Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects millions of women globally and is characterized by multifactorial immunopathology, with Candida albicans virulence driving disease progression through epithelial tissue damage and neutrophil hyperactivation and dysfunction contributing to disease severity. Here, we explored the multifaceted nature of S. cerevisiae as a live-biotherapeutic to attenuate C. albicans virulence and modulate host immune responses during VVC. We identified an S. cerevisiae isolate (Sc3458) that targets multiple aspects of C. albicans virulence, including fungal proliferation, adhesion, and hyphal morphogenesis, collectively impairing biofilm formation and disrupting pathogenic potential. These effects were linked to transcriptional reprogramming in C. albicans, marked by metabolic stress and downregulation of virulence- and biofilm-related genes. Additionally, S. cerevisiae (Sc3458) reduced inflammatory responses and neutrophil hyperactivation, while preserving neutrophi

Drug-resistant Candida parapsilosis is an increasing problem in hospitals, but what traits help fungus survive? This study shows that reduced biofilm formation is repeatedly selected for during infect...

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An entry-level guide for understanding how to choose large language models for medical research applications, customize the prompts and fine-tune the models’ performance.

Symbiotic relationships of microorganisms are predicted and cataloged with a machine learning tool.

Ecology & Evolution is a broad open access journal welcoming research in ecology, evolution, and conservation science, and providing a forum for evidence-based views.

Abstract. Addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires the development of large-scale resources that link bacterial genomic dat

The hyphae-to-yeast morphological transition promotes dissemination of the pathogen Candida albicans, but the mechanisms underlying this process are poorly defined. By identifying a bacterial metaboli...

Abstract. Bacterial persistence, a phenomenon where a subpopulation of cells can exhibit increased survival to antibiotic stress, allows part of the popula

Abstract. Inaccurate allele and gene expression counts due to map bias and genome ambiguity lead to high false positive and false negative rates in studies

OG7443 is a species-specific genomic marker for T indotineae that supports two assay formats. These assays could aid surveillance, case recognition, and triage for downstream resistance testing, but d...

Abstract. Ancestral sequence reconstruction is typically performed using homogeneous evolutionary models, which assume that the same substitution propensit

As researchers piece together the pest’s global trek, countries are working to contain the growing threat

Fungal infections are an escalating global health concern, with rare Candida species posing an urgent threat due to emerging multidrug resistance. Clavispora ( Candida ) lusitaniae is an uncommon path...

Sequencing fungal DNA presents numerous challenges, and unexplored structural anomalies may be a contributor. Native ONT sequencing allows artefacts of disrupted pore translocation to be interrogated...

The AURIS score provides a pragmatic tool for risk stratification among C auris-colonised ICU patients, with value in identifying those at low risk of candidaemia, reducing unnecessary empirical antif...

Nature Reviews Cancer - Effective presentations require clarity and audience awareness. In this Comment, Itai Yanai outlines common misconceptions about presentations and how to address them to...

Dr. Irini Topalidou, a senior staff scientist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, is the first winner of the Genetics Society of America Mentorship Award who isn’t a principal investigator or faculty member....

Pulmonary fungal infections, which have traditionally been associated with patients who are immunocompromised, are now increasingly recognized among immunocompetent individuals. This trend is attribut...

Unified bacterial strain taxonomies are needed for coherent communication of findings in microbiological research. This Essay provides an overview of a novel bacterial strain taxonomy and describes ho...

Abstract. Mitochondria are essential components of eukaryotic cells, responsible for ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation. Despite their biolog

AbstractSummary. Phylogenetic trees are ubiquitous and central to biology, but most published trees are available only as visual diagrams and not in the ma

Whole-genome data from 249 yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) identify three lineages with high geographical and genomic divergence, and candidate gene variants associated with differential susceptibility to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Evolutionary theory states that fitness determines survival. In a drug-treatment environment, resistance increases fitness, but it often comes at a cost, such as slower growth or reduced stress tolera...

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

Abstract. Fungal species are typically either fully self-fertile or self-sterile, but some filamentous ascomycetes can transition from self-fertility to se

Genomic Epidemiologic Description of <em>C. auris</em>

Wildfires significantly alter soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), reducing microbial richness and biomass, while selecting for &ldquo;fire-loving&rdquo; pyrophil...

Global health is unfortunately not very global—a contradiction that becomes most evident at global health conferences. Although convened to advance the field of global health, these conferences often ...

SUMMARYThe emerging fungal pathogen Candidozyma auris (syn. Candida auris; C. auris) has attracted considerable attention from the scientific, clinical, and public health communities due to its multid...

Cases of pediatric coccidioidomycosis have been rising in incidence and severity at our children’s hospital in an endemic area since 2000, including a subs

Candida auris (taxonomically reclassified as Candidozyma auris [1]) is often described as a paragon of antifungal resistance among fungal species. Like the related Candida haemulonii (reclassified as Candidozyma haemuli) complex members, C. auris demonstrates a notably high propensity for antifungal resistance compared to more commonly clinically isolated but genetically distant Candida species. As C. auris has emerged and become more commonly established, concerns around diminishing therapeutic options in an already limited arsenal of antifungal drugs have prompted substantial warnings from clinical and public health authorities (2–4). Our understanding of C. auris antifungal resistance is grounded in early studies that characterized the global spread of this pathogen (5, 6). While the numbers vary across regional reports, nearly 90% of clinical isolates are resistant to at least fluconazole, a widely administered triazole-class drug, while up to 30% of isolates are reportedly also resistant to a drug in at least one other antifungal class. Research in subsequent years has deeply investigated mechanisms and patterns in C. auris antifungal resistance, presenting the opportunity for reexamination to identify therapeutically useful insights (7–9).

This study used sedimentary eDNA analysis and field-based microcosms to assess the impacts of three major aquatic contaminants on bacterial assemblage structure. Our results showed significant but va...

Life-threatening invasive and mucosal fungal infections are a major, increasingly complex global health problem. Among all population groups, individuals who are immunocompromised face the greatest ri...

This study uncovers how Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquires colistin resistance in magnesium-depleted environments created by Candida albicans by accumulating unique mutations in the lipid A biosynthetic ...

Acinetobacter johnsonii is increasingly recognized as an emerging human pathogen, with growing evidence of its ability to persist in controlled, high-stakes environments, posing risks as both a persis...

Candida auris is a difficult-to-treat yeast that causes invasive infections in vulnerable patient populations. Healthcare exposure is a key risk factor for becoming colonized or infected with C. auris, and infection prevention groups focus on curbing the spread of this organism within the healthcare environment. Whole genome sequencing approaches are key for supporting these efforts, as they can help define clusters of C. auris transmission and can also provide insight into antifungal resistance. Our work provides practical guidance for interpreting genomic data in this setting, helping infection prevention teams respond more effectively to outbreaks and expanding the use of genotypic predictions for antifungal resistance.

SUMMARYThe increasing incidence of invasive fungal infections caused by resistant Candida species and molds presents a growing clinical challenge, particularly in immunocompromised patients. While ech...

Escherichia coli is a common cause of invasive infections such as bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid infections in neonates. Strains positive for the…