Q&A: Meet Letters in Applied Microbiology Junior Reviewer Md. Ekramul Karim
We caught up with Md Ekramul Karim, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Houston, who is one of the newest Junior Reviewers with Letters in Applied Microbiology.
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Losing the Earth’s bounty
Farmland degradation and soil erosion have caused food shortages and the collapse of civilizations throughout human history. Today, soil degradation is a growing driver of global threats such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. Loss of soil, the resource that supports production of 95% of the food supply, ...
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Bottling the extremes: culturing the hidden microbiomes of caves and deserts
Imagine an environment so extreme that most life cannot survive: a pitch-dark cave deep beneath the mountains of Northern Spain, or a hyper-arid desert in Chile where rainfall is virtually non-existent. These are not lifeless wastelands. Beneath cave walls and within the dusty top layer of desert soils, thriving communities of cyanobacteria, green algae, and fungi quietly engineer their ecosystems: fixing carbon, weathering rock, and cycling nutrients in conditions that would defeat most organisms on Earth.
Equity and the response to Covid 19 - Preparing for the next pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand
Aotearoa New Zealand enacted an effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government approach to the first few cases in March 2020 was to implement a swift ‘go hard and go early’ response. Borders were closed to non-residents, lockdowns were enforced, and infection was effectively eliminated within 76 days of ...
Clinical considerations for the next pandemic: challenges facing Japan and strategic preparedness
Multiple global pandemics over the past century – the Spanish influenza (1918), Asian influenza (1957), Hong Kong influenza (1968), H1N1 influenza (2009), and COVID‑19 (since 2019) – have increasingly underscored the necessity for healthcare systems worldwide to be resilient, rapidly responsive, and forward‑facing.
Under the Lens video series
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 3
Is raw milk safe to drink? Prof Emmanuel Adukwu is joined by Prof Nicola Holden and Dr Gil Domingue for a conversation on the societal, scientific, and health implications of this pertinent question.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 2
In our second episode, Dr Callum Cooper joins Professor Emmanuel Adukwu to talk about all things bacteriophage, from alternatives to antibiotics, social impact, and regulation.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
In our first episode, Professor Raquel Peixoto joins Professor Jack Gilbert for a deep dive into coral reefs, microbes, and the future of our planet.
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 3
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 2
The Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
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Building sector infrastructure: The MLSFF model
Members of the MLSFF Steering Committee explores the sustainability problem that plagues equity initiatives in STEM - and the solutions presented by the infrastructure partnership that delivers Europe’s only conference for minoritised life scientists.
Fertile ground: The rise of soil viral ecology
Soil viral ecology has been one of the most neglected areas of microbiology, but technological advances are opening up fertile new frontiers, says AMI Healthy Land Advisory Group member and CNRS researcher Christina Hazard.
Reversing the threat: How to stop measles from spreading again
As the Global Virus Network issues a stark warning over the significant resurgence of measles in the US and globally, William J. Moss, Sten H. Vermund, and Maggie L. Bartlett set out what needs to be done if the preventable harms of the current surge are to be reversed.
Accessibility, visibility, and participation - what AMI’s 2026 survey reveals about the future of applied microbiology
Applied Microbiology International’s 2026 Member Survey paints a picture of an organisation with strong foundations, a genuinely global reputation, and a highly engaged membership community, particularly among early-career microbiologists.
A week in the life of a Parvovirus researcher
Alejandro Fernández Llorente works as a predoctoral researcher at Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM-CSIC), a prestigious biomedical research centre located in Madrid, Spain.
From microbiome research to personalized cosmetics: The genesis of BYOME LABS
BYOME LABS was founded through the initiative of David Suissa, an entrepreneur trained at École Polytechnique and the Corps des Mines. After leading companies in the fields of perfumery and applied microbiology, he chose to structure a new approach centered on the biological evaluation of cosmetic products.
From pest to useful tool: How wax moth larvae can help reduce animal testing in research
A new study indicates greater wax moth larvae show great potential as a robust and ethically acceptable in vivo model for studying pathogenic bacteria.
What dental calculus can tell us about the oral microbiomes of ancient Japan
Microbe DNA from ancient dental calculus offers insights into the past oral microbiomes of the Japanese people, including the phylogeny of the periodontal disease-associated archaeon, Methanobrevibacter oralis.
Shiga-producing E. coli infections are becoming more resistant to antibiotics
A new study indicates resistance to antimicrobial agents is rising among human infections with Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli bacteria.
Food security
Shiga-producing E. coli infections are becoming more resistant to antibiotics
A new study indicates resistance to antimicrobial agents is rising among human infections with Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli bacteria.
Clean Water
Antibiotics drive resistance in waterways - even after they break down
Antibiotics continue to drive resistance to bacteria, even after they are broken down in wastewater treatment plants and discharged into rivers and seas, new research published on World Oceans Day has shown for the first time.
Researcher discovers single-celled organism that transforms into cannibalistic supergiant
Researchers have discovered a microscopic organism that can transform into a cannibalistic ’supergiant’ that drastically changes size, shape, and behavior, and abandons filter-feeding to hunt and consume their genetically identical relatives.
