microbiology

A team of South Korean scientists has uncovered new evidence that could help explain how Earth’s atmosphere became rich in oxygen, one of the most transformative events in the planet’s history. Researchers from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) report the finding of stromatolites, layered structures formed by microbial communities, within the Hapcheon impact crater o…

Inspired by the widely used and user-friendly COVID-19 strip test kits, a team of science students from Chulalongkorn University has developed a test kit for detecting pathogens in milk and dairy products. The team combined the LAMP technique with strip test technology to create a simple screening tool for harmful bacteria that can be easily used by the public.

Nature Communications, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73573-4 Anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea are abundant in marine cold seeps. Here, the authors reconstruct high-quality circular metagenomic-assembled genomes and identify variable genomic hotspots associated with phylogenomic diversity at the species and strain levels.

IntroductionThe vaginal microbiome plays a central role in women’s health by supporting immune function, maintaining mucosal homeostasis, and preventing infections. Spaceflight and its analogs can induce acute physiological stress, which can alter host microbiome interactions. While other studies have analyzed the microbiome changes at certain body sites, the female-specific microbiome changes ha…

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants that cause adverse health effects. This study investigated the toxic effect of different molecular weight PAHs on eukaryote model organism (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) exploiting oxidative stress biomarkers as endpoint indicators. Yeast cells were treated with environmentally relevant concentrations of phenanthrene (PHE), fluora…

BackgroundReflux esophagitis (RE), a common gastroesophageal reflux disease characterized by esophageal mucosal inflammation, is closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic abnormalities. The glutamine-glutamate metabolic pathway regulates inflammation and mucosal barrier function, but its role in RE and association with gut microbiota remain unclear. This study aimed to charac…

PurposeThe incidence of exertional heat stroke (EHS) has increased markedly in recent decades. Although intestinal barrier dysfunction and gut microbiota alterations are increasingly implicated in EHS pathophysiology, the respective contributions of heat exposure and physical exercise to these processes remain incompletely defined.MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were assigned to Control (C), Exercise (E…

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02369-5 Multi-omics analysis of the plant fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae reveals the mitophagy pathway regulator Cox6 as a druggable target for antifungal treatment.

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02383-7 We developed a scalable pooled CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) platform for the prominent fungal pathogen Candida albicans, enabling portable, high-throughput functional genomic analysis of essential genes across diverse environmental conditions and strain backgrounds. This approach identified conserved fungus-specif…

Nature Immunology, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41590-026-02532-4 An amino acid metabolic enzyme transforms bacterial lipoproteins into disulfide-linked lipid structures that activate the non-canonical inflammasome, redefining cytosolic innate immune sensing as a process shaped by host metabolic remodeling.

BackgroundPolystyrene nanoplastics (NPs) represent emerging environmental contaminants with potential adverse effects on salivary glands. This study investigated the protective effects of multi-strain probiotics against NPs-induced toxicity in rat parotid glands.MethodsForty male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into five groups (n = 8): control, NPs (10 mg/kg), probiotics (1010 CFU), NPs + pro…

This systematic review found that yoga and Buddhist meditation were associated with favorable gut microbiota and metabolite profiles in four human studies involving healthy adults. However, because participants largely followed vegetarian or vegan diets and no randomized controlled trials were included, the findings cannot prove that meditation alone reshapes the gut microbiome.

A new perspective on gut immunity is highlighting the powerful role of RNA modifications in shaping how the body maintains balance in the digestive system.

Scientists in South Korea have discovered that a probiotic bacterium commonly found in kimchi may help the body remove tiny plastic particles known as nanoplastics. The findings suggest that microorganisms from traditional fermented foods could one day play a role in protecting human health from growing plastic pollution. The research was carried out by scientists […] The post This South Korean f…

A new study suggests the gut microbiome may retain long-term signatures of past medication use, with some drugs leaving detectable effects years after treatment ends. Your gut may carry a record of medications you stopped taking years ago. A large study from the University of Tartu Institute of Genomics suggests that prescription drugs can leave [...]

Check out this new paper published as an output of the Group on Insect Nutrition To Open Nutritional Innovative Challenges (GIN-TONIC) Cost Action! Jordan contributed to this alongside an incredible team of researchers spanning 15 institutions and 12 countries, and it’s now published in Journal of Insects as Food and Feed! Knowledge gaps in feeding Continue reading "NEW PAPER: Knowledge gaps in f…

Scientific Data, Published online: 24 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07491-x Two-hourly resolved microbial and viral dynamics in the subtropical Daya Bay

We use the word disclosure to describe the release of hidden information. But this is only the surface meaning. At a deeper level, disclosure names the process by which reality becomes intelligible at all. A fact must become factual. A measurement must become measurable. A relation must become legible. A law must become expressible. A world must become available to meaning. This paper proposes th…