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
Big and small dogs both impact indoor air quality - just differently
An initial study reports that dogs — both big and small — impact indoor air quality. The researchers found that small active dogs produced more airborne particles, but larger animals released more microbes into the air than people did.
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NewsTestosterone increases severity of bacterial skin infections
Men are more susceptible than women to skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, but the biological basis for this disparity has remained unclear. A new study is the first to reveal testosterone, present at higher levels in males, as a key driver of infection.
NewsHuge toll: Bird flu rampant among black vultures
More than four out of every five dead black vultures examined by University of Georgia researchers tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to a new study. Their indiscriminate scavenging appears to sustain transmission of the virus beyond the typical bird flu season.
NewsFecal transplants from older mice significantly improve ovarian function and fertility in younger mice
A new study details how fecal transplants from older female mice significantly improve ovarian function and fertility in young mice. The surprising results reveal a direct link between the microbiome of the gut and ovarian health and function.
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News
Ultrasound-activated ‘nanoagents’ kill superbugs hiding in biofilms
Scientists have designed nanoagents that act like smart drug‑delivery capsules – carrying an antibiotic deep into bacterial infection sites and releasing it only when activated by gentle ultrasound.
NewsScientists identify therapeutic target that would curb the spread of coronaviruses
Coronaviruses not only use the machinery of the human cells they infect: they modify it to achieve optimal conditions to produce viral proteins and thus spread more quickly, according to a study identifying enzymes that modify transfer RNAs as key elements for coronavirus infection.
NewsCell-free DNA offers early warning for bloodstream infections in kids with leukemia
Researchers show that microbial cell-free DNA sequencing can predict bloodstream infections in children with leukemia days before the symptoms appear. Plasma microbial cell-free DNA sequencing (mcfDNA-Seq) offer a potential approach to protecting vulnerable patients by allowing treatment to start before the patient gets sick.
NewsNew study demonstrates universal newborn cCMV screening leads to earlier detection and increased identification of mild hearing loss
A new retrospective cohort study examining the impact of Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation mandated universal newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) shows that universal screening significantly decreased the age at first audiology visit and increased identification of mild hearing loss in infants.
NewsAkkermansia muciniphila PROBIO therapy promotes arginine biosynthesis and reverses reproductive impairments in polycystic ovary syndrome rats
A research study investigated the therapeutic potential of Akkermansia muciniphila PROBIO (AP) in a dehydroepiandrosterone-induced PCOS rat model, revealing significant improvements in reproductive and metabolic parameters through modulation of gut microbiota and enhancement of arginine biosynthesis.
NewsEnhanced inner ear tropism of Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vectors via peptide display on AAV1 capsid
Researchers improving efficiacy of AAV)-mediated gene therapy for the inner ear screened and inserted short peptide motifs onto the surface of the AAV1 capsid. These engineered vectors achieved markedly higher transduction rates in inner ear hair cells and supporting cells.
NewsScientists develop new gut health measure that tracks disease
Scientists have found that healthy and diseased digestive systems behave like two distinct ecological states, driven not by individual microbes but by how entire bacterial communities compete and cooperate.
NewsNanoplastics can interact with Salmonella to affect food safety, study shows
Researchers investigating what happens when nanoplastics (polystyrene) interact with Salmonella discovered an increased expression of virulence-related genes. The bacteria also formed thicker biofilms, which indicates they are becoming more virulent.
NewsStudy reveals immune blueprint for next-generation malaria vaccine
New research has uncovered how the human immune system fights Plasmodium vivax, paving the way for the first effective vaccine against the most widespread form of malaria. It provides critical evidence of how protective immunity to P. vivax works, identifying specific targets on the parasite.
NewsTackling tuberculosis systematically: How the environment shapes TB risk
Researchers introduce the concept of the “tuberculogenic environment”: the complex interplay of structures, rules, and living conditions that keep certain communities at high TB risk, even when care is available.
NewsBacterial cellulose as a sustainable vehicle for the controlled release of nisin and mandelic acid: A clean beauty-based approach for acne treatment
A new study developed a bacterial cellulose-based delivery system loaded with nisin and mandelic acid, targeting acne treatment. Bacterial cellulose, derived from Komagataebacter xylinus, served as a biocompatible, biodegradable matrix to control the release of bioactive compounds.
NewsTrust your gut to heal your brain
Researchers have found that short-term antibiotic treatment significantly reduced neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration following traumatic brain injury (TBI) by altering the gut microbiome in animal models.
NewsA highly precise target for medications against tropical diseases
Researchers have discovered a critical vulnerability shared by the pathogens that cause African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. The PEX38 protein plays a crucial role in the formation of certain organelles of the trypanosomes that are essential for their energy supply.
NewsFe₃O₄@mPEG-Ag nanoparticles: a new frontier in combating antibiotic resistance
A collaborative study introduces Fe₃O₄@mPEG-Ag nanoparticles (NPs) as a groundbreaking non-antibiotic strategy to combat drug-resistant bacteria, offering the antibacterial properties of silver (Ag) with the stability and biocompatibility of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) modified by methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG).
NewsImaging technique is step towards needed treatments for hantaviruses in new molecular ma
Researchers have produced a detailed blueprint, the highest resolution yet, for a protein complex the Andes virus uses to infect host cells. The new detailed structural information enabled the researchers to produce a vaccine candidate that caused mice to produce neutralizing antibodies against the Andes virus.
NewsAcoziborole Winthrop receives European Medicines Agency positive opinion as three-tablet, single-dose treatment for most common form of sleeping sickness
The European Medicines Agency has granted a positive opinion to Acoziborole Winthrop (acoziborole) as a single-dose oral treatment for both early- and advanced-stage gambiense sleeping sickness in adults as well as in adolescents 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kilograms.
NewsProtein interplay offers insights into how the immune system recognizes viral RNA
A new study reveals how two proteins cooperate in a key early step of antiviral detection. Using cryo-electron microscopy and high-speed atomic force microscopy, researchers found that LGP2 binds to viral RNA and recruits MDA5 molecules, as if threading beads on a string.
Long ReadsRethinking Blastocystis: a One Health perspective on a common and controversial gut protist worth our attention
Here’s the reality: a stool report that reads “Blastocystis detected” still provokes strong reactions. Some clinicians worry and reach for antibiotics. Some laboratories add a note about “uncertain significance.” Patients search online and find polarised claims ranging from harmless commensal to stealth pathogen. The truth is more nuanced and more ...
NewsUnder the Lens: Nicola Holden and Gil Domingue weigh in on the raw milk debate
The latest episode of Applied Microbiology International’s ‘Under The Lens’ video series turns the spotlight on the contentious issue of raw milk, with AMI Trustee Professor Emmanuel Adukwu interviewing Professor Nicola Holden and Dr Gil Domingue.