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
Researchers clear major obstacle in genetic engineering of proteins
An unexpected discovery about tRNAs leads to tool that can drive faster, safer production of new medicines.
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NewsT cells are a powerful force against Zika virus
Scientists tested two Zika vaccines in a study that brings them one step closer to a “pan-orthoflavivirus vaccine”, which could teach T cells to fight several viruses at once.
NewsDietary tryptophan prevents sepsis
Dietary tryptophan protects against sepsis through gut microbiota-derived metabolites which enhance macrophage bacterial phagocytosis.
NewsImmune responses to urinary tract infection linked to birth outcomes
A new study shows that the increased risk of preterm pregnancies associated with urinary tract infection, is linked to the body’s immune response to the infection rather than to the bacteria themselves.
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News
For Legionella bacteria, taking over a cell means playing by its rules
New research demonstrates how a protein produced by Legionella mimics the behavior of the host cell’s own proteins.
NewsTuberculosis transmission may hold the key to prevention
Scientists have discovered the specific mechanisms that enable the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis to not only survive drying but also to generate mutations linked to antibiotic resistance.
NewsGut bacteria may communicate differently with the human body in patients with Parkinson’s disease
A new study suggests that gut bacteria may send different biological signals in Parkinson’s disease.
NewsEmergence of Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans co-carrying carbapenem and tigecycline resistance from geese in China
Researchers have found strains of Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans with resistance to meropenem and reduced susceptibility to tigecycline in geese feces in Yangzhou, China.
NewsNew approach cuts sepsis diagnosis from days to hours
A research team has developed a way to condense the days-long sepsis diagnosis timeline to just hours, a method which could help clinical decision-making that avoids worsening antibiotic resistance in the bacterial strains causing infections.
NewsClimate warming could reshape China’s snail populations and transmission risk of schistosomiasis
Researchers show how climate warming, body size, and land use shape snail populations linked to risk of schistosomiasis transmission in China.
NewsWastewater may offer an early warning of pertussis outbreaks
Researchers found that pertussis-associated DNA in wastewater rose weeks before reported whooping cough cases, pointing to a new way to complement clinical surveillance.
NewsResearchers use malaria strategy to target Chagas disease
Researchers have identified a new strategy to prevent the spread of Chagas disease, one which is already used in anti-malarial drugs.
NewsMagnetotactic bacteria show potential for extending healthy lifespan
Recently, new research has demonstrated that the magnetotactic bacterium (MTB) Magnetospirillum magneticum can extended healthy organismal lifespan in a Caenorhabditis elegans model.
NewsAnti-immigrant ‘public charge’ policy may have contributed to rise in HIV among Hispanic populations
Following the Trump administration’s 2018 announcement of changes to the public charge rule, antisanctuary counties in the US saw a 16.8% increase in HIV cases among Hispanic populations.
NewsNew study reveals how neutrophils reach infection sites without damaging healthy tissue
Researchers discover how neutrophils, the body’s most abundant type of white blood cells, travel to infection sites without damaging healthy tissue.
NewsEpidemiologist discusses Pennsylvania’s first measles deaths in 35 years
Epidemiologist Jennifer Horney highlights the importance of vaccinations after the deaths of two Pennsylvania residents – the first measles deaths in the state in 35 years.
NewsDiet quality linked to upper gastrointestinal cancer, with anxiety and depression playing a mediating role
A new study indicates that poor dietary quality - particularly insufficient intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy - is significantly associated with both psychological distress and cancer diagnosis.
NewsMeet the Global Ambassadors: our Q&A with Luay Abu-Qatouseh
The Microbiologist gets to know our Global Ambassador for Jordan, Associate Prof. Dr. Luay Abu-Qatouseh of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra.
NewsAssociation between gene variants and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity in Jordanians
A new study identifies single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the TMPRSS2 gene as promising genetic biomarkers to stratify Jordanian individuals at high risk of COVID-19 infection.
NewsYeast‑derived universal flu vaccine could someday replace yearly injections
Engineered baker’s yeast produces virus-like particles that protect mice against multiple influenza strains.
NewsNew study maps how gut bacteria help and hinder each other’s growth
Researchers have now systematically mapped interactions between common gut bacteria, revealing both competitive and cooperative mechanisms and creating one of the most comprehensive datasets of its kind.
NewsIdentification and characterization of anti-chikungunya virus compounds using a biosafe toolkit
A new study characterizes several novel anti-chikungunya virus compounds and highlights the potential of combining screening approaches with mechanistic analyses to explore new antiviral strategies against emerging viral pathogens.
NewsChanges to California’s landscapes may influence Valley fever risk
A new study links higher disease rates to certain agricultural and natural landscapes near California communities, raising concerns as drought and water regulations lead to more farmland being left uncultivated across the state.