9 September 2024

Burden changes in notifiable infectious diseases in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic

Dominic Thorrington, Handling Editor

30 August 2024

Development and evaluation of a rapid visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for the tcdA gene in Clostridioides difficile detection

"C. difficile is a major cause of nosocomial infections. In this paper, Lin et al. developed and validated a LAMP assay, which appears to be faster and more sensitive than PCR assays for this pathogen."

Michael LaMontagne, Handling Editor

12 July 2024

Molecular identification of Trichobilharzia species in recreational waters in North-Eastern Poland

"The work by Korycińska and colleagues describes the life cycle of Trichobilarzia species in different regions of the world, raising significance to the most important cause of cercarial dermatitis in humans."

Joseph Gillespie, Handling Editor

11 July 2024

Gut microbiome-immune interactions and their role in rheumatoid arthritis development

"Authors Identify prospective biomarkers within immunological and bacterial pathways, shedding light on rheumatoid arthritis progression and suggesting avenues for tailored therapeutic approaches. This study is particularly meaningful in the context of rheumatoid arthritis research."

Praveen Korla, Handling Editor

10 July 2024

Anthropogenic fertilization influences a shift in barley rhizosphere microbial communities

"This work explores the impact of anthropogenic fertilization on barley rhizosphere microbial communities in farmland soil. It fills a crucial gap in understanding the consequences of anthropogenic interventions. The evaluation of the influence of synthetic and organic fertilizers on microbial community structure and diversity in the barley rhizosphere provides valuable insights."

Charles Okpala, Handling Editor

9 July 2024

Effects of mating-type ratio imbalance on the degeneration of Cordyceps militaris subculture and preventative measures

"The research addresses an interesting phenomena in fungi and provides insight into the biology of Cordyceps militaris and the application in commercial cultivation of this fungus."

Bernardo Franco, Handling Editor

9 July 2024

The ‘Erlenmeter’: a low-cost, open-source turbidimeter for no-sampling phenotyping of microorganism growth

"The novel device proposed by the authors to measure optical density of bacterial and yeast cells is highly innovative and provides a reliable tool for research and teaching."

Bernardo Franco, Handling Editor

9 July 2024

A comparison of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements in wild and captive Himalayan vultures

"This study contributes to our better understanding of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in free-living animals, with a particular focus on top predators such as carnivorous birds of prey."

Dongming Li, Handling Editor

31 May 2024

Gut microbiota alterations in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and osteopenia from Shanghai, China

"This research investigates the relationship between gut microbiota composition and postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), examining differences among women with osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal bone density. Through high-throughput sequencing, the study identifies microbial diversity and abundance, correlating specific taxa with bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. Functional pathway analysis predicts metabolic pathways associated with gut microbiota differences, offering insights into the gut-bone axis. Notably, potential probiotic candidates are identified, suggesting therapeutic implications. Methodologically rigorous, the study acknowledges limitations, including sample size constraints and cross-sectional design, emphasizing the need for further research to validate findings and establish causal links. Overall, this research enhances understanding of the role of gut microbiota in PMO and highlights avenues for therapeutic intervention."

Sonia Oliveira, Handling Editor

30 May 2024

Zoonotic spillover and viral mutations from low and middle-income countries: improving prevention strategies and bridging policy gaps

"Zoonotic spillover events are particularly increasing in low and middle-income countries, where surveillance program and laboratory detection may still presents limitations. This manuscript is focused on this critical global health challenge, and underscores the importance of assessing potential zoonotic diseases at the animal-human interface."

Carla Mavian, Handling Editor