🦠 Category

microbiology

653 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

All-trans retinoic acid recalibrates macrophage transcriptional responses to drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis through strain-specific immunometabolic reprogramming

This study demonstrates that while all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) can recalibrate macrophage immunometabolic responses to drug-susceptible and multidrug-resistant *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* by promoting resolution signaling and preserving antimicrobial pathways, its efficacy is significantly attenuated in extensively drug-resistant strains due to unique immune evasion mechanisms and transcriptional refractoriness.

Roshan Singh, M., Kumar, R., Anand, S., Pahuja, I., Hussain, A., kumar, R., Singh, A., Dwivedi, V. P., Kumar, M., Ojesin (…)2026-04-02
🦠 microbiology

The transcription factor Vca0578 (DsvR) mediated expression of ZapC is required to promote cell division during lytic transglycosylase insufficiency in Vibrio cholerae

This study reveals that in *Vibrio cholerae*, the transcription factor Vca0578 (DsvR) promotes cell division under lytic transglycosylase insufficiency or antibiotic stress by upregulating the expression of ZapC, a protein essential for maintaining cell envelope homeostasis and FtsZ-mediated division when cell wall remodeling is compromised.

BASU, U., Weaver, A. I., Lin, N., Ahmed, A., Krautwurst, S., Papenfort, K., Dörr, T.2026-04-02
🦠 microbiology

Fungicide drives de novo evolution of multidrug resistance in the plant growth promoting rhizobacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens

This study demonstrates that exposure to the fungicide Fubol Gold rapidly drives the de novo evolution of multidrug resistance in the beneficial soil bacterium *Pseudomonas fluorescens* via efflux pump overexpression, while combined warming stress accelerates population extinction despite not altering the resistance evolution trajectory.

Kelbrick, M., Hall, J. P., O'Brien, S.2026-04-02
🦠 microbiology

Exploring the virome of Gyropsylla spegazziniana, a major yerba mate pest

This study presents the first high-throughput RNA sequencing analysis of the yerba mate pest *Gyropsylla spegazziniana*, revealing a complex virome composed of five novel viruses from the Benyviridae, Picornaviridae, and Solemoviridae families and establishing a foundation for future research into their ecological roles and potential biocontrol applications.

Candia, Y. G., Nahirnak, V., Badaracco, A., Debat, H., Schapovaloff, M. E., bejerman, n.2026-04-02
🦠 microbiology

FAM134B isoform 2/RETREG1-2 defines a calnexin-TOLLIP-coupled ER-phagy pathway that restricts Ebola virus glycoprotein and is antagonized by VP40 through macro-autophagy

This study identifies the truncated FAM134B isoform 2 (RETR1-2) as a calnexin- and TOLLIP-dependent ER-phagy receptor that selectively degrades Ebola virus glycoprotein to restrict infection, while revealing a reciprocal arms race where the viral protein VP40 counteracts this defense by triggering RETR1-2's own degradation via macro-autophagy.

Zhang, J., Wang, T., Wen, J., Lan, J., Li, S., Zheng, Y.-H.2026-04-02
🦠 microbiology

Lactic acid bacterium Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis impairs fitness of yeast Maudiozyma humilis in synthetic wheat sourdough

This study reveals that the lactic acid bacterium *Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis* impairs the fitness of the yeast *Maudiozyma humilis* in synthetic wheat sourdough, challenging the long-held belief of a mutualistic glucose cross-feeding relationship and suggesting their interaction is instead neutral or competitive.

Wittwer, A. E., Segond, D., Serre, C., Li, J. A., Sicard, D., Howell, K.2026-04-02
🦠 microbiology

Atlas of innate immune responses to experimental cholera and IL22 treatment demonstrates protection by mucus-secreting cells

This study utilizes single-cell RNA sequencing to demonstrate that IL22 treatment protects against cholera by enhancing mucus-secreting goblet cells and antimicrobial peptide production, thereby limiting *Vibrio cholerae* colonization and preventing fatal diarrhea.

Suzuki, M., Hasegawa, Y., Zhang, H., Liang, Z., Tie, G., Shivdasani, R., Waldor, M. K.2026-04-01
🦠 microbiology

The Urinary Tract Commensal Peptoniphilus spp. Encodes a Novel 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase

This study identifies and characterizes novel NADPH-dependent 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases in the urinary tract commensals *Peptoniphilus obesi* and *Anaerococcus*, demonstrating their ability to interconvert androstenedione and testosterone and suggesting a previously unrecognized microbial mechanism for androgen availability in the genitourinary tract that may influence prostate cancer.

Binion, B., Ahmad, S., Wang, T., Tang, E., Barnick, B., Olukoya, D., Mbuvi, P., Dutta, D., Erdman, J., Gaskins, H. R., Y (…)2026-04-01
🦠 microbiology

Metagenomic and transcriptomic signatures of periodontitis in companion dogs

This study utilizes shotgun metagenomics and RNA-seq to characterize the distinct oral microbiome and host transcriptional signatures associated with periodontitis progression in companion dogs, revealing both shared and unique pathogenic mechanisms with human disease that validate canines as a valuable model for understanding periodontal etiopathogenesis and identifying novel therapeutic targets.

Grier, A., Grenier, J. K., Byron, M. J., Fiani, N., Traver, N. D., Valm, A. M., Peralta, S.2026-04-01
🦠 microbiology

A widespread gut bacterial lineage distinguished by redox metabolism and phage defense

By developing selective media to isolate the low-abundance gut bacterium *Eggerthella lenta*, researchers identified a widespread, inflammation-associated lineage (Group B) characterized by distinct redox metabolism and phage defense mechanisms, highlighting the critical role of bacterial population structure in host-microbiome interactions.

Noecker, C., Guo, L., Date, C., Rai, N., Daramy, F., Ramirez Hernandez, L. A., Kyaw, T. S., Trepka, K. R., Gupta, C. L. (…)2026-04-01