Genomic sequencing reveals previously unknown genes that make microbes resistant to drugs and hard to kill

Scientists have described antimicrobial resistance as an overlooked pandemic. Improving surveillance can help prevent deadly outbreaks.

Nneka Vivian Iduu, Graduate Research Assistant in Pathobiology, Auburn University • conversation
March 24, 2025 • ~8 min

Out-of-balance bacteria is linked to multiple sclerosis − the ratio can predict severity of disease

Levels of 2 types of bacteria in your gut could help improve the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Ashutosh Mangalam, Associate Professor of Pathology, University of Iowa • conversation
March 3, 2025 • ~8 min

Microbes can colonize space, produce drugs and create energy − researchers are simulating their inner workings to harness how

Using digital blueprints of the metabolism of microbes, scientists can simulate expensive and time-intensive experiments set in space, power plants and farm fields.

Blaise Manga Enuh, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microbial Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
Jan. 6, 2025 • ~8 min

Tiny laboratories that fit in your hand can rapidly identify pathogens using electricity

Pathogens have distinct electrical charges, shapes and sizes. Measuring how quickly they move through an electric field can help researchers separate different species in a sample in minutes.

Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology • conversation
Nov. 26, 2024 • ~8 min

Get chronic UTIs? Future treatments may add more bacteria to your bladder to beat back harmful microbes

Certain strains of E. coli tucked in a gel can crowd out the microbes that cause urinary tract infections.

Sarguru Subash, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University • conversation
Nov. 15, 2024 • ~6 min

Fighting antibiotic resistance at the source – using machine learning to identify bacterial resistance genes and the drugs to block them

By analyzing the resistance genes and proteins of E. coli, researchers can optimize treatments to address both current and future antimicrobial resistance.

Abdullahi Tunde Aborode, Mississippi State University • conversation
Oct. 30, 2024 • ~5 min

Gut microbe imbalances could predict a child’s risk for autism, ADHD and speech disorders years before symptoms appear

Imbalances in different species of bacteria in a baby’s gut may provide insights into their neurodevelopment.

Johnny Ludvigsson, Professor Emeritus of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University • conversation
Oct. 2, 2024 • ~12 min

Found dead in the snow − how microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations in frigid conditions

An accurate estimate of when someone died is a critical part of forensic investigations. In extremely cold conditions, molecular biology can provide critical information where the naked eye cannot.

Lavinia Iancu, Assistant Professor of Forensic Science, Director of the Forensic Science Program, University of North Dakota • conversation
Sept. 9, 2024 • ~8 min

Ancient viral genomes preserved in glaciers reveal the history of Earth’s climate – and how viruses adapt to climate change

From ice cores extracted from the Tibetan Plateau, scientists recovered the equivalent of 1,705 virus species. Reading their genomes tells the story of 41,000 years of climate change.

Virginia Rich, Associate Professor of Microbiology, The Ohio State University • conversation
Aug. 26, 2024 • ~6 min

A common parasite could one day deliver drugs to the brain − how scientists are turning ‘Toxoplasma gondii’ from foe into friend

Getting drugs into the brain is a challenge. A new study suggests a brain parasite may be able to help.

Bill Sullivan, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University • conversation
Aug. 7, 2024 • ~8 min

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