uncovers a molecular mechanism by which rice cells perceive viral infections and initiate antiviral response, which significantly contributes to understanding of virus-host interactions for further disease resistance breeding.
NewsGatekeeping barriers manage communications between plants and bacteria
For over a century, the Casparian strip has been known as the root’s doorman, controlling what enters the plant. But a new study reveals it has a second job: regulating the delicate metabolic trade between plants and bacteria.
NewsNew study reveals high levels of fusarium mycotoxins in seized cannabis from Arizona and California
A recent study has uncovered alarming levels of Fusarium mycotoxins in illicit cannabis samples seized in Arizona and California. 16% of the 118 samples tested positive for harmful mycotoxins, posing potential health risks to consumers and highlighting the unregulated and dangerous nature of black-market cannabis.
NewsTeam finds regional, age-related trends in exposure to drug-resistant pathogen
A study from 10 US states found drug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni infections were highest in the 20-39 age group and that quinolone-resistant C. jejuni infections increased from 22.6% of those tested in 2013 to 33.54% in 2019. It identified regional differences in C. jejuni resistance to quinolones and six other classes of antibiotics.
NewsResearchers demonstrate new technique for boosting plant growth with bacteria
A single combined delivery system incorporating multiple active ingredients, including plant growth-promoting bacteria and agrochemicals, is developed to ensure beneficial bacterial survival and improve plant growths.
NewsThe key role of soil micro-food web complexity in agricultural productivity
Soils inoculated with micro-food webs have significantly higher levels of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), microbial biomass, and plant nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the control and untreated (unsterilized) soil, a new study shows.
NewsFood systems, climate change, and air pollution: Unveiling the interactions and solutions
A recent review delves into the complex relationships among food systems, climate change, and air pollution, highlighting the need for sustainable strategies to address these interconnected global challenges.
NewsStudy reveals complex interaction between plants and root microbiota in nutrient utilization
The root microbiota has a profound impact on plant growth and development, health, and adaptability to the environment. So, do the plants also have effects on the root microbiota, and if so, how do the two interact with each other?
NewsClove oil yields new Pickering emulsion formulation with enhanced antibacterial properties
Researchers developed a sustainable Pickering emulsion using carbon quantum dots (CQDs), promising solid particles for food applications, derived from clove essential oil residue. They found that CQDs with 40% ethanol demonstrated the highest emulsifying efficacy.
NewsFA Bio licenses two microbes to IFF’s Crop Biologicals division to advance microbial solutions for crop health
FA Bio, a leader in the discovery of sustainable agricultural products, has extended a license agreement on two microbials to IFF’s Crop Biologicals business.
NewsBacteria and minerals work together to detoxify arsenic in contaminated soils
New research shows that the interaction between arsenic-oxidizing bacteria and goethite, a common Fe mineral, significantly accelerates the conversion of arsenic from its highly toxic form, arsenite [As(III)], into the less harmful arsenate [As(V)].
NewsPurified immunoglobulin F(ab′) 2 prevents lethal staphylococcal enterotoxin B intoxication in mice and rhesus monkeys
Purified F(ab′)2 fragments are an effective antidote to lethal SEB doses in mice and rhesus monkeys, and therefore might be a favorable candidate for treating patients with severe SEB intoxication, a new study suggests.
NewsTranscription factor PoMbp1 promotes the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus by regulating polysaccharide utilisation
A study investigating the growth and development of Pleurotus ostreatus has found that PoMbp1 contains an APSES domain and localizes to the nucleus, indicating it belongs to the fungal-specific APSES transcription factors family.
NewsScientists reveal anti-bacterial role of plant metabolite
A study shows that a plant metabolite, erucamide, is able to target and disrupt a protein assembly of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, thus inhibiting their virulence. Understanding the metabolite’s molecular mechanisms could protect crops from infection.
NewsCan Rhizobium + low P increase the yield of common bean in Ethiopia?
A study found that bean inoculation with Rhizobium alone or in combination with P application, can increase grain yield of two common bean cultivars in Ethiopia.
NewsScientists probe how phytosiderophore regulates the rhizosphere dialogue between plants and microorganisms
DMA is a common phytosiderophore with the ability to activate the insoluble iron in soil, but has major limitations. A synthesized DMA analog, PDMA, is used to explore the response of rhizosphere microbes under the influence of phytosiderophores.