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.
Opinion
Maybe Vitamin C isn’t just expensive urine after all
“Expensive urine” has become a convenient way of dismissing vitamin supplements taken in doses beyond what our bodies have an immediate need for. But if some unabsorbed vitamin C remains in the gastrointestinal tract, it raises an interesting question about how it could be interacting with the gut microbiome.
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NewsPortable test detects Zika and hepatitis C without a laboratory
Researchers have developed a portable test that can detect RNA viruses such as Zika and hepatitis C directly from whole blood without conventional laboratory purification. Using only a small heater and a handheld fluorescence reader, the method could bring sensitive molecular testing closer to patients in resource-limited settings.
NewsModified biochar improves antibiotic removal but reshapes soil microbiomes
Modified biochar can improve the removal of antibiotic residues from agricultural soils, but its effects depend strongly on soil type. Researchers found that better sulfamethoxazole removal was accompanied by major shifts in bacterial communities, showing that remediation benefits can come with ecological trade-offs.
NewsNative bacterial SynCom improves acidic soil and boosts lettuce growth
A synthetic community of two native soil bacteria helped reduce acidity and strongly boost lettuce growth in greenhouse experiments. Delivered on a sugarcane-processing residue, the microbes also increased nutrient availability and reshaped root-zone microbial activity.
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News
Viral inflammation may disrupt the uterine lining and impair placental development
Viral infections early in pregnancy may disrupt the way the uterine lining prepares for implantation, with effects that can persist throughout pregnancy. In cell, mouse and 3D uterine models, researchers found that inflammation reduced decidualization and was linked to abnormal placental development and smaller fetuses.
NewsIndustrialisation may be reshaping the evolution of our gut bacteria
Gut bacteria living in industrialised societies appear to be evolving differently from those in non-industrialised populations. Researchers found that strains from industrialised hosts had recently acquired more genes, mostly through horizontal gene transfer, suggesting that modern lifestyles may be reshaping microbial evolution inside us.
NewsNew AI method spots outbreak signals in sparse and noisy data
A new early-warning method could help detect disease outbreaks even when case data are sparse, delayed or incomplete. By using topological data analysis to capture the underlying shape of epidemic time series, the system remained accurate even when up to half of the surveillance data were missing.
NewsCARB‑X–supported trivalent Salmonella vaccine advances to Phase 2 clinical trials
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) today announced that GSK’s global health vaccine program for a combined invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella and typhoid fever (iNTS‑TCV) has advanced into a Phase 2 clinical trial.
NewsHow human cells slow down the Ebola virus
Human cells may possess a previously underappreciated defence against Ebola virus infection. Researchers found that the cell-surface protein CD81 can restrict viral entry and replication, while Ebola appears to use two of its own proteins to counteract this protective mechanism.
NewsAnti-HIV antibody clinical trials offer clues to prevent viral escape and resistance
The broadly neutralizing antibody VRC01 has been thoroughly vetted as a potential prophylactic that could prevent people from becoming infected with HIV. A new analysis of data shows that the antibody initially provides strong protection, but that some strains of the virus can still cause breakthrough infections after treatment has stopped.
NewsHow a CRISPR sickle cell therapy moved from lab to clinical trial
Researchers have described how they advanced an experimental CRISPR approach for sickle cell disease into a blood stem cell therapy that can be manufactured at the scale and quality required for a clinical trial.
NewsCRISPR map reveals 6,500 genetic interactions in tuberculosis bacteria
Researchers have created the most detailed map yet of how essential genes interact in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By uncovering nearly 6,500 genetic relationships, the study reveals hidden gene functions and points to new ways of identifying drug targets and more effective antibiotic combinations.
NewsToothbrush produces electricity to battle plaque-making bacteria
A new toothbrush generates electricity through bristle movement to wage war on plaque-producing pathogens. The invention successfully reduced cavity- and periodontitis-causing bacteria better than regular mechanical brushing in the mouths of 115 volunteers over 3 months.
NewsNew 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.
NewsOxford-developed vaccine recommended to enter pivotal trial against deadly Bundibugyo virus
A vaccine candidate developed by scientists at the University of Oxford has been recommended to enter a pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in a significant step towards tackling Bundibugyo virus, a potentially deadly pathogen for which no vaccine is currently approved.
NewsBreast milk sugar may help protect newborns from jaundice
A sugar naturally found in breast milk may help newborn intestines mature and process bilirubin, the compound that builds up during jaundice. In mice, loss of 3’-sialyllactose disrupted gut development, worsened hyperbilirubinemia and was linked to greater intestinal vulnerability later in life.
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.
NewsCattle genetics and gut microbes could help cut methane emissions
Researchers are uncovering how cattle genetics and rumen microbes work together to shape methane emissions and feed efficiency. The findings could support new feed additives, probiotics and microbial strategies that reduce emissions while helping cattle extract more energy from their diet.
NewsLow-level lead exposure linked to higher strep throat risk in children
Even relatively low levels of lead exposure may be linked to a higher risk of strep throat in children. In a study of more than 13,000 children, those with blood lead levels below current public health action thresholds still had substantially higher odds of a strep diagnosis.
NewsResearchers harness the microbiome to prevent deadly bloodstream infections
Researchers have pioneered a new approach to preventing dangerous bloodstream infections in patients receiving donor stem cell transplants for blood cancers. The first-of-its-kind therapy delivers 16 carefully selected beneficial bacteria designed to restore the microbiome and fight harmful pathogens.
NewsWater-resistant microneedles could make fish vaccination safer and easier
Researchers have developed food-grade, water-resistant microneedles that can vaccinate fish underwater without conventional metal injections. The silk-based patches can remain attached while fish swim, release vaccines at controlled rates and may make it possible to protect much smaller juvenile fish earlier in life.
NewsNasal microbiome: When neighboring bacteria help pathogens thrive
Whether Staphylococcus aureus can establish itself in our noses also depends on the bacteria living alongside it. These microbial neighbors can either promote or inhibit the pathogen. Key factors include which nutrients the community consumes or releases and the metabolic capabilities of the particular S. aureus strain.
NewsCould newly identified gene targets help prevent and treat Salmonella infections?
Investigators identified three genes that are essential for biofilm formation in the foodborne bacterial pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium. Their experiments showed that disrupting these genes impaired biofilm structure and adhesion, and also resulted in decreased host colonization and virulence.