560 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.
This study utilizes genome-resolved metagenomics of a 10-month *Microcystis* bloom time series to demonstrate that both strain-level genotype abundances and specific single nucleotide variants are significantly linked to intracellular toxin production, extracellular toxin release, and the diversity of microcystin variants in the environment.
This study demonstrates that plitidepsin, a marine-derived anticancer drug targeting the host factor eEF1A, exhibits potent, broad-spectrum antiviral activity against a wide range of RNA and DNA viruses by disrupting multiple stages of the viral life cycle, thereby highlighting its therapeutic potential and reduced risk of resistance development.
Shotgun metagenomic analysis of insectivorous bats in the UK reveals that temporary managed care induces only modest, non-disruptive shifts in the gut microbiome, which remains largely stable and resilient across host species and rehabilitation status.
This study demonstrates that the glycosylated membrane-associated form of HSV-2 glycoprotein G (mgG-2) is essential for viral neuroinvasion and serves as a promising vaccine candidate, as immunization with its glycosylated form elicits robust immune responses that effectively prevent neuronal infection.
This study utilizes haploid genetic screening to identify MED13 and DDX60 as critical host factors that promote SARS-CoV-2 and related coronavirus infections through transcriptional and interferon-associated pathways, revealing them as potential targets for broad-spectrum host-directed therapies.
This study identifies a novel bacterial defense system involving the DNA glycosylase Brig3 and the hydrolase BapA, which collectively counteract T-even bacteriophage infection by removing 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and its glucosyl modifications from the viral genome.
By integrating ecological community dynamics with evolutionary processes through full-length 16S rRNA sequencing across multiple microhabitats and growth stages, this study demonstrates that *Pisum* spp. exert strong phylogenetic host-filtering that shapes the assembly of rhizosphere bacterial communities, highlighting the value of an ecophylogenetic approach for understanding plant-microbiota co-adaptation.
This study reveals that ribonucleotide reductase (RNR)-encoding marine viruses, comprising approximately 10% of the virioplankton community, exhibit distinct biogeographic distributions driven by oceanic biogeochemical factors such as iron and manganese availability, while also harboring novel phylogenetic diversity in their RNR genes.
This study demonstrates that *Leptomonas seymouri*, often co-isolated with *Leishmania donovani* and its associated virus, can actively replicate within mammalian macrophages and enhance host cell survival, revealing a complex "triple-pathogen" interaction that may influence the pathogenesis of visceral and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis.
Although the Mas receptor agonist AVE0991 reduced viral titers and cytokine levels in vitro, it unexpectedly exacerbated disease severity in murine models of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting a critical discordance between in vitro and in vivo effects that warrants caution in applying RAS-targeted therapies to acute viral respiratory diseases.