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Major Virology Breakthrough Identifies Third Known Family of Bacteria Infecting RNA Viruses

Thriving alongside trillions of bacteria in the human digestive tract is a vast population of viruses. Ever since one such denizen of the gut microbiome, known as picobirnavirus, was first spotted decades ago, researchers thought it directly infected human tissue and played a role in gastrointestinal illness.

31 Oct 2026

New DNA Test Detects Listeria in Ice Cream and Reveals How It Survives Freezing

Researchers developed a PMA-ddPCR assay to detect and quantify potentially viable Listeria monocytogenes in ice cream, identifying the pathogen in two of 500 commercial samples and demonstrating good agreement with conventional culture-based measurements. The method also supported predictive models of bacterial growth under different temperature conditions, while experiments showed that the pathogen could survive 240 days of frozen storage without substantial changes in population levels.

21 Oct 2026

In Situ Plasmonic Nanostructure Growth Enables Label Free Bacterial SERS Analysis

A research team led by Senior Researcher Minyoung Lee and Principal Researcher Sunggyu Park of the Advanced Bio and Healthcare Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), headed by President Chul-jin Choi, has developed a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis technology that rapidly detects extremely low concentrations of viable bacteria by directly growing plasmonic metal nanostructures on and around bacterial cells.

20 Oct 2026

Korean Researchers Identify New Mechanism Underlying Superbug Antibiotic Resistance

A joint research team led by Professor Hongbaek Cho of the Department of Biological Sciences at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and Professor Jeong Min Chung of the Department of Biotechnology at The Catholic University of Korea has identified a new mechanism underlying antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major multidrug-resistant "superbug."

16 Oct 2026

Gene Amplification Unexpectedly Increases Bacterial Susceptibility to Frontline Antibiotics

This study was led by Yuqin Song and Jie Feng from the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The researchers investigated how insertion sequence (IS)-mediated gene amplification contributes to the adaptability of Acinetobacter baumannii, an important nosocomial pathogen known for its multidrug resistance and persistence in clinical environments.

15 Oct 2026

Time Capsule Fungus Offers Opportunity for Rare Glimpse into 50 Years of Wheat Disease Evolution

A pair of tiny glass vials sealed away for half a century could provide novel insights into one of Australia's most damaging wheat diseases when a 50-year-old time capsule is opened on October 17, 2026.

13 Oct 2026

Researchers Discover Novel Protein Plug Mechanism in Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

8 Oct 2026

Targeting Host Cellular Repair Mechanisms Enhances Tissue Resistance to Infection

Epithelial cells form the body's frontline barriers, helping keep microbes, toxins, and other harmful substances out. Yet these protective cells are constantly exposed to threats, including microbial infections.

6 Oct 2026

Research Consortium Maps Mitochondrial Diversity Across the Complex Tree of Life

A research consortium has generated the broadest look yet at the proteins that make up mitochondria, capturing the organelle's diversity across multiple branches on the tree of complex life.

5 Oct 2026

Researchers Discover Key Protein Mechanism Enabling Fungal Drug Resistance

The battle lines have finally shifted in the war against a deadly fungal disease.

5 Oct 2026

Deciphering Bacterial Antiviral Defenses Aids Design of Immune-Evading Phages

In the fight to find better treatments for bacterial infections, one rapidly evolving therapy is a group of viruses called bacteriophages (phages). Phages can attack and kill dangerous bacteria while leaving human cells unharmed and bypassing antibiotic resistance.

5 Oct 2026

Invasive E. coli Strains Promote Host Invasion of Harmless Strains

When scientists assess how dangerous a bacterium is, the first question often seems simple: can it be stopped or killed?

1 Oct 2026

Researchers Engineer Synthetic Plant Receptors to Supercharge Crop Immunity

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have developed a way to "supercharge" a plant's natural immune response.

26 Sep 2026

Restoring Gut Indole Levels Reduces Campylobacter Infection in Mouse Models

What if something produced naturally by your gut bacteria could help fight a dangerous foodborne pathogen?

17 Sep 2026

New Surveillance Tool Uses Mosquito Waste to Track Emerging Pathogens

When public health researchers want to know whether diseases such as COVID-19 or polio are circulating in a community, they can look for genetic evidence in wastewater.

16 Sep 2026

New Mathematical Models Track Surface Protein Interactions to Map Evolutionary Terrains

When a virus mutates, the world usually finds out the hard way. Variants of influenza and SARS‑CoV‑2 can slip past vaccines and antibody drugs before scientists fully understand what has changed.

15 Sep 2026

Synchronized Gene Regulatory Pathways Defend C. diff Against Host and Microbiota Threats

The pathogen Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) - a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections - must contend with a variety of threats inside the harsh environment of the gut to survive and grow.

10 Sep 2026

Homolog Gene Regulation Alters Cell-Cycle Progression for Sprouting Trichomes

Trichomes-tiny hair‑like structures on leaves-serve as physical barriers that protect plants from insect herbivores, UV radiation, excessive water loss, and toxic chemicals.

8 Sep 2026

Historic Parchment Unlocks Ancient Genetic History of Sheeppox Virus

Some of Europe's most well-known historic manuscripts, including the York Gospels, have proven to be biological time capsules for uncovering the 3,500-year history of the sheeppox virus (SPPV).

4 Sep 2026

Single Line T Cell Immunity Fails Maintaining Permanent Zika Protections

CA-Zika virus has been spreading for decades, but it first grabbed worldwide headlines in 2016. That February, with an outbreak sweeping the Americas, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the surge in Zika-linked birth defects a "public health emergency of international concern"-a designation which lasted until that November.

31 Aug 2026

Pathogen News and Research

Major Virology Breakthrough Identifies Third Known Family of Bacteria Infecting RNA Viruses

New DNA Test Detects Listeria in Ice Cream and Reveals How It Survives Freezing

In Situ Plasmonic Nanostructure Growth Enables Label Free Bacterial SERS Analysis

Korean Researchers Identify New Mechanism Underlying Superbug Antibiotic Resistance

Gene Amplification Unexpectedly Increases Bacterial Susceptibility to Frontline Antibiotics

Time Capsule Fungus Offers Opportunity for Rare Glimpse into 50 Years of Wheat Disease Evolution

Researchers Discover Novel Protein Plug Mechanism in Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Targeting Host Cellular Repair Mechanisms Enhances Tissue Resistance to Infection

Research Consortium Maps Mitochondrial Diversity Across the Complex Tree of Life

Researchers Discover Key Protein Mechanism Enabling Fungal Drug Resistance

Deciphering Bacterial Antiviral Defenses Aids Design of Immune-Evading Phages

Invasive E. coli Strains Promote Host Invasion of Harmless Strains

Researchers Engineer Synthetic Plant Receptors to Supercharge Crop Immunity

Restoring Gut Indole Levels Reduces Campylobacter Infection in Mouse Models

New Surveillance Tool Uses Mosquito Waste to Track Emerging Pathogens

New Mathematical Models Track Surface Protein Interactions to Map Evolutionary Terrains

Synchronized Gene Regulatory Pathways Defend C. diff Against Host and Microbiota Threats

Homolog Gene Regulation Alters Cell-Cycle Progression for Sprouting Trichomes

Historic Parchment Unlocks Ancient Genetic History of Sheeppox Virus

Single Line T Cell Immunity Fails Maintaining Permanent Zika Protections

The Future of Vision Restoration With ReVision Implant

How a Single List Is Changing Visibility for Women in Science

How Avatar Medical's 3D Technology Is Transforming How We Visualize the Human Body

Editorial Focus eBook - Biopharmaceuticals (2nd edition)

Improving Cell Culture Efficiency with Image-Guided Automation

Improving Scalability in Organoid Research

Cosmetic Formulation and Manufacturing

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