iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

@fis25.bsky.social Bournemouth First evening, great science, and discovered the most amazing restaurant…. Vegan, organic with an astonishing ethos and food to die for Twelve Bournemouth 12 the Triangle BH2 5 RY Please visit, it’s unbelievably good

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Now I feel old…. Just spent the day helping my son and his fiancé move into their first home….. it’s only a few weeks since he was turning 3 years old and just starting maternelle school in France….and now he is a land owner

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

It’s not too revolutionary this year 😊

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

A new paper: Here is the link to "An unwanted souvenir: Case report of delayed diagnosis of a coccidioidomycosis prosthetic joint infection": www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

doi.org

Redirecting

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Our new paper in JEADV describing four cases of TMVII infection in the UK: doi.org/10.1111/jdv....

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UK Health Security Agency @ukhsa.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

🆕 Our latest data shows that bloodstream infections caused by yeast rose by 4% in 2024, compared to 2023. These infections are typically acquired in a hospital setting from yeasts found naturally on patients' skin or in our intestinal tracts. 🦠🧍 📰🔗 www.gov.uk/government/n...

Bloodstream infections caused by yeast rose by 4% in 2024, compared to 2023 (C. auris)

Professor Andy Borman, Head of the Mycology Reference Laboratory, UKHSA

Our surveillance shows that serious fungal infections are having an increasing impact on public health.

UKHSA is working with the NHS to explore the reasons behind the rise in serious yeast infections, but factors such as an increase in people who are immunocompromised and the number of people receiving complex surgeries may be playing a part.

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

There is an ongoing phone scam in the UK, where random people message you pretending to be your children with a new phone/number…. Obviously you are supposed to ignore/block and not engage, but the fungal taxonomist in me rebels and takes over…..

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Oliver Cornely @olivercornely.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

All set up and ready to go! 🌍✨ Final briefing done — the stage is set for ISHAM 2025 at this stunning location. Let the science, connections, and inspiration begin! 🧬📍#ISHAM2025 #FinalCountdown #ScienceMeetsNature

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Really enjoyed it too, thanks Colin, Mariyam and especially Martin for inviting us and hosting

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

Colin S Brown @colinbrown-id.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Had a wonderful chat with @emrsa15.bsky.social, Andy Borman, and Mariyam Mirfenderesky on the @icmatters.bsky.social podcast about C. auris control - could have chatted for hours about this difficult bug and the present and future challenges it presents infectioncontrolmatters.com/2025/04/30/c...

infectioncontrolmatters.com

Candidozyma auris from the lab to the front line: A discussion with UKHSA experts

In this episode Martin talks to Dr Andy Borman, (Acting Head and Consultant Clinical Scientist, UKHSA National UK Mycology Reference Lab. also Hon Professor of Medical Mycology, MRC CMM, University…

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

That, until recently, was my drive home every evening… the bridge I mean, not the snow and foxes…

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

CALL TO ACTIVISM @calltoactivism.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

BREAKING: In an unprecedented move, more than 75 Nobel Prize winners have signed a letter urging senators not to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. It's the first time in history that Nobel laureates have come together to oppose a Cabinet choice.

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology @mrccmm.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

We’re thrilled to announce that applications for the FAILSAFE grants are NOW OPEN! Grants of up to £250k available for innovative research tackling fungal antimicrobial resistance and advancing global health. Learn more and apply here: cmm-failsafe.com/failsafe-rou... #GlobalHealth #FAILSAFE

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

The kind of meme that should go viral. #VaccinesWork

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Say hello to Vince from me, as an ex-Picornavirologist turned mycologist….

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Ilan Schwartz @germhuntermd.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Management, outcomes and predictors of mortality of Cryptococcus infection in patients without HIV: a multicentre study in 46 hospitals from Australia and New Zealand academic.oup.com/cid/advance-... #IDSky #MedMycoSky

Management, outcomes and predictors of mortality of Cryptococcus infection in patients without HIV:
A multicentre study from Australia and New Zealand
Coussement et al, 2024 | Clinical Infectious Diseases
426 patients without HIV diagnosed with cryptococcosis between 2015 and 2019 in Australia and New Zealand
Use of induction therapy:
Common in central nervous system cryptococcosis (99.5%, 192/193), typically with liposomal amphotericin + flucytosine (94%, 181/193), with mean duration 31 $ 13 days
27% of cases of isolated lung infection
(i.e., azole antifungal as 1* line treatment in 73%, 120/166)
Distinct outcomes of C. gattii infection:
(versus C. neoformans)
Lower mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 0.47, 95% C| 0.23-0.95, all-cause 1-year mortality: 11% for C. gattii vs. 28% for C. neoformans)
Higher risk of immune reconstitution inflammatory response (21% vs 3% in central nervous system infection, p < 0.001)
No microbiological relapses:
None of 19 patients who had re-induction with amphotericin-based therapy for suspected relapse had confirmed microbiological relapse (i.e. positive culture)
Central nervous system immune reconstitution inflammatory response seen in 16/426 patients (4%)
At 1 year post-diagnosis, low rate of resolution of:
serum cryptococcal antigen positivity (25% resolved)
lung imaging abnormalities (34% resolved)

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

Frosted Poptart @toastertrollop.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

She was there before Elvis, Little Richard or Johnny Cash swiveled their hips and strummed their guitars. If you've never heard Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the godmother of rock 'n' roll, you should.

youtu.be

Sister Rosetta Tharpe- "Didn't It Rain?" Live 1964 (Reelin' In The Years Archive)

YouTube video by ReelinInTheYears66

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

☮☮😸😸☮☮ @catsforpeace2.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

We MUST keep vaccines. have you written your Senator to let them know?

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

Onisillos @onisillos.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

New review article in The Lancet Microbe Sensors for surveillance of RNA viruses: a One Health perspective www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... #IDSky #ViroSky #ClinMicro #OpenAccess #OA

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

That is unfortunate… it is the advice of most mycology reference centres outside of the USA at least… Nomenclatural change is inevitable in the molecular era when we can directly infer relationships based on genomic data… it is possible to mitigate against confusion whilst also implementing changes

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Indefinitely… it is automatically set into our organism codes in our lab reporting system People forget that “Candida glabrata” only became “Candida” in 1978… before that it spent 3 decades as Torulopsis…

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Hence why microbiologist need to be aware of them… We report all IDs as “New name, previously known as Old Name” and have done for over 5 years…

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

For most “Candida” app., most MALDI platforms have already adopted the revised taxonomy… which simplifies things a little except that they don’t link them to the older names…

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Basically people shied away from raising the issue… Liz and I bit the bullet 5 years ago and got dogs abuse on the “other place” with predictions that the changes would result in patient deaths, despite presenting a sensible approach to mitigate confusion… doi.org/10.1128/jcm....

doi.org

Name Changes for Fungi of Medical Importance, 2018 to 2019 | Journal of Clinical Microbiology

The current article summarizes recent changes in nomenclature for fungi of medical importance published in the years 2018 to 2019, including new species and revised names for existing ones. Many of the revised names have been widely adopted without ...

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

For many, these names had been legitimate for decades… Clavispora lusitaniae (correct name for Candida lusitaniae) dates from 1977…

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Just leaving this here for my fellow starfish… there are reasons for these changes… the organisms involved are UTTERLY unrelated to each other…

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

And again…. A starfish a sea urchin and a human walked into a bar and the barman was shocked they didn’t behave similarly 😳

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

And once again…. To paraphrase CDC when they warned about humans taking the horse wormer ivermectin… “Stop it y’all, you are not star fish or sea urchins”

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Prof. Andy Borman @andy-borman.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Just leaving this here for any interested fellow starfish and sea urchins

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Antibiotic Steward 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @absteward.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Are Bacteria Sensitive or Susceptible? A Micro-Comic Strip 😂 S: Susceptibile or Sensitive ? Which one you use? Me : Susceptible #idsky #microsky #medsky journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Many clinical microbiologists and infectious disease specialists have strong opinions about the use of “sensitive” or “susceptible” to describe bacteria that are inhibited by an antibiotic.

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

Mohanad Al-Obaidi @mycosis.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Interesting case series of autochthonous B. dermatitidis in India wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/... #MedMyco #IDSky

wwwnc.cdc.gov

Autochthonous <em>Blastomyces dermatitidis</em>, India

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

Richard Summerbell @acremonium.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Interesting mixed infections of toenails. 1. Trichophyton rubrum, ubiquitous athlete’s foot fungus, + Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, tropical foot skin & nail infecter. 2. T. rubrum + Acremonium egyptiacum from toenail flake; latter causes superficial white onychomycosis. Needs 2nd sample confirmation.

Dark mould Neoscytalidium dimidiatum on Littman agar and Leonian’s agar. Red-reversed dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum on BCPMSG medium and Sabouraud CCG agar.

Trichophyton rubrum on left; Acremonium egyptiacum on right, both growing from same toenail inoculum flake (not visible) on Sabouraud CCG isolation medium in glass test tube.

Same as previous; different angle showing red xanthomegnin pigment of T. rubrum.

Same as previous; different angle showing orange carotenoid (?) pigments of Acremonium egyptiacum.

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Prof Nisreen Alwan @nisreenalwan.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

We are definitely feeling the impact of this at universities. Such a stupid idea to deter international students from choosing the UK to study.

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

Ivan Zanoni @lozanzi.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

#WeekendRead #FungiPower! Liao Gao Iliev &co show @ Nature that the stomach of wild, not lab, mice is colonized by an immunosilent fungus! Mucus alterations via diet or antibiotics drive a Th2 -not Th17- response that worsens allergy but protects against parasites! doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08213-2

doi.org

Fungal symbiont transmitted by free-living mice promotes type 2 immunity - Nature

Kazachstania pintolopesii is a highly prevalent fungal symbiont that can trigger type 2 immunity and influence the composition of the gut mycobiome, as well as immune and disease phenotypes.

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

JOURNALISTS FLOCK TO BLUESKY “We have posts exactly the same on Twitter & on Bluesky & Bluesky is getting 20 times the engagement or more than Twitter. Seeing a social media platform that doesn’t throttle links really makes it clear how badly we were being limited” www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-...

nbcnews.com

Journalists flock to Bluesky as X becomes increasingly 'toxic'

Journalists are finding more readers and less hate on Bluesky than on the platform they used to know as Twitter.

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Reposted by Prof. Andy Borman

The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology @mrccmm.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Sign up for our monthly #Mycoltalks webinar. This month we have David Moyes from @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social and Robert Cramer from Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine. Thu 12 Dec, 4pm (GMT) universityofexeter.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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