🦠 Category

microbiology

579 papers

Microbiology explores the invisible world of tiny life forms that shape our health, environment, and even the air we breathe. From bacteria and viruses to fungi and parasites, this field investigates how these microscopic organisms interact with us and each other, driving everything from disease outbreaks to beneficial fermentation processes. Understanding them is crucial for developing new medicines, improving food safety, and combating global health challenges.

At Gist.Science, we make the latest discoveries in this dynamic field accessible to everyone. We process every new preprint uploaded to bioRxiv in this category, transforming dense academic findings into both clear, plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries. This ensures that whether you are a student, a researcher, or simply curious, you can grasp the significance of cutting-edge science without getting lost in jargon.

Below are the most recent papers in microbiology, curated and summarized directly from the bioRxiv server to keep you at the forefront of discovery.

🦠 microbiology

A membrane-impermeant nucleic acid dye converts bacteriophage plaque assays into a machine-readable format for automated counting

This study demonstrates that using a membrane-impermeant nucleic acid dye to fluorescently label bacteriophage plaques creates high-contrast images compatible with simple, open-source automated counting pipelines, thereby enabling high-throughput, statistically rigorous quantification across diverse phage-host systems without requiring genetic engineering or complex machine learning.

Wiwi, A., Arnold, J., Branch, D., CAHILL, J.2026-08-09
🦠 microbiology

BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL CONTAMINATION OF STAIRCASE BANISTERS AT THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, GHANA

This study at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana revealed that staircase banisters, particularly metal ones, are significantly contaminated with diverse bacterial and fungal pathogens, underscoring the need for their routine inclusion in cleaning and disinfection programs.

Akwaboah, E., Awotwe-Mensah, B., Obeng-Mensah, F., Koranteng, R. F., Appau, A. A., Ndezure, E., Ofori, L. A.2026-08-09
🦠 microbiology

Could microbes be the architects of improved soil structure under Miscanthus x giganteus?

This study demonstrates that *Miscanthus x giganteus* enhances soil aggregate stability by fostering complex microbial networks and enriching specific bacterial and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal taxa that act as "architects" of improved soil structure, distinguishing it from annual maize and non-cropped turfgrass.

de Lorimier, P., Nelson, J. T., Aponte Rolon, B., Flater, J., Radmer, L., McDaniel, M. D., Howe, A.2026-08-07
🦠 microbiology

Virion-wide interactome mapping of HSV-1 reveals maturation-dependent remodeling and convergent organization of herpesvirus tegument networks

By integrating cross-linking mass spectrometry with quantitative proteomics, this study reveals that HSV-1 maturation acts as a selective filter to reorganize virus-host interactions into a conserved tegument network centered on UL49, which functionally converges with HCMV's UL32 hub through shared regulatory mechanisms and host factors like CD59 to ensure viral stability.

Muehlberg, L., Jensen, Y., Ruta, J., Gruska, I., Bosse, J. B., Wiebusch, L., Liu, F., Bogdanow, B.2026-08-07
🦠 microbiology

Highly specific mRNA cleavage by the MazF endoribonuclease orchestrates stationary transcriptome remodeling and rapid regrowth in Gram-positive bacteria

This study redefines the MazF toxin in Gram-positive bacteria as a non-lethal, highly specific endoribonuclease that orchestrates stationary phase transcriptome remodeling by precisely cleaving a narrow mRNA regulon to dampen stress responses and facilitate rapid regrowth.

Frenkel, R., Omer Bendori, S., Borenstein, T., Tenenbaum, B., Shalev, S., Sigal, N., Li, Y., Guler, P., Zarzar, A., Pena (…)2026-08-06
🦠 microbiology

A pro-apoptotic selection strategy enables CRISPR screening in mosquitoes and identifies Lachesin as a chikungunya virus entry factor

This study establishes a pro-apoptotic CRISPR screening strategy in mosquito cells to identify Lachesin, a GPI-anchored protein, as a critical entry factor for Chikungunya virus and related arthritogenic alphaviruses.

de Bruin, A. C. M., Mameli, E., Valliyott, L., Hu, Y., Viswanatha, R., Plung, J. S., Li, W., Abraham, J., Merits, A., Ar (…)2026-08-04
🦠 microbiology

A hierarchical regulatory cascade defines the temporal window of natural transformation in Staphylococcus aureus

This study elucidates the hierarchical regulatory cascade in *Staphylococcus aureus*, where the metabolic regulator CodY initiates a ComK1-dependent pathway that sequentially activates SigH to create a precise temporal window for natural transformation and horizontal gene transfer.

Pierre, P., Shi Yuan, F., Yolande, H., Yannis, A., Sophie, Q.-C., Stephanie, M., Marine, R., Macha, D., Roza, M., Thomas (…)2026-08-04
🦠 microbiology

Larvicidal Potential of Cola nitida Endophytic Bacteria Against Insecticide-Resistant Anopheles gambiae

This study demonstrates that endophytic bacteria isolated from *Cola nitida*, specifically strains of *Photobacterium damselae*, *Salmonella enterica* subsp. *arizonae*, and *Pseudomonas* sp., exhibit potent and environmentally safe larvicidal activity against insecticide-resistant *Anopheles gambiae*, offering a promising sustainable alternative for malaria vector control.

Hzounda Fokou, J. B., Olugu, S. H. V., Ndo, C., Djimefo, A. K. T., Azienwi, J. V., Nsangou, A. N., Teinkela, J. E. M., M (…)2026-08-04
🦠 microbiology

Real-time analysis of pore formation by bi-component staphylococcal leukotoxins using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique

This paper presents a novel, high-throughput electrophysiological method using Xenopus oocytes and two-electrode voltage-clamp robots to characterize the real-time kinetics, receptor dependencies, and subunit oligomerization mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus bi-component leukotoxins, thereby facilitating the study of pore formation and the screening of therapeutic inhibitors.

LEMEL, L., HARRIS, S., AUDIC, G., BELLARD, L., Savoie, J.-D., Grison, C. M., Granier, S., Magnat, J., Voyer, N., Vernet (…)2026-08-04