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.
Features
Soil microbes and the hidden network connecting plants, animals, and humans
Coevolution has shaped Earth’s ecosystems for over a billion years. However, climate change and unprecedented anthropogenic activities have placed immense pressure on the soil ecosystem over the past few decades.
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News Helpful microbes could battle pathogens in our hospitals and schools - with the help of AI to make it work
Helpful microbes that combat harmful pathogens could be the answer to rising antimicrobial resistance, particularly within built environments such as hospitals, homes and schools, says a new review.
NewsGut bacteria linked to malnutrition may pass to younger generations
A new study suggests that an intestinal disorder linked to malnutrition and stunted growth may be transmitted from one generation to the next via the small intestinal microbiome.
NewsGut bacteria linked to frailty in older women
Researchers have identified clear links between the composition of gut bacteria and frailty in older women. In cases of high frailty, with an increased risk of illness and death, gut bacterial diversity is lower and function is impaired.
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News
Gut bacteria boost immune system and help send Vitamin A to T cells
Scientists have discovered that gut bacteria help regulate the development of the body’s immune system by directing the movement of vitamin A through a previously unrecognized cellular network.
NewsResearchers use friendly viruses to tackle inflammatory bowel disease
A research team has developed a targeted approach to treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using bacteriophages, viruses that infect specific bacteria, to disarm harmful microbes without disrupting the broader gut ecosystem.
NewsNew antiseptic capable of eliminating 99.9% of Candida parapsilosis cells
A 0.5% alcohol-based chlorhexidine antiseptic, combined with the natural organic compounds eugenol and menthol, can eliminate 99.9% of Candida parapsilosis cells. This fungus is one of the leading causes of infections in hospital settings.
NewsTwo companion papers explain immune ‘exhaustion’ - and how we might prevent it
Chronic and viral infections can literally exhaust certain key cells in the immune system from a constant barrage of attacks. But a new pair of papers has now pointed a way to understand how this exhaustion happens at a molecular level.
NewsEye problems after COVID-19 can now be explained
Mild COVID-19 can cause severe and long-lasting eye problems, according to a study from Linköping University, Sweden. The study also explains why it has been difficult for sufferers to get help: the abnormal eye behaviour cannot be detected by standard methods. The researchers have developed a diagnostic model to detect ...
NewsInternational study maps high risk hotspots of Noma disease in Nigeria
A collaborative international research team has now produced the most detailed mapping of noma incidence risk in Nigeria, uncovering previously unrecognised high-risk areas and providing an important new tool to support prevention and early detection efforts.
NewsBrazil, Malaysia, and Thailand set to start global clinical trial to test promising dengue treatment
Following a licensing agreement signed between the Serum Institute of India (SII) and DNDi, a Phase III clinical trial is expected to begin early next year, with the aim of developing a safe, effective, and globally accessible therapeutic for dengue.
NewsChikungunya fever: Etiology, pathogenesis, and management, with evidence-based application of traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers complementary strategies for acute symptoms and chronic polyarthralgia in Chikungunya infection. A review synthesizes current knowledge on etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, and management.
NewsCommonly used drugs show small benefit for long Covid fatigue
Over-the-counter antihistamines and a prescription anti-inflammatory drug both have a small benefit in reducing long Covid fatigue among people receiving care from specialist long Covid clinics, according to new findings from a large clinical trial.
NewsWarm temperatures disrupt spider sex-changing bacteria in dwarf-spiders across generations
A new study reveals that exposing dwarf spiders to a brief period of warm temperatures can disrupt a phenomenon where internal bacteria normally force genetic males to develop as females.
NewsGut microbiota can predict risk of type 2 diabetes years before it develops
The presence of certain bacteria in the gut microbiota, and fluctuations in a person’s metabolism, can be seen in people who go on to develop type 2 diabetes years later, paving the way for identifying people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes at an early stage.
NewsA bacterium capable of predicting the course of a disease
A research team made use of the bacterium’s natural capabilities without altering it genetically. Using plasma samples from patients with COVID-19, they were able to distinguish patients likely to develop a mild form of the disease from those at risk of progressing to a severe form.
NewsHow immune cells in our gut mesentery fight salmonella
Researchers have found that immune cells in a portion of the abdominal cavity, called the mesentery, play a critical role in suppressing — or exacerbating — salmonella infection.
NewsDrug candidate treats severe fatty liver disease by protecting the gut in animal models
Researchers discovered that a potential drug treats severe fatty liver disease by improving gut health. It reversed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in animal models by disrupting a disease-driving pathway that links the gut and liver.
NewsBronchiectasis and NTM Research Registry data featured in four World Bronchiectasis Conference abstracts
The Bronchiectasis and NTM Association announced that research leveraging data from the Bronchiectasis and NTM Research Registry was featured in four abstracts presented at the World Bronchiectasis Conference.
NewsNew study advances dry mRNA vaccine patch design
New research could help make future mRNA vaccines easier to store and distribute. The study identified conditions that help protect the particles that carry mRNA in dry vaccine patches, offering practical guidance for future patch design.
NewsMicrobiome and cancer: From passive bystanders to active players
A special issue reviews how microbiome science and cancer biology can converge as an integrated front for precision oncology. Articles span topics from hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer to gastric cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
NewsEject! Bacteria discovered with the ability to jettison cells as a survival mechanism
Biologists have found that communities of bacteria are capable of ‘escape pod’ ejection strategies. They documented the biofilm ejection phenomenon for the first time while studying a bacterium known as hay bacillus (Bacillus subtilis).
NewsFighting the world’s deadliest infection with PAC-MAN and AI
Researchers have developed techniques that can speed up the search for better tuberculosis drugs. They first measure which chemical compounds are able to slip across the outer membrane and then use those measurements to predict other compounds that can get into the Mtb cell.