With technological advances like single-cell sequencing and long-read sequence techniques continually improving, allowing the full resolution of increasingly complex highly repetitive genomes, and wit...

From populations of multicellular organisms to selfish genetic elements, conflicts between levels of biological organization are central to evolution. Plasmids are extrachromosomal, self-replicating g...

Inferring transmission relies on accurately distinguishing between isolates from the same source and those from different sources, and high-quality genomic data is frequently used to model transmissio...

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn) is an important cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAI). In low and middle-income countries, HAI due to Kpn disproportionally affects neonates. In this ...

Mosquito microbiota abundance and composition are modulated by a variety of factors, including pathogen exposure. The microbiome can also influence pathogen infection of the host and thus harbours con...

An outbreak of an ertapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clone occurred in a specialist children’s hospital in Liverpool, United Kingdom (UK), from April 2022 to February 2023. Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae is unusual in the UK, and identification of two isolates exhibiting ertapenem resistance in the same ward in December 2022 raised concerns and triggered an outbreak investigation. Potential transmission through shared equipment was identified; a total of 11 patients were colonised and/or infected by phenotypically similar isolates. Multilocus sequence typing supported hospital transmission, and short-read whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on all isolates; long-read sequencing was conducted for three isolates to confidently resolve the plasmid structure. WGS confirmed a clonal outbreak and strongly supported the suspected nosocomial transmission. Detailed analysis of the resistance determinants indicated that ertapenem resistance was driven by a combination of different beta-lactamases, which would not alone convey this resistance profile, along with modifications in porin structure that suggested a synergistic interaction. These findings highlight how highly resistant strains could be mislabelled as predicted sensitive when considering genetic determinants in isolation and underscore the need to study beta-lactam resistances beyond the presence or absence of specific genes but also to consider co-occurrence.

An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC

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This is a two-floor realistic Biological Laboratory building. In this design, I try to tell stories about biologists, introduce biology concepts to general publ…

Microbiology Society journals contain high-quality research papers and topical review articles. We are a not-for-profit publisher and we support and invest in the microbiology community, to the benefi...

Winds over 100 mph and record tidal surges pounded the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on Sunday as the remnants of Typhoon Halong inundated some Bering Sea coast communities.

The Incompatibilities Between Generative AI and Art: Q&A with Ted Chiang

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