One health
Communicable diseases remain one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. There are disparities in the numbers of individuals affected by disease between low-and-middle-income countries and those in developed nations. Microbes will play in important role in drug discovery: producing anticancer drugs and antimicrobials. Applying One Health principles, to understand the interaction of pathogens and the human host, development of diagnostics, treatments, and disease prevention, applied microbiologists can shape global health and wellbeing outcomes.
News
A 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.
Read story
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.
NewsFrom precision intervention to a “virtual gut”: how close are we to predicting and steering the human microbiome?
A new review maps how multi-omics and machine learning could turn host-microbiome research from correlation hunting into actionable prediction and personalized therapy.
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.
More One Health
News
Gut microbiota impacts resistance to bacterial pneumonia: Study
A gut-lung connection influences susceptibility to infection by Acinetobacter baumannii, according to a new study. Investigators found that antibiotics disrupt the gut microbiota, suppress protective immune system pathways in the lungs; and increase the severity of pneumonia.
NewsStudy of influenza D in human cells and tissue hints at spillover potential
The influenza D virus that researchers say has been flying under the radar since its detection in animals in 2011 can vigorously make copies of itself in human cells and lung tissue samples, a new study shows.
NewsGene-sharing myth challenged as bacteria shown to police DNA exchange
A new study reveals that bacteria can actively limit the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, using a newly characterized mechanism that blocks DNA transfer between cells. It focuses on how bacteria exchange genetic material through tiny intercellular bridges known as nanotubes.
NewsResearchers develop promising new vaccine against H5N1 bird flu
Researchers have developed a vaccine approach that shows promise in protecting against highly pathogenic bird flu, demonstrating strong efficacy in both mice and cattle. In 2024, the virus spread to dairy cattle and subsequently caused illness in about 70 farm workers with close contact to infected animals.
NewsAmbient air pollution is associated with respiratory infection burden in the first year of life
Ambient air pollution is associated with respiratory infection burden in the first year of life, according to preliminary findings from the Immune Development in Early Life (IDEaL) Rome Cohort.
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.
NewsComputational approach takes the guesswork out of drug development for Chagas disease
Researchers have established a computational protocol that could accelerate the development of more effective treatments for life-threatening parasitic infections such as Chagas disease, by enabling scientists to accurately identify reactions that can result in successful drug candidates without the need for trial and error.
NewsCOVID-19 and severe heart attack increase mortality by 25% after one year, more than double pre-pandemic rates
Findings from the North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction (NACMI) registry demonstrate significantly higher one-year mortality rates in patients with COVID-19 and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) compared to patients with STEMI alone.
NewsCinnamic acid blocks plasmid conjugation to slow antibiotic resistance spread
A new study reveals that cinnamic acid, a widely used food additive found in cinnamon, can effectively inhibit plasmid‑mediated conjugation, a major route for the global spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
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.
NewsIntestinal Candida albicans is associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease with cirrhosis
Researchers have published the first report of gut fungal dysbiosis associated with the severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. An increased abundance of fecal C. albicans was observed in patients with cirrhosis and high SCA burden.
NewsEight-year results from two randomized phase 3 trials of tenofovir alafenamide for chronic hepatitis B virus infection in China
Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has demonstrated comparable efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), with improved renal and bone safety, in Chinese participants with chronic hepatitis B enrolled in two Phase 3 trials.
NewsTiny switch controls rare rotary machine in bacteria - and can even reverse direction of spin
Researchers have discovered a tiny molecular switch that can control and reverse the direction of a rare rotary machine linked to motility, surface colonization and protein secretion in bacteria.
NewsYellow food coloring changes gut microbiome in early life
Researchers found that the gut microbiotaof young rats changed with exposure to acceptable daily intake levels of the food coloring tartrazine. The males showed increases in bacteria linked to low-grade inflammation and they also did not gain as much weight as was expected.
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.
OpinionReversing the threat: How to stop measles from spreading again
As the Global Virus Network issues a stark warning over the significant resurgence of measles in the US and globally, William J. Moss, Sten H. Vermund, and Maggie L. Bartlett set out what needs to be done if the preventable harms of the current surge are to be reversed.
NewsThat late-night snacking is probably messing up your gut
It’s well known that chronic stress can disrupt bowel function, sending people running to the bathroom or making them constipated. New research suggests that eating late at night amplifies these effects, with implications for both digestive health and the gut microbiome.
NewsSARS-CoV-2 does not persist in the placenta after maternal recovery from COVID-19
A new study finds that the virus that causes COVID-19 does not linger in placental tissue weeks to months after a pregnant woman recovers from infection - offering important reassurance for clinicians and patients alike.
NewsNew insights into how bacteria manage DNA
New analytical methods have enabled researchers to uncover how the sequence, physical shape and flexibility of bacterial DNA guide the activity of an enzyme called DNA gyrase, which previously got all the credit for managing DNA.