Antimicrobial Insights

Abstract

The one-day Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology (CBRB) symposium on 10 September provided an opportunity for members of the Centre and the wider university community to share research, explore new approaches to bacterial infection and resistance, and strengthen collaborations across disciplines. Professor Mariagrazia Pizza and Professor Shiranee Sriskandan, CBRB Co-Directors, said: 'Our external speakers really provided valuable context for why the Centre's work is needed – all highlighted the value of collaboration, whether combating AMR through innovative approaches, unravelling major outbreaks, or addressing the bacterial threats that present during conflict.' Showcasing research across the Centre The symposium also showcased the breadth of research taking place across the CBRB, with presentations from Centre Principal Investigators and Early Career Researchers. Professors Pizza and Sriskandan said: 'The talks from CBRB members were inspirational and gave great insight into the different research approaches being applied by the Centre and into the existing network to address some of the most important bacterial threats.' Building connections The event highlighted the breadth of expertise within the CBRB and the value of bringing researchers working across different areas of bacterial biology together with clinicians and external collaborators. By combining perspectives from academia, healthcare and the UK Armed Forces, the symposium demonstrated the importance of collaborative approaches to understanding and responding to bacterial threats, from antimicrobial resistance and infectious disease to emerging outbreaks and threats in conflict settings.

Abstract

Increased temps, precipitation linked to rising incidence The study, by Xiang-Yang Han, MD, PhD, a clinical microbiologist, pathologist, and medical director of laboratory medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, examined the ecological evolution and main causes of the rising incidence of legionellosis (infection with Legionella) in the United States from 1999 to 2021. Using publicly available data on annual and monthly infection rates, temperature, and precipitation, Han found that, compared with the first 100 years of annual temperature and precipitation data (1895-1994), temperature and precipitation levels rose by an average of 7.6% and 4.7%, respectively, from 1995 to 2021. Regression analysis indicated strong correlations between annual legionellosis incidence rates and cumulative temperature anomalies (ie, the change in temperature compared with the historical baselines) and rising annual precipitation amounts, which combine to promote the growth of Legionella bacteria in the soil. After 40 years of warming temperatures, the load of the organism in natural water and soil has increased." The data also indicated the emergence in 2018 and 2019 of a seasonal peak in legionellosis incidence lasting from early June through October."

Abstract

Researchers uncover how bacteria pump an antibiotic out of their cells, offering new clues to drug resistance Bacteria can survive antibiotics in several ways, including by pumping the drugs out of their cells before they can take effect. Researchers at the University of Osaka have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows the bacterium responsible for many cases of pneumonia and meningitis to export the antibiotic fosfomycin. These structures revealed key regions involved in recognizing the antibiotic and suggest how the pump changes shape to take up fosfomycin and release it outside the cell. 1 Caption: Schematic of fosfomycin transport by the streptococcal ABC transporter FoeAB Credit: Atsushi Taguchi Notes The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on August 28, 2026 at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2535933123.