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
CARB-X to support development of typhoid fever diagnostic from Chembio
CARB-X is awarding US$1.8 million to Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc. to develop a rapid point-of-care test for the detection of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to diagnose acute infection of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.
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NewsStudy reveals dual forces driving SARS-CoV-2 evolution: Immune pressure and viral fitness
New research clarifies the complex role of neutralizing antibodies in shaping disease outcomes and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2.
NewsBreakthrough in human norovirus research: Researchers overcome major obstacle to grow and study the virus
Researchers have overcome a major obstacle that limited their ability to continuously grow human norovirus. They identified factors that restrict viral replication and developed a way to overcome them to optimize long-term viral cultivation.
NewsResearchers probe how natto produces supersulfide molecules in fermentation
Natto, a Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with the Bacillus subtilis var. natto microorganism, is rich in supersulfide molecules, which are attracting attention in the medical and nutritional fields. Researchers extensively analyzed supersulfide content in natto fermentation using various methods.
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News
Malaria: Newly identified ‘crown’ stage controls parasite reproduction
Researchers studying Plasmodium falciparum have found that the parasite relies on a brief but essential stage, nicknamed the “Crown” stage, to make sure a crucial internal structure is passed on correctly when it divides.
NewsTesting menstrual blood for HPV could be “robust alternative” to cervical screening
Testing menstrual blood for human papillomavirus (HPV) could be a “robust alternative or replacement” for current cervical cancer screening by a clinician, finds a study. The researchers say using menstrual blood for HPV testing is convenient and non-invasive.
NewsA rapid evolutionary process provides Sudanese Copts with resistance to malaria
An international study investigating the genomic diversity of the Sudanese population reveals that the Copts originating in Egypt –who settled in the country between the seventh and eleventh centuries– have acquired a genetic variant that protects them from contracting malaria.
NewsNew study reveals a minimalist bacterial defense that disrupts viral assembly
Researchers describe how a single protein named Rip1 recognizes bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria, and cause infected bacteria to die prematurely, thereby ending the chain of transmission.
NewsA mint idea becomes a game changer for medical devices
Researchers have developed a high‑performance coating made from peppermint essential oil that can be applied to the surfaces of many commonly used medical devices, offering a safer way to protect patients from infection and inflammation.
NewsYeast cells can be used for rapid testing of cancer immunotherapy
An international research team has developed a new yeast-based biotechnological platform that makes it possible to test and understand advanced cancer treatments much faster and cheaper than before. It can reduce development time for new types of cancer immunotherapy from months to days or weeks.
NewsBlood test may give insights into a person’s infection history
Which infections have you already come into contact with? In the future, a simple blood test may be all you need to answer that question. Researchers intend to investigate the sensors the immune system uses to identify pathogens.
NewsGreen chemistry: Friendly bacteria can unlock hidden metabolic pathways in plant cell cultures
Co-culturing plant cells with harmless bacteria can expand the diversity of obtainable plant-derived compounds for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agrochemicals, a new study shows.
NewsSugar molecules point to a new weapon against drug-resistant bacteria
Researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognise a sugar found only on bacterial cells – an advance that could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections.
NewsGut microbe–derived butyrate activates immune cells to enhance vaccine efficacy
Researchers have uncovered a new mechanism showing how butyrate—a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut commensal bacteria—enhances T follicular helper (Tfh) cell activity to promote antibody production and strengthen mucosal vaccine efficacy.
NewsResearchers urge focus on child obesity and gut health to reduce risk of diabetes
Researchers are calling for more study of obesity, gut bacteria and metabolic conditions that arise in childhood and adolescence, with an eye to curbing the global rise of type 2 diabetes.
News A fungus living in our body can make melanoma more aggressive
A study has for the first time established the mechanism by means of which the Candida albicans fungus makes melanoma more aggressive. It activates several signalling pathways in the melanoma cells, creating an environment that helps to reprogram angiogenesis and metabolism.
NewsBBSRC-backed spin-out launches rapid DNA air sequencing technology
New spin-out, Agnos Biosciences, has launched AirSeq, a rapid DNA air sequencing technology to transform pathogen detection across health, food and biosecurity. It brings to market a powerful new approach to detecting biological threats in the air.
NewsScientists demonstrate first-ever single-shot HIV vaccine neutralization success
Scientists have developed an HIV vaccine candidate that achieves something never before observed in the field: inducing neutralizing antibodies against HIV after a single immunization in nonhuman primates.
NewsClinical data gaps keeping life-saving antibiotics from children
Antibiotics that could treat severe infections in babies and children aren’t accessible due to a lack of data around safety and dosage. Of 12 antibiotics recommended for serious bloodstream infections caused by a harmful, Gram-negative bacteria, only six were licensed in children aged under 12 and just three in babies.
NewsScientists fight superbugs with nets, light switches - and egg white
A new gel could combat resistant bacteria in wounds and around implant sites, while also supporting healing. The hydrogel, which is inspired by natural immune defences, has produced highly promising results in animal models.
NewsRisk for Lyme disease in Ohio is equal to Connecticut, study shows
The risk for being bitten by a tick infected with bacteria that cause Lyme disease is as high in Ohio as it is for those living in Northeast states that have dealt with Lyme disease for over 50 years, according to a new study.
NewsWhy aren’t more older adults getting flu or COVID-19 shots?
This winter’s brutal flu season isn’t over, and COVID-19 cases have risen recently too. But a new poll taken in recent weeks shows that vaccination against both viruses lags among people 50 and over, and the US survey reveals key reasons why.
NewsHigh consumption of ultraprocessed foods may be linked to cancer survivors’ risk of death
Cancer survivors who consumed higher amounts of ultraprocessed foods as part of their diet had a significantly increased risk of both all-cause and cancer-specific death, a new study shows.