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The UK is a world leader in biofilm research and innovation. To further progress, the UK government should consider several actions, such as providing sustained funding for interdisciplinary research hubs and ensuring researchers have access to critical infrastructure and training.

The UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee has launched its ‘The Environment in Focus’ inquiry, inviting proposals on what the Committee should investigate next in the areas of climate change, the environment and nature.

Microbes do not exist in isolation. Instead, they live in complex and dynamic communities in which different microbial species are constantly interacting.

The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee launched an inquiry on what MPs should put under the microscope. In other words, the committee called for input on the questions they should be exploring and how the government can ensure that science and technology do good for people across the United Kingdom.

The Microbiology Society has submitted evidence to the UK Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry into antimicrobial resistance (AMR), highlighting key challenges and recommendations for strengthening the UK’s response to this growing global crisis. The Society’s response was informed by the views of its members and the wider AMR community through its ‘Knocking Out AMR’ project.

AMR occurs when disease-causing bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites (pathogens) are no longer affected by the medicines that have been developed to target them. Drug-resistant pathogens can cause infections that are difficult or impossible to treat; they increase the risk of disease spread and can lead to severe illness, disability and death.

The October 2024 edition of Microbiology Today is titled 'Emerging Opportunities.' This issue explores the use of bacteria to redefine our life on Earth and the role of microbes in space exploration. This issue looks at the opportunities microbiology provides for all of us.

The May 2024 edition of Microbiology Today is titled 'Emerging Threats'. This issue explores threats from climate change to artificial intelligence, this issue explores a wide range of threats that microbiologists and the wider community face.

Human microbiome research is an exciting and dynamic field that has the potential to benefit many areas of our society and the economy. Microbiome research has progressed rapidly since the development of new genomic technologies and investment in large-scale, collaborative projects such as The Human Microbiome Project, a ten-year research initiative launched in 2007 which set out to characterise the human microbiome and its role in health and disease. Evidence from this project, alongside more recent studies, suggests that the findings from microbiome research can be used to improve human health.

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent global threats to public health in the 21st century. AMR refers to disease-causing microbes (also known as pathogens) evolving and gaining resistance to drugs and substances that were once effective treatments against infections (antimicrobials). It poses significant challenges to current clinical care, health economies, animal and plant health as well as the environment. Microbiologists from across the world are committed to developing innovative solutions to combat AMR and reduce its impact on global health.

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent global threats to public health in the 21st century. AMR refers to disease-causing microbes (known as a pathogens) evolving and gaining resistance to drugs and substances that were once effective treatments against infections (antimicrobials). It poses significant challenges to clinical care, health economies, animal and plant health as well as the environment. Microbiologists from across the world are committed to developing innovative solutions to combat AMR.

The October 2023 edition of Microbiology Today is titled 'Knocking Out AMR'. This issue explores some of the challenges and most recent advancements within antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research.

The May 2023 edition of Microbiology Today is titled 'Industrial Microbiology'. This issue explores the fascinating world of industrial microbiology, from career advice on how to break into the field to insights into how industry is using micro-organisms to solve global challenges.

The October 2022 edition of Microbiology Today is titled 'Protists'. This issue highlights the importance of protistology research and engagement activities in collaboration with Protistology-UK.

The May 2022 edition of Microbiology Today is titled 'Engaging Microbiology'. This issue highlights the importance of teaching and outreach in championing and advancing the understanding of microbiology.

As a follow-up to our position statement ‘Science for Ireland: Propelling Research and Innovation Success’, we have written an open letter to the Irish Government on their research and innovation strategy. The Microbiology Society has 270 active members in the Republic of Ireland, and over 430 on the entire island of Ireland, all of whom are affected by the issues that we highlight in this letter.

The effects of climate change are already evident across the globe. Habitats are disappearing, sea levels are rising, and the polar ice caps are melting. The communities most affected are struggling to cope with a rapidly changing world. Microbes are directly associated with both the production and consumption of greenhouse gasses, making them an important component in climate change models. Microbiology research is instrumental for the monitoring and mitigation of climate change and has revealed ways in which we can harness the power of microbes to avoid climate catastrophe.

The Microbiology Society has published a position statement entitled ‘Safeguarding the Future of the Microbiology Research and Innovation Workforce’, calling for employers, funders and governments to prioritise and better support Early Career (EC) Forum.

The October edition of Microbiology Today is titled 'SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19'. This issue is dedicated to showcasing microbiologists' collaborative efforts to build our understanding of SARS-CoV-2, since its emergence, to improve COVID-19 management and prevention.