{"title":"Atopic dermatitis and beyond: Staphylococcus aureus skin adaptation.","authors":"Elif Uyar, Anne Jamet","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic skin conditions are natural experiments in within-host bacterial evolution. Taking atopic dermatitis as the main example, we discuss how studies starting from collections of clinical skin isolates identify Staphylococcus aureus variants that arise independently in different patients, and how this convergence can prioritize candidates for functional genetics.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The bacterial immune system: identifying evolved defense adaptations.","authors":"Ellinor O Alseth, Sam P Brown","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent years have witnessed a rapid expansion in bacterial defense mechanisms. Alongside established defenses against molecular parasites, hundreds of novel mechanisms are being described annually, contributing to an ever-expanding 'bacterial immune system'. Terms like 'defense' and 'immune' are often used as shorthand for an observed anti-infection phenotype, but can also imply an evolutionary adaptation with a specific anti-infection function. Despite the field's growth, no agreed-upon framework exists for identifying defense adaptations. When is a defense mechanism an evolved adaptation? Here, we review prior debates in evolutionary biology and propose a four-part framework to evaluate the case for a defense mechanism being an evolved adaptation. Beyond bacterial immunity, these criteria offer a research roadmap to address functional controversies across microbiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148930328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ximena Diaz-Olea, Amanda E Ramer-Tait, Jonathan E Cohen, Andrei Osterman, Zeev A Ronai
{"title":"Molecular pathways linking the gut microbiome to antitumor immunity.","authors":"Ximena Diaz-Olea, Amanda E Ramer-Tait, Jonathan E Cohen, Andrei Osterman, Zeev A Ronai","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accumulating evidence supports the important role played by the gut microbiota in controlling antitumor immune responses that impact tumor development. Extensive studies of bacterial species known to impact tumor growth have identified metabolites, produced by either bacteria or the host, that may alter efficacy of chemo- and/or immune-based therapies. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of those metabolites and the related bacterial species that influence activities linked with antitumor immunity, including epigenetic changes, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling, cytokine and chemokine production, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling, and toll-like receptor signaling. We focus on specific metabolites, produced in the gut microbiome, which can alter molecular pathways associated with antitumor immunity, findings that warrant further evaluation in preclinical or clinical settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13565589/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148931211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kate S Baker, Danielle J Ingle, Madhumathi Irulappan, Lewis C E Mason, Balaji Veeravagarahvan, Claire Jenkins, Marie Chattaway, Stephanie B Johnson
{"title":"Leveraging traveller genomics for LMIC diarrhoeal disease management.","authors":"Kate S Baker, Danielle J Ingle, Madhumathi Irulappan, Lewis C E Mason, Balaji Veeravagarahvan, Claire Jenkins, Marie Chattaway, Stephanie B Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diarrhoeal pathogens impose a substantial global health burden, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, in these settings, health-seeking behaviours, suboptimal microbiological capacity, and challenges in establishing genomics capacity constrain effective surveillance, including surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In contrast, high-income countries routinely generate and share large volumes of diarrhoeal pathogen genomes through established systems, with a significant proportion originating from travellers returning from LMICs. These data reveal strong geographical structuring of lineages and clinically relevant AMR patterns, demonstrating untapped potential to support improvements in geographically granulated surveillance to support antimicrobial treatment recommendations. In this opinion article, we outline the potential to integrate traveller-derived microbial genomic data into LMIC public health decision-making and highlight the scientific, ethical, practical, and governance considerations for implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148913543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anushka Subrahmanian, Anjali Patel, Liisa Veerus, Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Martin J Blaser
{"title":"Methanogens: vital but threatened members of the human microbiome?","authors":"Anushka Subrahmanian, Anjali Patel, Liisa Veerus, Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Martin J Blaser","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Methanogens are an ancestral group of archaea that occupy a unique niche within the human gut microbiome by virtue of their methane production. In this process, they serve as hydrogen sinks, allowing continued bacterial fermentation and influencing short-chain fatty acid production. Available evidence suggests that methanogen abundance may be declining in parallel with the broader reduction in gut microbial diversity accompanying industrialization. We describe the evolution of methanogens, their ecological roles in the human microbiome, and evidence for their apparent decline. If confirmed, reductions in methanogen prevalence and abundance may have substantial metabolic consequences, reframing these archaea as keystone species in need of scientific attention and conservation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13595821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148888428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mechanisms of sulbactam-durlobactam resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii.","authors":"Yu Feng, Laurent Poirel, Zhiyong Zong","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2026.08.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sulbactam-durlobactam is the first-line agent against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Resistance can be conferred by metallo-β-lactamases alone or penicillin-binding protein 3 alterations plus β-lactamase overproduction or enhanced efflux. Other reported mechanisms remain associative and resistance in guideline-recommended carbapenem addition is unclear, underscoring the need for mechanistic validation and further studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148888469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-06-04DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2026.05.011
Yong E Zhang, Youming Zhang
{"title":"Phage therapy via receptor-constrained evolutionary traps.","authors":"Yong E Zhang, Youming Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.05.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phage therapy often fails when bacteria evolve resistance. We argue that phage selection should begin with receptors whose modification imposes predictable costs, turning resistance into reduced virulence, antibiotic resensitization, or other exploitable trade-offs. Receptor-constrained evolutionary traps offer a framework for designing phages that steer-not merely suppress-bacterial evolution effectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"919-922"},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148164686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-06-24DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2026.06.001
Wei Zhang, Amr Mohamed, Ioannis Eleftherianos, Zhuo Chen, Ting-Chi Wen, Kavinda Sandaruwan, Sreeradha Mallick, Fengqi Li, Nemat Keyhani, Guy Smagghe
{"title":"Environmental microbes as modulators of plant volatile landscapes: Implications for plant-insect chemical communication.","authors":"Wei Zhang, Amr Mohamed, Ioannis Eleftherianos, Zhuo Chen, Ting-Chi Wen, Kavinda Sandaruwan, Sreeradha Mallick, Fengqi Li, Nemat Keyhani, Guy Smagghe","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Free-living environmental microbes at four plant-atmosphere interfaces (leaf, nectar, fruit, and bark surfaces) intercept, biotransform, and augment plant volatile signals, shaping what herbivores, pollinators, and parasitoids detect. This forum article reviews how microbes remodel these signals, the threats posed by climate change and land-use intensification, and priorities for translating microbial volatile ecology into sustainable pest management.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"915-918"},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148319331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-06-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2026.05.008
Marjolein Bruijning, Andrew H Moeller, Gavriela Carver, Mohamed S Donia, Britt Koskella, Prerna Singh, C Jessica E Metcalf
{"title":"The bacterial march toward symbiosis: on-ramps and off-ramps.","authors":"Marjolein Bruijning, Andrew H Moeller, Gavriela Carver, Mohamed S Donia, Britt Koskella, Prerna Singh, C Jessica E Metcalf","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.05.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2026.05.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Host-associated bacteria are found across the tree of life. In this opinion article, we propose that population genetics theory can be used to probe the conditions that form the path toward such symbioses. We illustrate how mutation-selection models generate insights into the maintenance of a symbiont under transmission between generations and from the environment. We outline how basic features of host population size and life history shape the fixation of a heritable symbiont in a host population, suggesting elevated fixation probabilities in long-lived hosts. Finally, whenever the fitness effects of the symbiont vary over time, reduced efficiency of selection increases the fixation of a deleterious symbiont. Our predictions of the properties of hosts, symbionts, and their ecological contexts that impact symbiont establishment frame expectations across systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"932-942"},"PeriodicalIF":18.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13338954/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148176750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}