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
Breast 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.
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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.
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Researchers 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.
NewsHorizon Awards 2026: Professor James Ebdon named as winner of John Snow Prize
Environmental microbiologist Professor James Ebdon, from the University of Brighton, UK, has been named as the winner of the John Snow Public Health Innovation Prize, which recognises outstanding achievements in applied microbiology that deliver measurable improvements in public health and environmental health outcomes.
NewsAMI members call for microbiome-focused approach to EU biotechnology regulation
Members of Applied Microbiology International (AMI) have urged the European Commission to put microbial communities at the heart of environmental risk assessments for genetically modified microorganisms, as part of its response to the EU Biotech Act consultation.
NewsBacteria-powered biocomputer tackles complex problems in parallel
Researchers have built a biocomputer that uses growing bacteria to explore many possible solutions at the same time. By guiding the microbes through microfluidic networks, the system could offer a resource-efficient way to tackle complex problems in areas such as molecular biology, encryption and AI.
NewsEnzyme found to have surprising role in earliest infant gut microbiome development
Microbiologists have found that an enzyme, not normally associated with microbial activities in the human gut, to have a role in how some bacteria access key nutrients in breast milk.
NewsWho actually benefits from H. pylori treatment? A genetic score can tell before the first pill
In two Chinese randomized trials, a genetic score built from 11 variants identified people whose gastric cancer risk fell 56%–80% after Helicobacter pylori eradication — cutting the number needed to treat from 112 to 43.
NewsAn eight-year study of epidemiology and disease burden of child enterovirus in China
An eight-year multicenter study from China shows that while most hospitalized enterovirus cases occur in very young children and have favorable outcomes, a small number develop serious complications involving the brain, heart and other organs, leading to substantially greater use of hospital resources.
NewsFunctional food microecology links gut microbes to One Health
A new review proposes the framework Functional Food Microecology (FFM) that connects functional foods, the gut microbiome and host health. Rather than viewing diet only as calories and nutrients, the authors described food components as signals that gut microbes can transform into bioactive molecules.
NewsCan the microbiome really change medicine? Scientists confront the evidence gap
At Targeting Microbiota 2026 in Málaga, international scientists will explore how microbiome discoveries can move beyond laboratory research toward evidence-based clinical applications.
NewsSAA1+ epithelial cells emerge as inflammatory ringleaders in periodontitis
Periodontitis is driven not only by bacteria but by how the gingival epithelium responds to them. This study maps that response at spatial and single-cell resolution, showing that a distinct serum amyloid A1 (SAA1)-high inflammatory epithelial subpopulation (SAA1+Epi) sits at the junctional epithelium, where subgingival plaque meets host tissue.
NewsHalf of long COVID patients see meaningful symptom improvement within three years
A prospective cohort study found that about half of people living with long COVID a year after their initial COVID-19 infection experienced a meaningful symptom improvement within three years, whereas a quarter experienced a complete remission.
NewsAdvancing toward a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B: China’s evolving role
China has made progress in preventing HBV infections through infant vaccination and measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission. However, approximately 75 million people in the country still live with chronic HBV infection. A new review examine China’s contribution to developing treatments for chronic hepatitis B.
NewsHerpes infection detailed in human skin model
Researchers have traced step by step how herpes simplex virus 1 infects the multiple layers of skin cells. Using human hair-bearing skin organoids as a model, the researchers mapped how the virus spreads and which signaling molecules cells release to their neighbors upon being infected.
NewsA shield for the fungus, fuel for the immune response
In an earlier study, researchers demonstrated that albumin, the most abundant protein in human blood, can enhance the pathogenic properties of Candida albicans. It has now been revealed that this protein can also trigger an excessive inflammatory response.
News$3.67m NIH grant targets alphaviruses and their neurological damage
A $3.67 million NIH-funded project is developing antiviral compounds that could block alphavirus replication and help protect the brain from severe infection. Researchers will also use blood-brain-barrier-on-a-chip models to test whether early treatment can reduce neurological damage.
NewsDiscovery in gut microbiome of vegans surprises researcher
A study investigated the gut microbiome of 75 vegans and 75 omnivorous Danes. The researchers initially expected the vegan group to have the healthiest gut microbiome across all parameters, but found one notable weakness: gut bacterial diversity was, on average, lower among vegans than among omnivores.