Category Archives: Environmental Microbiology

Podcast: Does air pollution make bacteria more dangerous?

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

Air pollution is a big problem. It’s our single largest environmental health risk, and causes an eighth of all global deaths worldwide. We know that air pollution increases respiratory diseases and the risk of infections like pneumonia. But now, new … Continue reading →

Posted in Clinical and Medical Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Podcast | 4 Comments

Pioneer fungi start degrading dead wood before it hits the ground

Posted on April 5, 2017 by

Next time you go walking in a forest during the summer months, take a look up and see if you can spot any branches missing their leaves. It might not seem obvious at first, but you’re looking at a poorly … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Evolution and Diversity, Mycology | Leave a comment

Podcast: Antarctic microbes from Scott’s Discovery Expedition

Posted on March 30, 2017 by

In 1901, Captain Robert Falcon Scott led a team of men on the Discovery Expedition to explore the mysteries of Antarctica. The expedition is famous for its scientific legacy, including the discovery of snow-free valleys, emperor penguin colonies and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Microbiology, Podcast | Tagged , | 2 Comments

In New York State, bats are showing signs of recovery from white-nose syndrome

Posted on March 29, 2017 by

Bats in North America are in trouble. Millions of them have died over the past few years, over an area that stretches for thousands of miles, from Nova Scotia in Eastern Canada to Nebraska in the heart of North America. … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Mycology | Tagged | 2 Comments

Streptomyces: bacterial explorers

Posted on February 2, 2017 by

Streptomyces bacteria are some of the most studied microbes on the planet. This genus of soil-dwelling organisms is best known for being prolific producers of many of the antibiotics that we use clinically. However, despite 70 years of study, they … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Microbiology | Tagged | Leave a comment

Drumming up disease? Anthrax and African drum hides

Posted on October 6, 2016 by

In 2006, a man in Scotland died from the first case of anthrax in Britain for 32 years. Then, in 2008, a man in London was fatally infected with the same disease. The properties of both men were sealed up … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Evolution and Diversity | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Testing the waters: Legionnaires’ disease and the Olympics

Posted on September 13, 2016 by

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the molecular methods that enable scientists to investigate disease outbreaks, often in real time. This week, research from the Journal of Medical Microbiology on dealing with outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. Water was a big topic of conversation at the Olympics … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Microbiology, Epidemiology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cows on antibiotics release more methane from their dung

Posted on July 19, 2016 by

It’s a well-known fact that cattle and other livestock are responsible for releasing greenhouse gases like methane into the atmosphere. However, contrary to popular belief, it’s actually bovine burps, not farts, that are to blame. Methane from belching is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Antarctic wildlife at risk from human E. coli?

Posted on July 5, 2016 by

Antarctica is the only continent on Earth without a native human population. But at any one time, there are still thousands of people living there, most of them scientists. During the course of their research, it’s inevitable that these scientists … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Can we use models to predict virus outbreaks?

Posted on March 21, 2016 by

Professor Matthew Baylis from the University of Liverpool will talk about his predictions for future impacts of climate change on infectious diseases of animals at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference today (21 March). If we can anticipate what will happen … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Virology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment