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New antibiotics needed: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
September 17, 2020
In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the ’12 Priority Pathogens’: a list of 12 microbes that are becoming increasingly resistant to current antimicrobials. These 12 pathogens are thought by WHO to pose the greatest threat to human health.
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New microbes discovered in termites, a stork and broccoli
September 15, 2020
Each month, the Microbiology Society publishes the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM), which details newly discovered species of bacteria, fungi and protists. Here are some of the new species that have been discovered and the places they’ve been found.
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Coronastream: the Swedish strategy, artificial intelligence-assisted testing and strategies to reopen travel
September 9, 2020
In this special blog series, medical microbiologists led by Dr Tim Inglis summarise some of the research that will be essential to inform COVID-19 countermeasures. Find out more about the project in Dr Inglis' Editorial 'Logic in the time of coronavirus', published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.
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JMM Editor’s Choice: does sub-culturing of positive MRSA blood cultures affect vancomycin MICs?
September 7, 2020
The Journal of Medical Microbiology (JMM) is a journal published by the Microbiology Society, focused on providing comprehensive coverage of medical, dental and veterinary microbiology and infectious diseases, including bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology. This month, Dr Steve Michell discusses the paper ‘Does sub-culturing of positive MRSA blood cultures affect vancomycin MICs?’ which was chosen as Editor’s Choice for the August issue of JMM.
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Microbiology Editor's Choice: social interactions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
September 2, 2020
Each month, a manuscript published in our flagship journal Microbiology is chosen by a member of the Editorial Board. This month, the paper is titled 'Combinatorial quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa allows for novel cheating strategies' and was chosen by Professor Riccardo Manganelli.
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Why is soil microbiology important?
August 28, 2020
As part of our ‘A Sustainable Future’ policy project, we spoke to Professor Matthew Goddard from the University of Lincoln about his research into the soil microbiome. In this video he tells us more about the importance soil microbes in agriculture, the impact of chemical fungicides and why microbes are vital for more sustainable food production, and thus achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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MicroNews August
August 28, 2020
MicroNews is the sister series of our podcast Microbe Talk, where we discuss microbiology in the news over the last month. As COVID-19 is taking over the news elsewhere, we decided to focus on other stories from the microbial world, including how insect wings are inspiring new ways to fight superbugs, an extreme fungus that could protect astronauts from deadly radiation and the huge plankton bloom off the UK coast that can be seen from space.
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Antimicrobial resistance: the next pandemic?
August 26, 2020
It is now estimated 700,000 people die each year as a result of drug resistant diseases, with this number predicted to increase to over 10 million deaths per year by 2050. The current COVID-19 pandemic appears to have accelerated the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as many patients admitted to hospitals displaying COVID-19 symptoms are treated with antibiotics to reduce their chances of contracting secondary bacterial infections, making resistant bacteria more common.
