Transfer of micro-organisms from dry surface biofilms and the influence of long survival under conditions of poor nutrition and moisture on the virulence of Staphylococcusaureus.

Background: Biofilms on dry hospital surfaces can enhance the persistence of micro-organisms on dry harsh clinical surfaces and can potentially act as reservoirs of infectious agents on contaminated surfaces.

Aim: This study was conducted to quantify the transfer of viable Staphylococcus aureus cells from dry biofilms through touching and to investigate the impact of nutrient and moisture deprivation on virulence levels in S. aureus.

Plastic pollution as a novel reservoir for the environmental survival of the drug resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris.

The WHO recently classified Candida auris as a fungal pathogen of "critical concern". Evidence suggests that C. auris emerged from the natural environment, yet the ability of this pathogenic yeast to survive in the natural environment is still poorly understood.

Beyond the surface: exploring the mycobiome of Norway spruce under drought stress and with Heterobasidion parviporum.

The mycobiome, comprising fungi inhabiting plants, potentially plays a crucial role in tree health and survival amidst environmental stressors like climate change and pathogenic fungi. Understanding the intricate relationships between trees and their microbial communities is essential for developing effective strategies to bolster the resilience and well-being of forest ecosystems as we adopt more sustainable forest management practices. The mycobiome can be considered an integral aspect of a tree's biology, closely linked to its genotype.

Plastic pollution and fungal, protozoan, and helminth pathogens - A neglected environmental and public health issue?

Plastic waste is ubiquitous in the environment and can become colonised by distinct microbial biofilm communities, known collectively as the 'plastisphere.' The plastisphere can facilitate the increased survival and dissemination of human pathogenic prokaryotes (e.g.