🦠 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

Moss Transplants in the Tundra Reveal Host-Specific Microbiomes and Nitrogen Fixation Responses

A one-year reciprocal transplant experiment in Alaskan tundra reveals that short-term variations in moss-associated nitrogen fixation are driven primarily by host species identity and microenvironment rather than by changes in the bacterial community structure, suggesting that host physiology plays a more critical role than microbiome turnover in near-term predictions of nitrogen inputs under Arctic climate change.

Key, R. S., Stuart, J. E. M., McDaniel, S. F., Hoffert, M., Lockwood, E., Fierer, N., Holland-Moritz, H., Mack, M. C.2026-03-26
🦠 microbiology

Viral isolation reveals novel and diverse phages infecting natural stream biofilms

This study introduces the Alpine Lotic Phage (ALP) collection, a diverse set of 28 novel tailed phages isolated from alpine stream biofilms that infect 14 bacterial species and exhibit unique genomic and functional characteristics, thereby providing a foundational resource for exploring phage ecology and evolution in natural environments.

Chin, W. H., Boutroux, M., Harding, A., Demurtas, D., Baier, F., Peter, H.2026-03-26
🦠 microbiology

Versatility of Campylobacter jejuni Bf extracellular vesicles in regulating adaptation and virulence under combined thermal and oxidative stress

This study demonstrates that the clinical *Campylobacter jejuni* Bf strain utilizes selective secretion of larger, compositionally altered extracellular vesicles as a survival strategy to adapt to combined thermal and oxidative stress, thereby linking environmental resilience to enhanced epithelial toxicity and virulence.

MALET-VILLEMAGNE, J., D'Mello, R., Li, Y., Minic, Z., Gloux, K., Dubois-Brissonnet, F., Prost, B., Solgadi, A., Pechoux (…)2026-03-26
🦠 microbiology

A Type VII-secreted toxin enables inter-mycobacterial competition

This study reveals that certain mycobacteria utilize the type VII secretion system to weaponize endo-D-arabinanase toxins against the arabinogalactan cell walls of competing mycobacteria, a mechanism enabled by specific immunity proteins and widespread across the Mycobacteriales order.

Benedict, S. T., Bowran, K., Lee, E. K. E., Reyre, J.-L., Han, C.-R., Ahmad, H., Franklin, A., Mietrach, N. A., Layton (…)2026-03-26
🦠 microbiology

Functional, genomic, and transcriptomic insights into Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) biodegradation by landfill-derived Brucella intermedia

This study identifies and characterizes two landfill-derived *Brucella intermedia* strains capable of biodegrading linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) through oxidative surface modification and biofilm formation, while confirming their low pathogenicity and limited antimicrobial resistance.

Zaman, I., Moosa, M. M., Hossain, M. M.2026-03-25
🦠 microbiology

Genetic Analysis of F1 Cluster Phages that Infect Mycobacterium smegmatis Identifies Two Distinct Holin-Like Proteins that Regulate the Host Lysis Event

Genetic analysis of *Mycobacterium smegmatis* phages Girr and NormanBulbieJr reveals that efficient host lysis requires the coordinated function of two distinct holin-like proteins, LysF1a and LysF1b, where LysF1b is essential for preventing premature lysis and LysF1a acts as a regulatory partner rather than a pure antiholin.

Pollenz, R. S., Ruiz-Houston, K., Dean, W., Nguyen, L.2026-03-25
🦠 microbiology

Real-time, in situ fluorescence and optical density measurements of liquid cultures in simulated microgravity

This paper presents the development and validation of a novel in situ spectroscopy system for the Cell Spinpod rotating wall vessel that enables real-time, high-resolution monitoring of optical density and fluorescence in liquid microbial cultures under simulated microgravity, overcoming previous limitations that required destructive sampling.

Lantin, S., Bansal, M., Alper, H., Lee, J. A.2026-03-25
🦠 microbiology

Cervicovaginal Dysbiosis in HPV-Negative Women: Metagenomic Evidence Implicates Achromobacter in Female Infertility

This study utilizes integrated 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic analyses to demonstrate that cervicovaginal dysbiosis in HPV-negative women is characterized by a loss of Lactobacillus and a specific enrichment of Achromobacter species, which the authors identify as a potential microbial biomarker for female infertility.

Ali, H., Sujan, M. S. I., Nahar, K., Ahmed, M. F., Azmuda, N., Akter, S., Adnan, N.2026-03-25