MicroNews July

MicroNews is the sister series of our podcast Microbe Talk, where we discuss microbiology in the news over the last month. As COVID-19 is taking over the news elsewhere, we decided to focus on other stories from the microbial world, including parasitic fungi with behaviour-changing effects, medieval medicines and the smell of sweat. Return of the zombie cicadas: manipulative qualities of fungal-infected flyers: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200727145424.htm Caterpillar fungus on brink of extinction: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/09/caterpillar-fungus-and-european-hamster-on-brink-of-extinction Medieval medicine remedy could provide new treatment for modern day infections: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200728113545.htm Turmeric could have antiviral properties: https://microbiologysociety.org/news/press-releases/turmeric-could-have-antiviral-properties.html Deep sea microbes dormant for 100 million years are hungry and ready to multiply: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200728113533.htm The biological mechanism behind body odour: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gene-scientists-on-scent-of-an-end-to-body-odour-hcmszcrl8