All UK & Rest of Europe articles
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NewsBlue proteins from cold-adapted microbes could offer blueprint for molecular on-off switches
Rare blue proteins from cold-adapted microbes can serve as prototypes to design molecular on-off switches for cells, a new study finds.
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NewsFrozen, but not sealed: algal traces reveal that Arctic Ocean remained open to life during ice ages
For years, scientists have debated whether a giant thick ice shelf once covered the entire Arctic Ocean during the coldest ice ages. Now a new study challenges this idea as the research team found no evidence for the presence of a massive ~1km ice shelf. Instead, the Arctic Ocean appears to have been covered by seasonal sea ice.
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NewsAdults who have survived childhood cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19
People who have survived cancer as children are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, even decades after their diagnosis. This is shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
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NewsHep E virus can live out entire life cycle in kidney cells
Scientists have succeeded in proving in cell culture that hepatitis E viruses can infect kidney cells and can multiply with their help. The entire replication cycle of the virus takes place in kidney cells in the same way as in liver cells, their study shows.
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NewsStudy advances understanding of immune system’s crucial role in phage therapy
Scientists have assessed the effectiveness of phage therapy in treating pneumonia. What they discovered about the mechanisms behind phage therapy could inform treatments in clinical settings to help patients facing similarly stubborn infections.
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NewsThe gut’s secret weapon: viruses that heal
A comprehensive new review reveals how gut viruses interact with gut bacteria and host immunity, highlighting their roles in conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and C. difficile infection. The findings offer a compelling case for harnessing the virome in novel therapies to reshape gut ecology and restore health.
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NewsResearch opens up new avenue for tuberculosis drug discovery
Researchers studied an enzyme from the TB bacterium called alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (MCR) which helps the bacterium use cholesterol as an energy source. Blocking this enzyme would therefore starve the bacterium of a major food source, helping to treat TB infections.
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NewsStudy yields new insights into infection strategy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown trick used by Pseudomonas aeruginosa - the bacterium can functionally organize itself in diverse ways within a population of identical clones, as if it were not just one germ, but many at once. A mechanism of epigenetic memory preserves the activity of certain genes across generations.
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News New collaboration harnesses COVID methods to combat multi-billion threat to UK forests
Harnessing methods used to successfully predict and understand the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic, a new project aims to combat the impact of forest diseases that can cost the UK economy billions.
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NewsScientists target ‘molecular machine’ in the war against antimicrobial resistance
The ‘molecular machine’ flagellum is essential for bacteria to cause infection, allowing bacteria to ‘swim’ around the bloodstream until finding something to infect. But it could also be a target for antibiotics.
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NewsResearch suppresses coronavirus by targeting Mac1
A new study details the vulnerability of coronaviruses to inhibitors of a small protein domain called Mac1, or the “macrodomain,” found in all coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV.
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NewsNew ECDC weekly reports and guidance to tackle mosquito-borne diseases across Europe
As Europe enters this year’s mosquito season, ECDC has launched a new series of weekly epidemiological surveillance updates and public health guidance on mosquito-borne diseases.
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NewsAntibiotics are failing in many countries in Africa, new study reveals
The largest retrospective study on resistance to antibiotics in Africa highlights the need for major investments to enhance laboratory capabilities and healthcare access.
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NewsPandora’s microbes – The battle for iron in the lungs
Newly discovered natural compounds from the little studied Pandoraea bacterium influence the lung microbiome by competing for iron.
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NewsNew test could save lives from deadly fungal infection that spiked during pandemic
A new lateral-flow test could one day save lives across the world through early detection of a deadly fungal disease which dramatically spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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NewsVaccine disguised as a virus tricks the body into stronger immunity
A simple addition to mRNA vaccines can significantly enhance their effectiveness. Scientists have shown that mice develop a stronger and longer-lasting immune response when the mRNA vaccine is disguised as virus-like particles.
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NewsNew RNA test for African trypanosomiasis in livestock aids control efforts
A new state-of-the-art diagnostic test for animal African trypanosomiasis could detect sentinels of infection in domestic animals and aid control efforts.
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NewsHerpes virus plays interior designer with human DNA
Researchers have discovered the cold sore virus reshapes the human genome’s architecture, rearranging its shape in three-dimensional space so that HSV-1 can access host genes most useful for its ability to reproduce.
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NewsScientists uncover shortcut to miniaturized hydrogen production
Researchers have figured out a way to simplify the highly complex hydrogenase biocatalyst to facilitate its integration into industrial processes, offering a route to clean energy.
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NewsResearchers establish link between form and function of gut bacterium
New insights into the functional differences between the various morphotypes of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron could open up new possibilities for medicine. A better understanding of their diversity could lay the foundation for novel microbiome-based therapies.