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Scientists at The University of Warwick have made a breakthrough which could help find new treatments for a deadly infection that can affect up to 40% of hospital patients using mechanical ventilators.

The latest edition of Microbiology Today is now available to read online. This issue, titled ‘Emerging Threats', explores various threats that microbiologists and the wider community face – from the reemergence of infectious diseases to the rising complexities in biodefense and the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). 

When it comes to disease-causing microbes, bacteria and viruses usually steal the spotlight. But there is another, often overlooked, microbial foe that is a grave cause for concern. Fungal pathogens cause an estimated 1.5 million human deaths and destroy a third of the global crop yield each year. Despite this impact on human health and food security, the number of antifungal drugs available is extremely limited.

Do the foods we eat affect how we age in later life? Researchers at the Babraham Institute, UK, have discovered that a change in diet without restricting calories reduced signs of ageing in yeast cells. This research could provide answers for healthy ageing research in humans.

Under the ever-growing threat of climate change, researchers are scrambling to find alternative energy sources to fossil fuels. Biofuels, such as bioethanol, are one such alternative, but are expensive and inefficient to produce. But now, researchers in the Buscaino lab at the University of Kent, UK, have discovered that a species of fermenting yeast has an unusual colony morphology that can switch its appearance. This ‘phenotypic switching system’ could one day be utilised to streamline the production of biofuel.

Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), France, have been involved in antifungal stewardship since 2017, with the aim of optimising the management of invasive fungal infections and containing antifungal resistance. Invasive fungal infections such as invasive candidiasis and invasive aspergillosis are a significant cause of mortality, especially in critically ill patients and immunocompromised patients.
 

This year the Microbiology Society celebrates the 75^th anniversary of Microbiology, and 75 years of publishing for the community. As part of this celebration, we will be continuing to release important themed collections, highlighting the breadth of microbiology and showcasing why microbiology matters.

Researchers are unravelling the mechanisms behind the increasingly common fungal disease mucormycosis.

Researchers have identified fragment of DNA that might code for superior production of biofuels by yeast.

The research, conducted by a group based at the Kent Fungal group (University of Kent), identified a ‘minichromosome’ that improves the efficiency of bioethanol production by the yeast Scheffersomyces stipitis.