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Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceSituations Leading to Reduced Effectiveness of Current Hand Hygiene against Infectious Mucus from Influenza Virus-Infected PatientsAntiseptic hand rubbing (AHR) and antiseptic hand washing (AHW) are important to prevent the spread of influenza A virus (IAV). This study elucidated the situations/mechanisms underlying the reduced efficacy of AHR against infectious mucus derived from IAV-infected individuals and indicated the weaknesses of the current hand hygiene regimens. Due to the low rate of diffusion/convection because of the physical properties of mucus as a...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMiddle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Antibodies in Bactrian and Hybrid Camels from DubaiSince its first appearance in 2012, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) has affected >25 countries, with >2,400 cases and an extremely high fatality rate of >30%. The total number of mortalities due to MERS is already greater than that due to severe acute respiratory syndrome. MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been confirmed to be the etiological agent. So far, dromedaries are the only known animal reservoir for MERS-CoV....
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCandida auris Forms High-Burden Biofilms in Skin Niche Conditions and on Porcine SkinThe emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris causes invasive infections and is spreading in hospitals worldwide. Why this species exhibits the capacity to transfer efficiently among patients is unknown. Our findings reveal that C. auris forms high-burden biofilms in conditions mimicking sweat on the...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyDiscovery of Bat Coronaviruses through Surveillance and Probe Capture-Based Next-Generation SequencingActive surveillance is both urgent and essential to predict and mitigate the emergence of bat-origin CoV in humans and livestock. However, great genetic diversity increases the chance of homologous recombination among CoVs. Performing targeted PCR, a common practice for many surveillance studies, would not reflect this diversity. NGS, on the other hand, is an expensive methodology and is prone to missing low-abundance CoV sequences....
Commentary | Synthetic BiologyProposed Changes to U.S. Policy on Potential Pandemic Pathogen Oversight and ImplementationWe propose here changes to the U.S. government policy on potential pandemic pathogen (PPP) oversight and implementation, emphasizing transparency of the review process and the content of the review, publication of the review in advance, responsible publication of enhanced PPP research, high-level signoff on approvals of enhanced PPP experiments, and the need for a significant effort to establish a common international approach to...
Commentary | Molecular Biology and PhysiologymSphere of Influence: Expanding the CRISPR Sphere with Single-Locus ProteomicsLucy Glover’s research focuses on the role of DNA repair and recombination in antigenic variation in the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of both human and animal African trypanosomiasis. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how “A CRISPR-based approach for proteomic analysis of a single genomic locus” by Z. J. Waldrip...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyInfluence of Plasmodium falciparum Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 5 (PfCDPK5) on the Late Schizont Stage PhosphoproteomeThe malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The P. falciparum parasite proliferates inside red blood cells during the blood stage of infection, and egress from the red blood cell is critical for parasite survival....
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: the Mycobiota in Human Health and DiseaseSoo Chan Lee works in the field of medical mycology. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how “Interactions between commensal fungi and the C-type lectin receptor Dectin-1 influence colitis” (Science 336:1314–1317, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1221789) by I. D. Iliev, V. A. Funari, K. D. Taylor, Q.
Editor's Pick Commentary | Applied and Environmental ScienceBinning Singletons: Mentoring through Networking at ASM Microbe 2019The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) national conference, Microbe, is the flagship meeting for microbiologists across the globe. The presence of roughly 10,000 attendees provides enormous opportunities for networking and learning. However, such a large meeting can be intimidating to many, especially early career scientists, students, those attending alone, and those from historically underrepresented groups.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySystematic Analysis of Impact of Sampling Regions and Storage Methods on Fecal Gut Microbiome and Metabolome ProfilesThe gastrointestinal microbiome and metabolome can provide a new angle to understand the development of health and disease. Stool samples are most frequently used for large-scale cohort studies. Standardized procedures for stool sample handling and storage can be a determining factor for performing microbiome or metabolome studies. In this study, we focused on the effects of stool sampling regions and stool sample storage conditions on...