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.
Careers
Scientific Event Travel Grant: Hannah returns with renewed motivation and new ideas
Dr Hannah Trivett, University of Birmingham, reports back from EMBL Human Microbiome Conference held in Heidelberg, Germany, where she presented her research with the support of AMI’s Scientific Event Travel Grant.
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NewsBird flu viruses are resistant to fever, making them a major threat to humans
Bird flu viruses are a particular threat to humans because they can replicate at temperatures higher than a typical fever, one of the body’s ways of stopping viruses in their tracks, according to new research.
NewsMicroplastics disrupt gut microbiome and fermentation in farm animals
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles pervasive in agricultural environments, interact with and disrupt the microbial ecosystem in the rumen – the first stomach chamber of cattle, reveals an international study.
NewsMetabolites produced in the intestine play a central role in controlling obesity and diabetes
A study has identified a group of metabolites that travel from the intestine to the liver and then to the heart, where they are pumped throughout the body. These metabolites play an important role in controlling metabolic pathways in the liver and insulin sensitivity.
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Researchers develop novel sensor-integrated wrapper for food quality monitoring and preservation
A research team has developed a two-in-one nanostructured SERS sensor integrated into a stretchable and antimicrobial wrapper (NSSAW) that not only monitors food directly on the surface but also actively preserves it.
NewsGlobal Virus Network issues warning on the Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia
The Global Virus Network (GVN) has issued a statement on the newly confirmed outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in southern Ethiopia. This represents the country’s first documented outbreak of Marburg virus and raises urgent public health, research, and surveillance imperatives.
NewsFractional-dose vaccines can save millions during shortages
New research shows that using smaller, fractional doses of vaccines can significantly reduce infections during epidemics, especially when vaccine supply, delivery, or administration capacity is limited.
NewsAcid rain may be training soil bacteria to become more deadly
Acid rain from fossil fuel pollution may be quietly training soil bacteria to become longer-lived, more transmissible, and more deadly, according to a new study that tracks how a notorious foodborne pathogen rapidly evolved under simulated acid deposition.
NewsCuring hepatitis C can rebalance immunity in Indonesians living with HIV
A new study provides the first longitudinal immunological data on HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals in Southeast Asia, underscoring the importance of early hepatitis C treatment to prevent long-term immune and liver complications.
NewsParkinson’s drug offers basis for new hospital bacterium anti-infectives
Researchers have discovered a promising starting point for the development of new active substances against the hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
News‘Smart wrap that breathes and warns’ - cellulose film cuts oxygen 99% and changes color when shrimp goes bad
Researchers have revealed how one-step dual-engineering turns plant nanofibers into a transparent cellulose that keeps food fresh and tells consumers when it is not.
NewsResearchers warn: Climate change could expand habitats for malaria mosquitoes
A new study shows that future climate change could create more favourable conditions for malaria mosquitoes, exposing millions of people across large parts of Africa to more dangerous mosquito bites.
NewsResearch into zoonotic disease risks requires a One Health approach
A new evidence brief, based on a study by the Juno Evidence Alliance conducted in collaboration with CABI’s One Health Hub, has highlighted that a One Health approach is needed in research into zoonotic disease risks around the world.
NewsMichigan cherry farmers find a surprising food safety ally: falcons
By shooing cherry-pecking birds away, kestrels also keep them from contaminating crops with their droppings, a new study shows. Kestrels were associated with a 3-fold reduction in droppings spotted on branches.
NewsExpanding seasonal immunization access could minimize off-season RSV epidemics
Researchers found differences in how respiratory syncytial virus spreads among children in rural versus urban communities and concluded that year-round immunizations would minimize risks of large seasonal outbreaks.
NewsHospital infections associated with higher risk of dementia
A large-scale meta-analysis shows that adults hospitalized with infections have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia. Among the types of infections studied, sepsis carried the highest risk, followed by pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and skin or soft tissue infections.
NewsIs malaria messaging working? African biostatisticians have the data
New analysis shows malaria messaging works. Using advanced causal methods, researchers found that exposure to prevention messages increases insecticide-treated net use among women and children in Uganda, offering rare causal evidence to guide policy.
NewsMicroplastics pose a human health risk in more ways than one
A new study shows that microplastics in the natural environment are colonised by pathogenic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The study team calls for urgent action for waste management and strongly recommends wearing gloves when taking part in beach cleans.
NewsStaphylococci compete with other bacteria for biotin in the nasal cavity
A recently published study reveals that competition plays a major role in the nutrient-poor habitat of the human nose. There’s an active contest between S. aureus and nasal commensals for the vitamin biotin, which affects the fitness of S. aureus.
NewsExperimental mRNA therapy shows potential to combat antibiotic-resistant infections
Researchers have reported early success with a novel mRNA-based therapy designed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In preclinical studies, the therapy slowed bacterial growth, strengthened immune cell activity, and reduced lung tissue damage in models of multidrug-resistant pneumonia.
NewsPesticides and other common chemical pollutants are toxic to our ‘good’ gut bacteria
A large-scale laboratory screening of human-made chemicals has identified 168 chemicals that are toxic to bacteria found in the healthy human gut. These chemicals stifle the growth of gut bacteria thought to be vital for health.
NewsDr José Luis Balcazar named as winner of John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize
Dr José Luis Balcazar, Senior researcher at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), Spain, has been named as the newest winner of the John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize.
NewsMalaria parasites move on right-handed helices
After penetrating the skin, the malaria parasite moves with helical trajectories, almost always turning toward the right. Researchers demonstrated that the pathogen uses these right-handed helices to control its motion as it transitions from one tissue compartment to another.