Volume 7

  • No. 12 December 2022

    Tecovirimat blocks monkeypox replication

    Shown is a coloured transmission electron microscope image of newly formed human monkeypox virus particles in an infected cell. In this issue, phylogenetic analysis of a monkeypox virus that was isolated from the first clinical case in France during the 2022 international outbreak is presented, together with an analysis of its in vitro sensitivity to the FDA-approved drug tecovirimat.

    See Frenois-Veyrat et al.

  • No. 11 November 2022

    Extrude to move

    This image shows a collage of Toxoplasma gondii extracellular parasites with their tubulin cytoskeleton stained (magenta and cyan). The conoid is a dynamic organelle made of tubulin fibres that can be seen above the subpellicular microtubules basket in an ‘extruded’ state. Methylated proteins at the apical cap and preconoidal rings (blue and green) or F-actin (yellow and green) are also stained in the presented images. Conoid extrusion, regulated by components of the preconoidal rings, controls the flux of F-actin required for parasite motility and invasion.

    See Dos Santos Pacheco et al.

  • No. 10 October 2022

    Bifidobacteria shape the preterm infant gut microbiome

    This image shows different strains of Bifidobacterium hanging from a baby mobile. Their shadows are projecting onto the wall of the baby ’ s room, patterned like an intestinal lumen. Different probiotic products contain different strains of Bifidobacterium, which have unique impacts on preterm infant gut microbiome structure and function, resulting in altered microbial–host interaction.

    See Beck et al.

  • No. 9 September 2022

    The microbial aftermath of wildfires

    Our paper sampled coniferous forest soils impacted by high-severity wildfire, noting that this disturbance resulted in significantly different soil microbiomes a year post-wildfire, relative to unburned control soils. Many trees in western US forests that are at increased risk of wildfire rely on below-ground microbial symbioses to enhance their growth and persistence. Fire-driven alterations to soil microbiomes may have implications for the regeneration of forests and associated ecosystem services post-wildfire.

    See Nelson et al.

  • No. 8 August 2022

    From lab strain to stinkbug symbiont

    This image shows adult stinkbugs, Plautia stali, infected with evolutionary Escherichia coli lines before (left, dark) and after (right, green) the evolution of mutualism. Single mutations disrupting the carbon catabolite repression global transcriptional regulator system transform E. coli into an insect mutualist, which confers better survival, larger body size and normal green colour on the host insect.

    See Koga et al.

  • No. 7 July 2022

    Navigating ocean microbiome research

    Shown is a picture of the schooner Tara, which crisscrossed the planet during 2003 in a unique effort to study and describe the microbiology of the pelagic ocean, down to a depth of 1,000 metres, and coastal areas including coral reefs. The Tara Ocean Foundation and its associated public research consortiums have established and openly shared the largest dataset assembled for ocean ecosystems to date. Now, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) marks a make-or-break time for the world’s seas and represents an opportunity to raise awareness about the ocean microbiome. In a Perspective, Andre Abreu et al. propose a series of actions needed for furthering ocean microbiome research, protection and literacy.

    See Abreu et al.

  • No. 6 June 2022

    Microbiomes of microscopic animals

    This image shows a colony of Membranipora, a moss animal (Bryozoa), and represents one of more than 1,000 marine specimens from 21 phyla of microscopic invertebrates collected for microbiome analysis. Despite their size, these animals harbour bacterial communities that differ from those in the surrounding environment. Host-associated bacteria are not, however, strictly restricted to any host lineage and there is no correlation between microbiome similarities and host taxonomy as observed in some larger animals.

    See Boscaro et al.

  • No. 5 May 2022

    Gut–bladder microbiome axis

    Shown is a cross-section of mouse distal colon, with fluorescent staining used to highlight host and bacterial features including the FimH adhesin, an important uropathogenic Escherichia coli colonization factor in both the gut and bladder. The colon is host to vast numbers of bacteria, both commensal and opportunistic, which can promote health or seed infection to distal sites such as the urinary tract. As part of the Urinary Tract Infection Microbiome project, women were recruited to a year-long study that analysed multi-omics analyses over time using blood, urine and faecal samples, and linked changes in gut microbiota with recurrent urinary tract infections. Understanding how colonization of the intestine affects clinical outcomes at distal sites such as the bladder will be key to reducing the recurrence of all urinary tract infections including those that are antibiotic-resistant.

    See Worby et al.

  • No. 4 April 2022

    Urbanization and disease emergence

    Shown is a typical yard in a low-income household in Nairobi, Kenya, where humans and animals, including poultry, live side-by-side. As part of the Urban Zoo project, Escherichia coli was sampled from humans, livestock and local wildlife in 99 households in Nairobi, Kenya to investigate distribution of this species in a typical urban environment. Whole-genome sequencing of 1,338 E. coli isolates revealed inter-household and inter-host sharing, and found that E. coli strains were sometimes shared among humans and animals. By using a large, epidemiologically structured sampling framework, rather than focusing on isolates obtained from those with clinical infections, and scrutinizing strains with whole-genome sequencing it is possible to pinpoint strain-sharing events between different host populations in complex environments, and begin to understand the factors that underpin zoonoses and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

    See Muloi et al.

  • No. 3 March 2022

    Women in microbiology

    Gender inequality persists around the world and is highlighted for action as UN Sustainable Development Goal 5. To celebrate UN International Women's Day, this month’s issue includes a focus on women in microbiology. A series of articles highlights gender inequalities that impact women in academia, clinical research and healthcare. We also take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of female microbiologists.

    See Editorial

  • No. 2 February 2022

    Genome chimerism in Asgard archaea

    Shown is an undersea image of Diane’s vent, which is a hydrothermal chimney in the Auka vent field, southern Pescadero Basin. The photo was taken with the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian during cruise number FK181031, aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor, led by co-chief scientists Dave Caress, Robert Zierenberg and Victoria Orphan. In this issue, Orphan, Wu and colleagues report that they recovered circular genomes of Asgard archaea through laboratory enrichment of rocks and sediment samples retrieved from the Auka vent field. These genomes contain mobile elements and evidence of gene exchanges that hint at the processes that resulted in the emergence of eukaryotes.

    See Wu et al.

  • No. 1 January 2022

    Illustrating the invisible

    The cover shows structures of Plasmodium falciparum in the merozoite form, which invades red blood cells. In the associated World View, Thom Leach addresses the importance of scientific visuals in today’s world and the current opportunities for students and scientists to learn how to visualize their work to garner trust and understanding of their science.

    See World View by Thom Leach