The recent article 'Tracing epistemic injustice in global antimicrobial resistance research' reasons that injustices in setting global research priorities – that is, who produces and uses antimicrobial resistance (AMR) knowledge, and valuing certain types of knowledge – have created ‘blind spots’ in research and policy on AMR [1]. Research and interventions relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been underprioritised, even though more than half of the 92 million people whose lives could be saved by 2050 through improved access to antibiotics and health care are in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia [2].

Root exudates are vital for guiding microbial dynamics in the rhizosphere. Nevertheless, the key component in root exudates responsible for defining the root microbiome has remained obscure. Tsai et al. recently offered insights into how Casparian strips prevent glutamine leakage from the vasculature, thereby shaping the root microbiome.

Common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) formed by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi interconnect neighbouring plants. New evidence from Zhang et al. demonstrates that CMNs transfer jasmonic acid from necrotrophic pathogen-infected to uninfected tomato plants, priming defence responses and recruiting disease-suppressive bacteria. These findings establish a key mechanistic link underlying CMN-mediated plant defence communication.

Respiratory infections kill millions and overwhelm the healthcare systems worldwide. Swine are powerful allies in this fight. They provide practical, human-like platforms to study pathogens, test vaccines/therapies, and strengthen pandemic readiness. Pig models, with the advent of genetic engineering tools, are closing translational gaps and revealing mechanisms that guide interventions effectively.

Microbial hitchhikers are rewriting the rules of horizontal gene transfer. He, Patkowski, et al. reveal how phage satellites assemble chimeric infective particles that deliver DNA across species boundaries through ‘tail piracy’. This discovery reframes microbial innovation and provides a blueprint for next-generation biotechnologies, achieving what phage engineering has long pursued.

This paper proposes an ethical framework for microbiome research with the Yanomami, an Indigenous Amazonian people, grounded in collaboration, reciprocity, and relational accountability. Key elements include dedicated funding for community-identified initiatives, sustained community-led ethical oversight, and meaningful benefit-sharing. This approach fosters trust and supports equitable, culturally aligned, and sustainable research collaboration.

Eradication of tuberculosis requires new drugs targeting novel pathways. Although purine metabolism represents an essential antitubercular target, concerns about host nucleobase rescue limited its exploration. New data demonstrate that nucleobase levels in human lung tissue are insufficient to confer rescue, renewing interest in this pathway for tuberculosis drug discovery.

Soils are critical reservoirs of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), serving as interfaces among human, animal, plant, and environmental microbiomes. While many studies have profiled soil ARGs, most rely on DNA-based methods that cannot distinguish total from metabolically active ARB, limiting risk assessment and mitigation. This review outlines soil ARG sources, their mobility, and potential transmission to plants and the food chain. We highlight advances in community- and single-cell-level approaches for characterizing active ARB and explore emerging mitigation strategies such as advanced waste treatment and bioremediation. This review aims to bridge the gap between ARG pollution and its risk mitigation, contributing to a comprehensive framework for tackling active ARB in soils.

Methanobrevibacter smithii is one of the most prevalent and worldwide distributed archaea in the human gut. M. smithii is a strict anaerobe that obtains its energy through methanogenesis. In culture, it reduces CO2 to methane (CH4) using H2 as electron donor (i.e., CO2-reducing hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis) and to a lower extent, formate. Other potential methanogenic substrates, methanol and ethanol, are not used in culture, but genes involved in their utilization are upregulated when colonizing the mouse intestine.

Argentina’s microbiology, born from 19th-century public health challenges, built enduring institutions and contributed globally to the fight against infectious diseases, to agriculture, and to biotechnology. Yet chronic underfunding, political instability, and policy discontinuity have undermined progress. Revitalization requires a sustained strategy that fosters investment and collaboration, transforming historical strengths into lasting scientific and societal development.

Nitrification is a key process in the nitrogen cycle performed by several functional groups of chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. The order Nitrospirales plays a central role in this process. Comprehensive genomic analysis conducted by Kop et al. revealed unexplored phylogenetic diversity, habitat range, and metabolic versatility within the order Nitrospirales.

Cellulose, a ubiquitous polysaccharide with critical roles in life, provides structural integrity to cells in plants and aids biofilm formation in many bacteria. Although bacterial cellulose biosynthesis is well studied in certain groups, its diversity in other lineages remains underexplored. Recent insights from filamentous streptomycetes reveal that cellulose is directly incorporated into the cell wall at growing tips, likely protecting hyphae during growth. This review examines cellulose biosynthesis, regulation, and secretion mechanisms in Streptomyces, and highlights how its structural organization supports distinct cellular functions. We also discuss the evolutionary context of this system. Together, these insights broaden our understanding of bacterial cellulose diversity and suggest that cellulose biosynthesis has evolved convergently to support different lifestyles, growth modes, and morphogenetic strategies.

Bacteria and viruses have coevolved for billions of years. Recently, Zhang et al. identified the Kiwa defense system as a membrane-embedded sensor that detects early phage invasion and coordinates antiviral response; it collaborates with RecBCD to neutralize phage inhibitors, illustrating how prokaryotic immunity networks employ redundancy and versatility against evolving threats.

Arboviral diseases are resurging globally, with Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) demonstrating a troubling capacity for large-scale outbreaks. In 2024, CHIKV re-emerged in Réunion Island with 47 500 cases and 12 deaths reported by May 2025. Notably, infants and the elderly were disproportionately affected, two age groups with distinct and underexplored vulnerabilities in immune defense, particularly at the skin. As the skin is the primary site of CHIKV inoculation and a key immunological barrier, age-dependent changes in the skin likely influence infection outcomes. Yet, it remains an overlooked target for intervention. This review explores how developmental and aging-associated alterations in the skin’s structure, immune composition, and the microbiome shape arboviral pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on CHIKV, and guides research toward age-tailored interventions for vulnerable populations.

Mangroves are known worldwide but their concealed network of microbiomes is poorly understood. Huang et al., on genomic indicators, Siblos and Tabugo's 16S rRNA sequencing of the mangrove microbiome, and Dechavez et al.’s culture-dependent survey collectively highlight the ecological significance of mangroves, their conservation potential, and their role as key ecological gatekeepers.

While often overlooked in studies of influenza antibody responses, the virally encoded neuraminidase (NA) is emerging as an attractive vaccine target due to its comparably high sequence conservation. Recent studies by Jo et al., Lederhofer et al., and Lv et al. reveal a common theme of receptor mimicry mediated by structurally convergent antibodies.

Little is known about the processes that drive microbial community merging and development in transplanted soils. A recent study by Causevic et al. disentangled the relative contribution of habitat filtering and microbiota taxa origin in shaping transplant outcomes, providing valuable insights for advancing microbial engineering.

Saccharolobus islandicus (f. Sulfolobus islandicus) is a hyperthermophilic archaeon frequently isolated from oxic hot spring waters and sediments at 59–91°C and pH 2–4. It grows aerobically with a doubling time of 6–10 h under laboratory conditions (optimal: 76–78°C and pH 3–3.5) and forms single colonies on gelrite- or phytagel-solidified media. As a heterotrophic organism, S. islandicus exhibits broad metabolic versatility, owing to numerous transport systems encoded in its genome, which facilitate the uptake of diverse carbon and organic nitrogen sources.

This commentary outlines ways in which health researchers can advance health equity. We focus on often-overlooked areas, including identifying context-specific drivers of inequity, carefully selecting research questions and priorities, engaging stakeholders, including those whose voices are seldom heard, improving diversity and inclusiveness among study participants, and using equity-oriented study designs.

Including Indigenous Peoples in microbiome research is both a scientific imperative and an ethical responsibility. Our long-standing partnership with the Matsés Peoples from the Peruvian Amazon provided scientific insights in microbial profiles that have coevolved with humans, studies only possible via trust-based ethical partnerships. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is essential to navigate mistrust rooted in historical injustices. We present our experience implementing culturally informed protocols and equitable benefit-sharing as cornerstones of respectful, inclusive microbiome research with Peruvian Indigenous Peoples. This approach fosters sustainable research partnerships grounded in reciprocal trust and mutual benefit.

Fungal infections are a major contributor to human infectious diseases. To address this in Latin America, international groups formed the Fungal Disease Interest Group (FDIG). At the Brazil conference of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycoses (ISHAM), FDIG hosted a forum highlighting key challenges and priorities to advance fungal disease research, education, and public health across the region.

Microbial metabolic functions are increasingly conceptualized as fitness-regulating traits. However, volatile compounds (the volatilome), despite their key roles in metabolism and ecology, are often overlooked in trait-based frameworks. We propose that volatile traits not only reflect ecological strategies but also shape them by mediating responses to selection pressures. Their volatility affects diffusion, substrate access, and interactions across space, conferring selective advantages as resources or waste products. We outline approaches to incorporate volatile traits into predictive models to improve understanding of microbial selection and community dynamics. This integration enables a more holistic view of microbial life by accounting for the ecological and evolutionary consequences of volatile-mediated processes.

Eliza Loo