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
Scientists create white blood cell with memory of how to fight off winter flu bugs
Scientists have started work on a new way to fight cold and flu viruses by reprogramming the cells in our immune system to respond faster to infections. They are developing a type of white blood cell, called killer cells, with a pre-installed memory of how to fight off respiratory diseases.
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NewsTargeting the gut-liver axis: New review explores microbial modulation to enhance immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma
A review examines how gut microbiota and their metabolites reshape the hepatic immune microenvironment through the gut–liver axis, influence immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy, and explore emerging combination strategies, including fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, engineered bacteria, and metabolite-based interventions.
CareersFrom evidence to action: how to bridge the gap between scientists and decision-makers to solve global One Health challenges
Reflections from the AMI Policy Team’s recent workshop at the 9th World One Health Congress.
NewsNew hypothesis drills down into the contributions of phage receptor-binding proteins in recognising a bacterial cell
A new hypothesis reveals how different receptor-binding proteins may make distinct contributions when a bacteriophage recognizes a bacterial cell.
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News
‘Raman barcodes’ can distinguish 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants
Viruses may carry a molecular ‘barcode’ hidden not just in their genetic sequence, but in the way their RNA folds and vibrates. Researchers have used Raman spectroscopy to distinguish 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants, pointing towards a potentially faster way to screen emerging viral strains.
NewsScientists ‘crank up’ cells’ natural defence against viruses
Researchers have found a way to amplify one of the body’s natural antiviral defence pathways, making cells significantly more resistant to infection. By boosting signalling through the protein ISG15, the approach could lead to host-directed treatments that remain effective even as viruses mutate.
NewsResearch to uncover hidden life cycle of bacteriophages
Some bacteriophages can quietly replicate inside bacteria for generations without killing their hosts, making these infections difficult to detect with standard methods. A new research project will investigate this hidden life cycle and explore whether understanding it could help scientists engineer more effective phage therapies against drug-resistant infections.
NewsAdvanced air purification fails to reduce surgical infections
Cleaner operating-room air may not be enough to prevent surgical infections. In a study of more than 110,000 procedures, advanced air-purification systems did not reduce infections, complications or deaths, suggesting hospitals may gain more by targeting direct contamination of surgical wounds.
NewsCranberry juice may be a boon for oral hygiene
Pure cranberry juice may do more than add a tart kick to the holiday table. In a small human study, it slowed dental plaque growth and reduced acid production, suggesting the fruit’s natural compounds could help protect tooth enamel.
NewsLike humans, some primates become cautious of germs in the wake of a viral outbreak
Researchers found that macaque monkeys who had lived through a deadly disease outbreak became significantly more cautious about food that appeared contaminated, even though they did not know how the disease had spread. The findings suggest that pathogen-avoidance behavior can be shaped by experience, offering clues about the evolutionary roots of disgust.
NewsSpouses mattered more than genes for the risk of severe COVID-19
Researchers ound no evidence that genetic factors played an important role in determining who was hospitalised with COVID-19. Instead, spouses of hospitalised individuals had more than three times the risk of being hospitalised themselves compared with matched controls.
NewsVaccination has little impact on post-COVID smell and taste issues
Researchers examining whether COVID-19 vaccination affects persistent smell or taste problems after contracting the virus have found that, in most cases, it does not.
NewsCan better gut health help patients with ovarian cancer tolerate chemotherapy?
A new clinical trial is testing whether probiotics can help patients with ovarian cancer better tolerate chemotherapy. The trial will look at whether probiotics can help reduce treatment side effects and improve quality of life. Researchers will also study how changes in the gut microbiome may be linked to treatment response.
NewsScientific triumph, equity failure: Faster, fairer COVID-19 vaccine roll-out could have saved millions of lives
Beginning the global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out 100 days after the virus was sequenced could have saved more than 8 million lives by the end of 2021, most of them in lower-middle-income countries. The authors of a new Policy Brief argue that fair vaccine-sharing rules should be established before the next pandemic, rather than negotiated during the crisis itself.
NewsU-M-led consortium to receive up to $52 million in NIH funding to study why viral respiratory infections affect children differently
A Michigan Medicine-led research consortium has secured approval for up to $52 million in federal funding to launch a multicenter study examining why some young children recover fully from viral lower respiratory tract infections while others develop severe illness or lasting problems such as asthma.
NewsBay Area Lyme Foundation issues call-for-applications for 2027 Emerging Leader Awards and Research Grants
Bay Area Lyme Foundation has announced the opening of applications for the 2027 Emerging Leader Awards (ELA), which recognize researchers identifying innovative approaches to solve the challenges of Lyme and tick-borne illnesses.
NewsHorizon Awards 2026: Professor Chris Greening named as winner of WH Pierce Prize
Professor Chris Greening, Professor of Microbiology at Monash University in Australia, has been named as the winner of the WH Pierce Global Impact in Microbiology Prize.
NewsPlasmonic coating on bacterial surfaces paves the way for rapid sepsis diagnosis
Researchers have developed a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis technology that rapidly detects extremely low concentrations of viable bacteria by directly growing plasmonic metal nanostructures on and around bacterial cells.
NewsWomen with history of recurrent UTIs more likely to report perioperative vaginal estrogen use and have a perioperative UTI
Postmenopausal women are at greater risk for multiple health issues, such as hip fractures and urinary tract infections (UTIs), due to estrogen loss. Vaginal estrogen is used to prevent recurrent UTIs, but a new study suggests its use may be associated with perioperative hip fracture complications, like UTIs.
NewsSkin injection of live flu virus provides durable protection without lung damage
A single subcutaneous injection of a live, unattenuated influenza virus can provide durable protection against lethal flu without causing lung damage, according to new findings that challenge the long-standing trade-off between the safety of inactivated vaccines and the potent immunity of live vaccines.
NewsHantavirus and the mouth: Review maps early oral warning signs, salivary clues, and precautions for dental teams
A review brings together the virology, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of human hantavirus infection and examines what each means for the mouth and for dental care.
NewsProposed changes to Hepatitis B vaccination schedule could significantly increase infections, model suggests
A modeling study suggests that replacing universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth with delayed vaccination or a shared decision-making approach, as recommended by the U.S. federal government this year, could lead to substantially more chronic hepatitis B infections among U.S. children.
NewsCharité opens new HIV cure research center
A new research centre in Berlin is aiming to move HIV care beyond lifelong treatment and towards cure or long-term remission. Building on two rare HIV cures achieved in the city, researchers will investigate antibody, immune, gene and cell therapies designed to eliminate the virus or keep it permanently under control without medication.