ASM

08/28/2026

Why aren't archaea pathogenic? 🤨How do prions replicate?🔬

Get the answers in this week's ASM Journal Highlights, our weekly highlight of some of the latest research published in ! ⬇️

🧬Prions replicate by templating the misfolding of native proteins, though direct evidence identifying the precise sites of replication has remained limited. This study addresses this gap by developing a new class of rationally designed protein tools: https://asm.social/341

🦠Hundreds of toxin-antitoxin loci have been identified in Helicobacter pylori, but only a small fraction has been functionally characterized. This review describe all the experimentally validated TA systems found in the bacterium: https://asm.social/340

🥼Research in suggests that archaea living within eukaryotic, multicellular hosts lack the ability to use organic compounds as sources of energy, electrons & carbon—a metabolic capability correlated with pathogenicity. https://asm.social/343

💉In , researchers describe a novel therapeutic strategy for HIV-1 treatment that leverages the synergistic effects of IL-15 immune stimulation and TGF-β neutralization to enhance the anti-HIV-1 activity of duoCAR-T cell therapy. https://asm.social/33Z

🖥️Gemella species are rare causes of infective endocarditis. A case in shows that rare Gemella may be misidentified by routine mass spectrometry, underscoring the importance of sequencing-based methods for accurate pathogen identification. https://asm.social/342

Check back next week for the next !

08/27/2026

Join us on Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss practical strategies for communicating science to the broader public.

This panel-style webinar will discuss approaches for translating complex scientific or microbiology concepts into clear, accessible language, using storytelling and addressing common misconceptions. The session will also highlight real-world experiences with media, social platforms, community engagement and political advocacy followed by an interactive discussion.

Register for free: https://asm.social/33V

The session will highlight real-world experiences with media, social platforms, community engagement and political advocacy, followed by an interactive discussion.

08/27/2026

Register for the upcoming 4-part webinar series "Advanced Genomic Feature Analysis Using Open Access Tools!" Learn how to apply and adapt advanced isolate analysis workflows for your own research and/or teaching using KBase, a free, online, open-access data analysis platform that requires no coding experience or computational resources.

Learn more and register before the first webinar on Sept. 17: https://asm.social/33U

08/26/2026

🚀 Lead the next chapter of Infection and Immunity (IAI)!

Following 10 years of dedicated service by Editor in Chief (EIC) Andreas J. Bäumler, ASM seeks applications and nominations for the journal's next EIC.

🧫 The successful candidate, beginning their initial 5-year term on July 1, 2027, will play a pivotal role in shaping the journal's future and maintaining its tradition of scientific excellence.

➡️ See if you qualify, and apply by Sept. 18: https://asm.social/33S

🌐 We welcome applications and nominations from around the world.

08/26/2026

The answer to Saturday’s question is 🦠… D. Campylobacter fetus!

Get the details and learn more when you watch the video on the Case Study page: https://asm.social/33O

Do you have an interesting or unusual finding you would like to share? Present your own ASM Clinical Microbiology case study. Submit your proposal at: https://asm.social/33N

08/25/2026

They’re found in cookware, carpeting and clothing. They’ve traversed land and sea, spoiling drinking water and tainting blood. They’re known for their stain-fighting and non-stick properties, yet they stick around in the environment for dozens to hundreds to thousands of years.

They’re called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and they’re a problem. Researchers are discovering that to understand the environmental persistence of PFAS and how to manage it, one must look to the microbes.

Read the article:

PFAS contaminate water, soil and living organisms worldwide. Microbes play a key role in the environmental persistence of these “forever chemicals.” Can they also help clean them up?  

08/25/2026

One week left to apply for ASM Health’s Phage Therapy Clinical Use Guidance Working Group!

Participants will help shape best practices for utilizing the expanded access regulatory pathway, master protocols for clinical implementation and decision-support tools to guide safe and effective use for phage therapy in the U.S.

Learn more and apply by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31: https://asm.social/33H

08/25/2026

🔬 Deadline approaching!

Apply now to have your work featured in Journal of Virology’s (JVI) New Voices in Virology series.🧪 JVI invites early-career researchers to contribute a minireview to the 2027 collection.

This opportunity is open to the following:

• Principal investigator on tenure or non-tenure track with their own laboratory.

• Ph.D. (or equivalent) obtained within the last 10 years (2016 or later).

💡 Put your research in the spotlight and help shape the future of virology. 📅 Apply by Sept. 1: https://asm.social/33G

Know someone who should apply? Share this opportunity with them today.

08/24/2026

: Bunsen burners are a hallmark of microbiology laboratories, used to reduce airborne microbial contamination. But are they really needed?

Researchers inoculated the air with bacteria and measured the deposition of contamination using a paired plate settle method. They found that, on average, there was no reduction in bacterial growth on plates adjacent to Bunsen burner. However, the results were context-dependent—at settling rates of >83 CFU/min, burners with a flame width of 18mm decreased deposition of dry microbe-containing particulates.

The researchers ultimately suggest that, except in some cases, Bunsen burners can be removed from practice without compromising research integrity.

Learn more in : https://asm.social/33E

08/24/2026

Despite growing interest and clinical successes, access to phage therapy remains fragmented and difficult to navigate.

Join ASM Health on Tues., Oct. 27 at 9:30 a.m. ET for a discussion on the proposed Phage Therapy Coordination Platform (PTCP), an initiative designed to improve patient access by connecting stakeholders, streamlining workflows, and supporting learning across the phage therapy ecosystem.

Speakers Christopher Shaffer, Jessica Sacher, Gina Suh, José Luis Bila and Gunther Vanwezer will explore how emerging solutions in evidence generation, phage matching and clinical workflow integration can contribute to a more coordinated and scalable model for delivering phage therapy.

Save your spot and join the discussion!

Join ASM Health to explore the Phage Therapy Coordination Platform and learn how coordinated workflows, phage matching and stakeholder collaboration can expand patient access.