Volume 17 Issue 4, April 2019

This study reports a large population cohort study in which the authors correlate microbial taxa with quality of life and the incidence of depression.

The description of a method to measure the HIV-1 reservoir that quantifies intact and defective proviruses.

This study shows that the interaction between two sessile soil bacteria leads to emergence of interspecies social spreading.

A new study combining video microscopy and computer models shows that rare pioneer bacteria contribute to Listeria monocytogenes spread.

A recent study shows that phosphatidic acid produced during infection acts as an intrinsic signal that governs natural egress of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii through a guanylate cyclase signalling platform.

A recent study finds that pre-existing immunity to dengue virus is associated with a reduction in Zika virus transmission.

This study found that a lipase secreted by the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus promotes immune evasion.

This study reports that the phosphorylation of a paramyxovirus protein switches the infection phenotype from lytic to persistent.

Biofilms are a fundamental form of microbial life and occur in diverse environments, ranging from the mammalian gut to deep subsurface rocks. It is often claimed that most bacteria and archaea live in biofilms, but this claim awaits quantification. Recent updates on global microbial cell numbers prompt a revisiting of this question.

This month’s Under the Lens discusses the use of single-molecule tracking to study the effects and response of bacterial cells exposed to antibiotics.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major pathogen both within hospitals and in the community. In this Review, Fowler and colleagues provide an overview of basic and clinical MRSA research and explore the epidemiology, transmission, genetic diversity, evolution, surveillance and treatment of MRSA.

Methane metabolism has a central role in the global carbon cycle. In the Review, Tyson and colleagues discuss the enzymatic pathways responsible for archaeal methane metabolism and highlight the evolutionary relationships of key enzymes with recently discovered alkane-oxidizing archaea.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract disease in young children and elderly people. In this Review, Battles and McLellan summarize our current understanding of RSV entry, describe progress on the development of new interventions and conclude with a perspective on gaps in our knowledge that require further investigation.

In this Analysis article, Flemming and Wuertz calculate the total number of bacteria and archaea on Earth and estimate the fraction that lives in biofilms. They propose that biofilms are the most prominent and influential type of microbial life.