Latest Articles
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyWhat Is the Role of Archaea in Plants? New Insights from the Vegetation of Alpine BogsArchaea are still an underdetected and little-studied part of the plant microbiome. We provide first and novel insights into Archaea as a functional component of the plant microbiome obtained by metagenomic analyses. Archaea were found to have the potential to interact with plants by (i) plant growth promotion through auxin biosynthesis, (ii) nutrient supply, and (iii) protection against abiotic stress.
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Opinion/Hypothesis | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceExperimental Evolution as a High-Throughput Screen for Genetic AdaptationsExperimental evolution is a method in which populations of organisms, often microbes, are founded by one or more ancestors of known genotype and then propagated under controlled conditions to study the evolutionary process. These evolving populations are influenced by all population genetic forces, including selection, mutation, drift, and recombination, and the relative contributions of these forces may be seen as mysterious.
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Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEvaluation of Dried Blood Spots and Oral Fluids as Alternatives to Serum for Human Papillomavirus Antibody SurveillanceHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent of cervical and other anogenital cancers. HPV vaccination, primarily targeted at young girls before the age of sexual debut, is starting to demonstrate population-level declines in HPV infection and early disease associated with vaccine-incorporated genotypes. Monitoring young women for vaccine-specific antibody is important for vaccine surveillance and may be useful as an adjunct test...
Opinion/Hypothesis | Host-Microbe BiologyIn Defense of an Academic Career in MicrobiologyThe rise of Quit Lit describing the myriad reasons for leaving academia and constant complaining by mentors leave many trainees with little desire for an academic career. Although there are clearly structural and social problems in academia, I feel that they are outweighed by the benefits of working and living in an academic environment.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceInvasive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA500 Strains from the U.S. Emerging Infections Program Constitute Three Geographically Distinct LineagesIn this work, we have removed some of the confusion surrounding the use of the name “USA500,” placed USA500 strains in the context of the CC8 group, and developed a strategy for assignment to subclades based on genome sequence. Our new phylogeny of USA300/USA500 will be a reference point for understanding the genetic adaptations that have allowed multiple highly virulent clonal strains to emerge from within CC8 over the past 50 years....
Editor's Pick Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyImproved Subtyping of Staphylococcus aureus Clonal Complex 8 Strains Based on Whole-Genome Phylogenetic AnalysisStaphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen worldwide in both community and health care settings. Surveillance for S. aureus strains is important to our understanding of their spread and to informing infection prevention and control. Confusion surrounding the strain nomenclature of one of the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPseudomonas aeruginosa Protease IV Exacerbates Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Systemic DiseaseS. pneumoniae remains the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia despite widespread use of pneumococcal vaccines, forcing the necessity for appropriate treatment to control pneumococcal infections. Coinfections involving S. pneumoniae with other bacterial pathogens threaten antibiotic treatment...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAntibodies to the Glycoprotein GP2 Subunit Cross-React between Old and New World ArenavirusesSeveral viruses in the Arenaviridae family infect humans and cause severe hemorrhagic fevers which lead to high case fatality rates. Due to their pathogenicity and geographic tropisms, these viruses remain very understudied. As a result, an effective vaccine or therapy is urgently needed. Here, we describe efforts to produce cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies that bind to both New and Old World arenaviruses. All of our MAbs...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyHigh Rate of Infection by Only Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus in AmerindiansThe role of HPV type distribution on the disparity of cervical cancer (CC) incidence between human populations remains unknown. The incidence of CC in the Amazonas State of Venezuela is higher than the national average. In this study, we determined the diversity of known HPV types (the viral agent of CC) in Amerindian and mestizo women living in the Venezuelan Amazonas State. Understanding the ecological diversity of HPV in populations...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyConservation of Mannan Synthesis in Fungi of the Zygomycota and Ascomycota Reveals a Broad Diagnostic TargetA key question asked when faced with an infection, an infestation, or environmental damage is whether it is a fungus. Identification of fungi as the cause of the problem can lead to remediation or treatment. Zygomycetes and ascomycetes account for the vast majority of fungal causes of human, animal, and plant disease, large-scale biodiversity loss, agricultural spoilage, and contamination of water-damaged buildings. These studies...