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
New analysis confirms benefits of childhood flu vaccines
Pediatric flu vaccines significantly reduce the number of childhood cases of influenza, new research confirms. The findings show that for every 100 children vaccinated, between nine and 14 fewer children catch the flu.
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CareersA week in the life of a Parvovirus researcher
Alejandro Fernández Llorente works as a predoctoral researcher at Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM-CSIC), a prestigious biomedical research centre located in Madrid, Spain.
NewsProtection for newborns: New treatment aims to prevent meningitis without antibiotics
One of the leading pathogens responsible for meningitis cases in newborn babies is the K1 form of the E. coli bacterium. Now, researchers have developed a triple-pronged approach that seeks to prevent transmission to newborns.
Long ReadsLosing the Earth’s bounty
Farmland degradation and soil erosion have caused food shortages and the collapse of civilizations throughout human history. Today, soil degradation is a growing driver of global threats such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. Loss of soil, the resource that supports production of 95% of the food supply, ...
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News
Scientists clarify the interplay between host and gut microbiota in selenium metabolism
In a recent study, researchers used rats to investigate how gut microbiota and the host jointly manage selenium metabolism. They found that gut microbiota actively transform selenium into various metabolites that influence selenium utilization, detoxification, and excretion, and that the host’s selenium intake affects bacterial diversity.
NewsResearchers discover tick protein that may block disease transmission
Researchers have found that ticks produce an exosomal glycine-rich protein that plays a vital role in helping ticks feed and transmit viruses. When they used genetic tools to silence the gene responsible for this protein, ticks lacking the protein struggled to feed effectively and showed reduced body weight after feeding.
NewsHealth researchers call for support to develop pandemic prevention
The Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics has received large-scale government grants and contracts to fund the discovery of human antiviral antibodies. The problem is the next step — finding corporate partners to develop the antibodies through human testing.
NewsSkin-to-skin care may save newborn lives
Kangaroo mother care, first introduced as an alternative to insufficient incubator care, combines skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, early discharge, and follow-up support. A new review case makes the case for treating iKMC not as an optional add-on, but as a core part of neonatal care for eligible preterm and low-birth-weight infants.
NewsRecent study reveals how bacteria capture a rare type of sugar molecule
Researchers have identified a novel transport protein that binds cyclic β-1,2-glucans, revealing unexpected diversity in bacterial sugar uptake mechanisms.
NewsNovel therapeutic drug for tuberculosis is proposed using high-precision molecular simulation
Researchers have proposed a novel therapeutic agent for tuberculosis, using high-precision molecular simulation techniques. The proposed drug is anticipated to bind strongly to the drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP).
NewsNew antibiotic design could help treat drug-resistant infections
A new study has shown that antibiotics can be chemically redesigned so they are less easily removed by efflux pumps. This allows the antibiotic to remain inside the bacterial cell at higher concentrations, restoring its ability to kill bacteria even when resistance mechanisms are present.
NewsExperts convened by WHO advise on candidate treatments and vaccines for Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus
In response to the current outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus, WHO convened several of its expert and advisory groups to assess potential vaccines and therapeutics for both prevention and treatment of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
NewsResearchers identify immune ‘energy signature’ linked to tuberculosis protection
Researchers found that circulating monocytes from people with latent TB remain metabolically flexible, allowing them to mount strong antibacterial responses, whereas cells from people with active TB disease show impaired metabolism and weaker responses to infection.
NewsWhy antibiotics fail against a common dental implant disease
A study of peri-implantitis found that bacteria corrode implants, causing them to shed microscopic titanium particles into the surrounding tissue. Those particles hijack the immune cells sent to clear the infection and lock them into a state of inflammation that destroys the jawbone they are supposed to protect.
NewsExperimental HIV vaccine achieves a long-sought goal
In a first for the field, all non-human primates given a new series of vaccines generated antibodies capable of fighting multiple strains of HIV. It brings researchers closer to a vaccine effective against the vast diversity of HIV strains circulating worldwide.
NewsSeven European countries observe drop in chlamydia notifications especially among young people in 2024
After a decade of general increases in chlamydia cases across Europe, the first signs of a decline suggest a possible common driver. Is it a true reduction and will it be a sustainable one?
NewsScientists validate a link between autoimmunity in a subset of people with long COVID
A research team has demonstrated that autoimmunity, where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, is responsible for the often-debilitating and confounding symptoms of long COVID in a subset of people.
NewsUnilever investing $270m in Global Innovation Centre in New Haven, Connecticut
Unilever has unveiled plans to develop a new Global Innovation Centre in New Haven, Connecticut, opening by spring 2029. The centre will be a leading hub for the company’s research and development for its personal care, beauty and wellbeing businesses in the U.S. and globally.
CareersFrom microbiome research to personalized cosmetics: The genesis of BYOME LABS
BYOME LABS was founded through the initiative of David Suissa, an entrepreneur trained at École Polytechnique and the Corps des Mines. After leading companies in the fields of perfumery and applied microbiology, he chose to structure a new approach centered on the biological evaluation of cosmetic products.
NewsResearchers link specific microbiomes to archaeological bone degradation
Well-preserved archaeological bone samples have different microbial communities than heavily degraded bone samples, providing a new understanding of how microbes contribute to bone degradation, according to a study.
NewsArchaic DNA may lower defences against common DNA viruses in people today
Researchers explored the contribution of archaic DNA - primarily Neandertal ancestry - to the DNA viral load of participants in the UK Biobank. By analysing viral sequences detected in large-scale genomic data, they asked whether archaic variants correlate with the presence or quantity of common DNA viruses.
NewsNew model shows how gut microbes help shape how many calories you absorb from food
A new mathematical model follows food through the digestive tract, estimating what the body absorbs directly, what reaches the colon and how gut microbes help process the remaining material into products that are either absorbed or excreted.
NewsResearchers may now understand why chikungunya virus infections turn chronic
About half of people infected with chikungunya virus will progress to a chronic form of the disease. A new study finds that chikungunya virus persists in joint-associated macrophages, a specialized type of white blood cell that helps the body defend against pathogens.