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
From ocean to gut: The bacteria that shape both human health and marine carbon cycling
A group of researchers has discovered that Akkermansia bacteria are not unique to our guts, but can also be found in the ocean. In both habitats they use similar skills to ensure their survival and success. They seem to carry an old and widespread survival toolkit.
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NewsScientists discover ‘hidden switch’ in immune cells that helps the body kill deadly fungus
Scientists have discovered a “control switch” inside our immune cells that helps the body destroy dangerous fungal infections. A protein called RAB5c helps white blood cells kill Aspergillus fumigatus – an airborne fungus that can cause life‑threatening lung infections in people with weakened immune systems.
NewsWhat the Andes hantavirus outbreak reveals about pandemic risk
The outbreak of Andes hantavirus aboard the international MV Hondius cruise ship underscores how little scientists still know about the viruses circulating silently in wild rodent populations before they spill into humans.
NewsIntestinal stem cells can fight back against salmonella scientists discover
Researchers have shown that intestinal stem cells can directly sense intracellular Salmonella enterica bacteria and activate an inflammasome-dependent response. Following infection, the stem cells differentiate into antimicrobial Paneth cells, which secrete molecules that help limit bacterial persistence in the intestinal crypt.
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Study reveals common mutation linked to autoimmune diseases may protect people from viral infections
New research shows a “risk gene” linked to higher odds of developing autoimmune diseases such as diabetes or lupus may also provide a survival advantage fighting viral infections like coronavirus. The gene PTPN22 carries a mutation, 1858C>T (R620W), found in roughly one in 10 people in North America.
NewsAlgal bloom crisis shows climate risks need evaluative governance
Identifying and analysing climate risks is a necessary function of governments, but researchers argue such processes will not lead to effective action without taking additional steps to understand which risks are considered unacceptable by the community and prioritising responses accordingly.
NewsData hidden in tuberculosis screening tests sheds light on patients’ overall mortality
Researchers have uncovered a tool to study immune function of larger populations of patients, using a lab test that physicians already use regularly: tuberculosis screening tests called interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs). It could indicate how well an immune system can mount a response to an array of threats.
NewsCRISPR system inhibits hepatitis E virus
Researchers have developed a novel antiviral concept - using the CRISPR/Cas13 system, they were able to specifically suppress the replication of the hepatitis E virus in human cells.
NewsAndes hantavirus outbreak: ECDC working on the frontline to support EU Member States
Genomic information also shows that the virus involved in the outbreak is similar to Andes viruses already known to circulate in South America, and is not a new variant. There is currently no evidence that this variant spreads more easily or causes more severe disease than other Andes viruses.
NewsResearchers track the mutations that allow HIV-1 to escape broadly neutralizing antibodies
Scientists have established the most comprehensive view to date of how HIV-1 can escape broadly neutralizing antibodies. They have discovered viral mutations that make HIV-1 strains resistant to two bNAbs, 3BNC117 and 10-1074.
NewsResearchers develop next-generation CRISPR biocontainment technology for controlling microbial survival without DNA cleavage
Researchers have employed a CRISPR-dCas9-based base editing system capable of introducing precise nucleotide changes without inducing DNA double-strand breaks. The researchers targeted the start codons of essential genes and irreversibly disrupted their function, permanently blocking cell survival.
NewsUKHSA update on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak
The UK Government has announced it has worked with international partners to ensure the safe return of all remaining British nationals on board the MV Hondius, with passengers now safely transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital.
NewsPregnant women’s mental images are directly linked to vaccine hesitancy and uptake
When pregnant women think about vaccinations, many experience vivid mental images – such as a sick baby in hospital – that have a direct link to their opinion of the vaccine and whether they ultimately have it, new research has shown.
NewsGut microbiota plays a role in metabolic health after bariatric surgery
Changes in gut microbiota after bariatric surgery are strongly linked to altered metabolic health and sustained improvement in type 2 diabetes. A study shows changes in gut bacterial composition and function are associated with metabolic improvements, including insulin release and blood sugar control.
NewsInvisible smart bug fights gum disease
Current treatments for periodontitis often fail because they cannot simultaneously eliminate stubborn bacterial biofilms and calm the runaway inflammation that follows. Now researchers have engineered a living bacterium that does both, in the right order.
NewsExpanded tuberculosis screening does not speed up treatment initiation or improve survival in hospitalized patients with HIV
According to the EXULTANT trial, adding molecular tests on sputum, urine and stool samples does not appear to outperform the standard WHO-recommended diagnostic approach.
NewsMouse study suggests high-fat diets during pregnancy worsen severe GI illness in preterm babies
A new mouse study suggests a link between a high-fat prenatal diet and induction of potentially deadly symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature babies.
NewsScientists take crucial step in developing world’s first measles treatment
Scientists have characterized human antibodies capable of neutralizing measles virus. These antibodies bind to key sites on measles virus and prevent the virus from entering host cells.
NewsGlobal outbreaks may fuel violence against women — but most cases go unmeasured
Violence against women and girls may increase during infectious disease outbreaks — as economic strain, isolation and disrupted services reshape daily life — yet those impacts remain largely unmeasured, according to a new study.
NewsScientists discover how gut bacteria toxin invades colon cells to trigger cancer
A common gut bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, drives colon tumor formation, potentially leading to colorectal cancer, by secreting a toxin that damages the lining of the colon. Researchers have now shown that the B. fragilis toxin BFT must first bind host receptor claudin-4 before it can cause damage.
News‘Atomic snapshots’ of proofreading enzyme could lead to better COVID-19 drugs
A research team used images generated by a cryogenic electron microscope (cryo-EM) to observe the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 proofreading enzyme exoribonuclease (ExoN) and RNA incorporated with antivirals such as remdesivir, sofosbuvir and bemnifosbuvir.
NewsNeedle-free flu vaccine aims to boost children’s immunity
A new study will explore the effects of a nasal spray flu vaccine on children’s immune systems, aiming to boost future protection and lower vaccine hesitancy rates.
NewsSeasonal COVID-19 vaccination in 2025/26 reduced risk of illness by half in Canada
An interim analysis estimates that the COVID-19 vaccine for the 2025/26 season reduced the risk of illness in Canada by about half at about 9 weeks after vaccination, offering protection beyond the vaccine’s target strain.