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
Kimchi-derived probiotic found to promote binding and excretion of intestinal nanoplastics
Scientists have announced that a lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi can help promote the removal of nanoplastics from the body by binding to them in the intestine.
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NewsWeaning, more than a change of food: It shapes a life-long, healthy gut
According to a team of researchers, weaning or switching from milk to solid food in early life doesn’t just change what babies eat, it helps reprogram the gut’s immune defenses to mount faster and stronger responses that can last into adulthood.
NewsNeanderthals may have used birch tar for its anti-bacterial properties
Scientists extracted tar from modern birch tree bark, specifically targeting species known from Neanderthal sites. When exposed to different strains of bacteria, all tar samples were found to be effective at hindering the growth of Staphylococcus bacteria known to cause wound infections.
NewsDigital early warning systems essential as old diseases like cholera resurge in global crisis zones
A new critical analysis examines how the convergence of climate change, economic collapse, and conflict is bringing back a preventable disease once thought to be under control.
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News
Frequent infections in nursery help toddlers build up immune systems
Young children who attend nursery get sick more often than those who don’t, but they will go on to have fewer illnesses during early school years, finds a new review of evidence by a group of parent-scientists.
NewsFood scientists develop new antimicrobial for cleaning and sanitizing dry-food processing equipment
New research describes a novel chemical mixture for sanitation in low-moisture environments. Scientists found that a formulation containing cyclomethicone combined with vinegar-based acetic acid was the most effective against Salmonella and Cronobacter bacteria.
NewsMulti-strain probiotic therapy shows promise in preventing bacterial vaginosis recurrence
A global team of experts has identified a promising new approach to prevent recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV). In a phase 1 randomized clinical trial, researchers found that a short course of a multi-strain probiotic restored protective bacteria to the vagina, significantly reducing disease recurrence.
NewsStudy shows breath test can confirm bacterial infection
A study shows how molecules that are only broken down by infecting bacteria, and not by gut bacteria, can be used to confirm infection. By enriching these molecules with a naturally occurring carbon isotope, the researchers found that carbon dioxide produced when they break down is easily detected in a breath test.
NewsTarget behind cancer drug shown to help fight influenza in mice
A protein already targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs may also help the body fight influenza. A study found that Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), best known for helping tumors evade immune attack, instead helped immunocompromised mice clear flu-infected lung cells and survive infection.
NewsBird flu risk to Danish cattle – new tool can warn farmers before infection spreads
Researchers have developed a tool that can predict where and when the risk of infection is highest. The tool is based on infection data from the U.S. outbreaks and adapted to a Danish context.
NewsNew drug candidate extremely effective against H. pylori bacterium
Researchers have discovered that metronidazole targets two central protective proteins of Helicobacter pylori: an enzyme responsible for detoxifying harmful reactive oxygen species and a protein that repairs damaged proteins.
NewsScientists uncover how HPV-positive cancers hide from the immune system — and how to make them visible again
A new study solves a major mystery in cancer immunology by uncovering how HPV hides cancer cells from the immune system by using MARCHF8 to destroy MHC-I, which serves as a warning flag for the immune system.
NewsNovel biosensing platform enables fingertip blood-based micro-volume t-cell immune monitoring
A new platform, known as Tip Optofluidic Immunoassay Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (TOI-IGRA), could revolutionize how people monitor their immune health. The platform allows for the precise quantification of pathogen-specific T-cell responses using a mere 15-25 μL of fingertip blood.
NewsPrototype breath tests spot bacterial infections in minutes
Researchers have adapted the long-used breath test for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes a common stomach infection, expanding the technology’s capabilities to detect a broader range of bacterial infections.
NewsUniversity of Warwick receives £1.2 million donation to advance antimicrobial resistance research
The University of Warwick has announced that it has received a £1.2 million donation to further antimicrobial resistance research from alumnus Dr David Stirling (PhD Biosciences, 1974-78). The generous contribution forms part of Warwick’s Set the Pace philanthropic campaign.
NewsScientists discover a bacterium that protects against long Covid
Scientists have discovered the key role played by a bacterium, Dolosigranulum pigrum, that is naturally present in the respiratory microbiome. When present in greater numbers, these bacteria are associated with a reduction in the persistence of symptoms characteristic of long Covid.
NewsEngineered bacteria deliver cancer drug directly inside tumors in mice
New research suggests that Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) may be engineered with anticancer agents to treat cancerous tumors in mice. Researchers used EcN as a base for synthesizing Romidepsin (FK228), an FDA-approved drug with anti-tumor agents.
NewsTrace levels of food pathogen do not always translate to health risk, says study
Ultra-sensitive food safety tests may drive food waste and unavailability with limited public health benefit, according to a study. These food safety measures and ultra-sensitive tests may drive edible food being thrown away, excessive packaging, and extra costs for consumers.
NewsInappropriate antibiotic use for COVID-19 is linked to resistance
Taking azithromycin for as little as one day triggers antibiotic resistance in the respiratory tract, according to a first-of-its kind look by scientists at the changes that occur in the microbiome of hospitalized patients who were treated for COVID-19.
NewsNew single‑cell technique reveals how tuberculosis‑like bacteria alter human cells
Researchers have developed a new technique to measure the content of individual human cells infected with bacteria that model tuberculosis – and it is already revealing biological changes that conventional analysis would miss.
NewsStudy maps how tuberculosis bacteria power themselves
A new study provides the first detailed 3D structure of a protein called EtfD, which the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses to extract energy from lipids (fats), along with the first laboratory test capable of directly measuring its activity.
NewsHeart disease risk tied to certain molecules made by gut microbes
In a study involving data from thousands of people, the risk of a new coronary heart disease diagnosis was statistically associated with bloodstream levels of nine specific molecules that are produced by gut microbes.
NewsNew study fills research gap in food safety to better protect pregnant women from Listeria
Researchers developed new biologically plausible dose-response models — one for maternal infection and one for stillbirth — built on data from guinea pigs and gerbils, which share key biological traits with humans relevant to listeria pathogenesis.