Latest news with #aspergillus
Forbes
27-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Prototype: King Tut's Curse Might Kill Leukemia
In this week's edition of The Prototype, we look at cancer-killing fungi, robots that perform surgery on your eyeballs, genetically modified bacteria that turn plastic into Tylenol and more. You can sign up to get The Prototype in your inbox here . Getty Images W hen I was a kid, I was obsessed with King Tut's tomb–and the legends of the curse put upon the team that discovered it. Of course, the stories were false and many of the tomb's discoverers lived long lives after finding it. But King Tut may have claimed at least one victim, Lord Carnarvon, thanks to a toxic fungus called aspergillus that had lain dormant for centuries. Now that 'curse' may be hitting a different target–leukemia. A new study published this week found that chemical compounds in aspergillus, when purified, show anti-cancer properties. And if a fatty molecule is added to the purified fungus the resulting compound demonstrates cancer-fighting activity similar to that of drugs currently used to treat leukemia. Next up, the scientists plan to take the most promising chemical candidates and test them on cancer in animals. If successful there, the chemicals could one day be used to treat human cancer patients. Forsight Robotics C ataract surgery is one of the world's most common medical procedures, with more than 4 million of them done each year in the United States alone, but there simply aren't enough doctors available to meet the demand for everyone who needs the surgery. An Israeli startup is betting that robots can someday easy that demand by doing the procedure better and cheaper than human doctors. ForSight Robotics on Tuesday said it had raised $125 million led by Eclipse Ventures to expand Oryom, its robotic surgery platform for cataracts and other eye diseases . The funding is the second-largest Series B investment in a surgical robotics startup, and brings ForSight's total investment to $195 million. The new money values the company at an estimated $500 million—a substantial increase since it last raised funds in 2022 at a $162 million valuation, according to VC database PitchBook. Additional investors include Fred Moll, the cofounder of Intuitive Surgical and pioneer of robotic surgery, who has joined the company's strategic advisory board. ForSight has been testing its robot on pig eyes, and plans to complete its first full robotic surgery on a human patient later this year. It's targeting the U.S. market and is in early conversations with the FDA. While ForSight's robots would be the first for cataracts, robotic surgery has become increasingly commonplace since $185 billion (market cap) Intuitive Surgical received FDA approval for its Da Vinci robots, which enable precision procedures, 25 years ago. 'At first people were intimidated by robotics' advancement,' Dr. Joseph Nathan, ForSight's cofounder, president and chief medical officer, told Forbes. 'Now they are seeing robotics as the thing that will get them the best outcomes.' Read the whole story at Forbes DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK: TURNING PLASTIC INTO PAINKILLERS Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have genetically engineered a bacteria that can take waste plastic and turn it into an ingredient used in acetaminophen (aka Tylenol). To make this work, they chemically broke down PET, a common plastic used in food packaging, into a simpler molecule and added it to a cell culture. The bacteria then produced special enzymes that interacted with the plastic molecule, transforming it into the painkiller ingredient. The researchers found that over 90% of the plastic was transformed into the drug, and the process used less energy than the conventional way to produce it from crude oil. The team's next step is to develop a way to scale the process to provide a more sustainable way to manufacture acetaminophen, with the backing of pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca. FINAL FRONTIER: FIRST PHOTOS FROM VERA RUBIN OBSERVATORY The Vera C. Rubin observatory, a giant telescope built in the mountains of Chile, released its first images of space this week. The observatory used a $168 million car-size digital camera tag of –paired with a unique three-mirror telescope to not only capture the unprecedentedly high-resolution images of a cluster of galaxies in the constellation Virgo, but also monitor changes in that part of the sky thanks to its ability to record time-lapsed videos. WHAT ELSE I WROTE THIS WEEK In my other newsletter, InnovationRx, Amy Feldman and I looked at health insurance companies promising to improve the prior authorization process (again), how Bell Labs plans to commercialize its massive IP portfolio, American attitudes towards vaccinating kids, and more. SCIENCE AND TECH TIDBITS NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has discovered its first planet outside the solar system. About the size of Saturn, the new world is circling a red dwarf star about 111 light-years away. Self-driving taxi company Waymo has begun operating in Atlanta, marking the fifth major U.S. city its services are available in. The Trump administration has terminated millions of dollars of government subscriptions to the Springer Nature group, which publishes major scientific journals such as Nature . After months of delays, SpaceX launched its fourth mission with Axiom Space, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station where they will conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments for Axiom's customers. PRO SCIENCE TIP: MAKE YOUR BUSINESS MORE PROFITABLE WITH AN IPO A new study of the brains of mice suggests that one of the best ways to learn a new task is to devote time to not learning it. The researchers found that mice learned more quickly when they were allowed to explore new environments without focusing on any particular task. Evidently areas of the brain developed during unstructured activities can help expedite the completion of specific tasks. If that holds true in humans, it may be a good idea to stay productive by making sure you take the time to be unproductive. WHAT'S ENTERTAINING ME THIS WEEK I recently finished the novel The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa. It's set in a dystopian future where censorship is the norm. The story follows the titular censor, who in his ambition to be good in his new job finds himself falling in love with reading. That leads him to a resistance movement, where he struggles to protect both books and his own daughter, who displays far more imagination than society will allow. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes Elon Musk Has Fired One Of His Top Tesla Lieutenants By Alan Ohnsman Forbes Why The U.S. Should Copy Canada To Fix Its Broken Air Traffic Control System By Jeremy Bogaisky Forbes The 36 Colleges Most At Risk From Pell Grant Cuts By Fiona Riley
RNZ News
25-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Aspergillus fungi that can ‘eat you from the inside out' could spread as the world heats up
By Laura Paddison , CNN Aspergillus, a type of fungi, is expanding its range as the world heats up, according to new research. Photo: Centres for Disease Control/Reuters via CNN Newsource Infection-causing fungi responsible for millions of deaths a year will spread significantly to new regions as the planet heats up, new research predicts - and the world is not prepared. Fungi are absolutely everywhere. A vast kingdom of organisms, from mold to mushrooms, they grow in environments such as soil, compost and water. They play an important role in ecosystems but can have a devastating impact on human health: Fungal infections kill an estimated 2.5 million people a year, and a lack of data means that number could be far higher. Yet we are still very far from understanding them, especially how these incredibly adaptable organisms will respond to a warming climate. A team of scientists from Manchester University used computer simulations and forecasts to map the potential future spread of Aspergillus, a common group of fungi found all over the world that can cause aspergillosis, a life-threatening disease primarily affecting the lungs. They found certain Aspergillus species will expand their range as the climate crisis intensifies, pushing into new parts of North America, Europe, China and Russia. The study, published this month, is currently being peer reviewed. "Fungi are relatively under-researched compared to viruses and parasites, but these maps show that fungal pathogens will likely impact most areas of the world in the future," Norman van Rijn said, one of the study's authors and a climate change and infectious diseases researcher at the University of Manchester. The field has seen new attention thanks to the popular HBO television drama "The Last of Us", which follows people trying to survive in a world where an infectious mutant fungus has turned most of the population into violent monsters. (HBO and CNN share the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.) It's fiction, van Rijn said, but he hoped it would raise the profile of fungal infections that were killing millions in reality. Aspergillus fungi grow like small filaments in soils all over the world. Like almost all fungi, they release huge numbers of tiny spores that spread through the air. Humans inhale spores every day but most people won't experience any health issues; their immune system clears them. It's a different story for those with lung conditions including asthma, cystic fibrosis and COPD, as well as people with compromised immune systems, such as cancer and organ transplant patients, and those who have had severe flu or Covid-19. If the body's immune system fails to clear the spores, the fungus "starts to grow and basically kind of eat you from the inside out, saying it really bluntly," van Rijn said. Aspergillosis has very high mortality rates at around 20 percent to 40 percent, he said. It's also very difficult to diagnose, as doctors don't always have it on their radar and patients often present with fevers and coughs, symptoms common to many illnesses. Fungal pathogens are also becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, van Rijn added. There are only four classes of antifungal medicines available. This all spells bad news as the climate shifts open up new areas for Aspergillus to colonize. Aspergillus flavus, a species that tends to prefer hotter, tropical climates, could increase its spread by 16 percent if humans continue burning large amounts of fossil fuels, the study found. It's predicted to push into parts of northern America, northern China and Russia. This species can cause severe infections in humans and is resistant to many antifungal medications. It also infects a range of food crops, posing a potential threat to food security. The World Health Organization added Aspergillus flavus to its critical group of fungal pathogens in 2022 because of its public health impact and antifungal resistance risk. Aspergillus fumigatus, which prefers more temperate climates, is predicted to spread northwards toward the North Pole as global temperatures rise. Its spread could increase by 77.5 percent by 2100, the study found, potentially exposing nine million people in Europe. Conversely, temperatures in some regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, could become so hot they are no longer hospitable to Aspergillus fungi. This could bring its own problems, as fungi play an important role in ecosystems, including healthy soils. Aspergillus is a fungus that is very common in the environment, found in soil, on plants and in decaying plant matter. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/via CNN Newsource As well as expanding their growing range, a warming world could also be increasing fungi's temperature tolerance, allowing them to better survive inside human bodies. Extreme weather events such as drought, floods and heatwaves can affect fungi, too, helping to spread spores over long distances. There have been spikes in fungal disease following natural disasters, such as the outbreak after the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri. The new Aspergillus study "rightfully shines a light on the threat of fungi that dwell in our natural environment and how under-prepared we are to cope with shifts in their prevalence," co-director of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter Elaine Bignell said, who was not involved in the research. Many uncertainties remain, however, and there is still a huge amount of research to be done, she told CNN. Despite the deadly nature of aspergillosis, there is a real lack of data on where the pathogen is in the environment and who gets infected, professor of environmental health sciences at UC Berkeley Justin Remais said, who was not involved in the research. He is leading a study of more than 100 million patients across the United States, which identified more than 20,000 aspergillosis cases between 2013 and 2023. The number of cases is increasing about 5 percent each year, he said. "Fungal pathogens are becoming increasingly common and resistant to treatment, and we are only beginning to understand how climate change is contributing," he told CNN. People are used to hearing about diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites, but much less so fungal diseases, Bignell said. "There is a desperate need to reverse this trend given the lethality," she said. "Any of us in the future might be affected." - CNN
CTV News
24-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
A fungi that can ‘eat you from the inside out' could spread as the world heats up
Aspergillus, a type of fungi, is expanding its range as the world heats up, according to new research. Centres for Disease Control/Reuters via CNN Newsource Infection-causing fungi responsible for millions of deaths a year will spread significantly to new regions as the planet heats up, new research predicts — and the world is not prepared. Fungi are absolutely everywhere. A vast kingdom of organisms, from mold to mushrooms, they grow in environments such as soil, compost and water. They play an important role in ecosystems but can have a devastating impact on human health: Fungal infections kill an estimated 2.5 million people a year, and a lack of data means that number could be far higher. Yet we are still very far from understanding them, especially how these incredibly adaptable organisms will respond to a warming climate. A team of scientists from Manchester University used computer simulations and forecasts to map the potential future spread of Aspergillus, a common group of fungi found all over the world that can cause aspergillosis, a life-threatening disease primarily affecting the lungs. They found certain Aspergillus species will expand their range as the climate crisis intensifies, pushing into new parts of North America, Europe, China and Russia. The study, published this month, is currently being peer reviewed. 'Fungi are relatively under-researched compared to viruses and parasites, but these maps show that fungal pathogens will likely impact most areas of the world in the future,' said Norman van Rijn, one of the study's authors and a climate change and infectious diseases researcher at the University of Manchester. The field has seen new attention thanks to the popular HBO television drama 'The Last of Us,' which follows people trying to survive in a world where an infectious mutant fungus has turned most of the population into violent monsters. (HBO and CNN share the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.) It's fiction, van Rijn said, but he hopes it will raise the profile of fungal infections that are killing millions in reality. Aspergillus fungi grow like small filaments in soils all over the world. Like almost all fungi, they release huge numbers of tiny spores that spread through the air. Humans inhale spores every day but most people won't experience any health issues; their immune system clears them. It's a different story for those with lung conditions including asthma, cystic fibrosis and COPD, as well as people with compromised immune systems, such as cancer and organ transplant patients, and those who have had severe flu or Covid-19. If the body's immune system fails to clear the spores, the fungus 'starts to grow and basically kind of eat you from the inside out, saying it really bluntly,' van Rijn said. Aspergillosis has very high mortality rates at around 20% to 40%, he said. It's also very difficult to diagnose, as doctors don't always have it on their radar and patients often present with fevers and coughs, symptoms common to many illnesses. Fungal pathogens are also becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, van Rijn added. There are only four classes of antifungal medicines available. This all spells bad news as the climate shifts open up new areas for Aspergillus to colonize. Aspergillus flavus, a species that tends to prefer hotter, tropical climates, could increase its spread by 16% if humans continue burning large amounts of fossil fuels, the study found. It's predicted to push into parts of northern America, northern China and Russia. This species can cause severe infections in humans and is resistant to many antifungal medications. It also infects a range of food crops, posing a potential threat to food security. The World Health Organization added Aspergillus flavus to its critical group of fungal pathogens in 2022 because of its public health impact and antifungal resistance risk. Aspergillus fumigatus, which prefers more temperate climates, is predicted to spread northwards toward the North Pole as global temperatures rise. Its spread could increase by 77.5% by 2100, the study found, potentially exposing 9 million people in Europe. Conversely, temperatures in some regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, could become so hot they are no longer hospitable to Aspergillus fungi. This could bring its own problems, as fungi play an important role in ecosystems, including healthy soils. As well as expanding their growing range, a warming world could also be increasing fungi's temperature tolerance, allowing them to better survive inside human bodies. Extreme weather events such as drought, floods and heatwaves can affect fungi, too, helping to spread spores over long distances. There have been spikes in fungal disease following natural disasters, such as the outbreak after the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri. The new Aspergillus study 'rightfully shines a light on the threat of fungi that dwell in our natural environment and how under-prepared we are to cope with shifts in their prevalence,' said Elaine Bignell, co-director of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, who was not involved in the research. Many uncertainties remain, however, and there is still a huge amount of research to be done, she told CNN. Despite the deadly nature of aspergillosis, there is a real lack of data on where the pathogen is in the environment and who gets infected, said Justin Remais, a professor of environmental health sciences at UC Berkeley, who was not involved in the research. He is leading a study of more than 100 million patients across the United States, which identified more than 20,000 aspergillosis cases between 2013 and 2023. The number of cases is increasing about 5% each year, he said. 'Fungal pathogens are becoming increasingly common and resistant to treatment, and we are only beginning to understand how climate change is contributing,' he told CNN. People are used to hearing about diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites, but much less so fungal diseases, said Bignell. 'There is a desperate need to reverse this trend given the lethality,' she said. 'Any of us in the future might be affected.'
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
The ‘extreme' mould threatening to destroy our heritage
As if it weren't enough of a challenge to conserve priceless paintings and historical artefacts from environmental damage, there is a sinister new threat to contend with: a strain of mega-mould that has wreaked havoc in Denmark's museums could already have made its way to the UK. While we usually associate mould with damp, this variety actually thrives in dry conditions, creating a fresh headache for art owners and gallery directors. Camilla Jul Bastholm, head of conservation and collection storage at the National Museum of Denmark, says she first noticed the problem around 10 years ago. 'I was wondering what was going on in the Danish museum repositories,' she recalls. 'I couldn't work out what kind of mould it was because the methods we normally use to detect mould, for example after a building has water damage, don't work with this species.' It's a completely atypical variety called aspergillus section restricti, explains Bastholm, and it's known as 'extreme' mould because 'for mould, which usually prefers humidity, dry conditions are extreme'. It's also very difficult to spot because it's white and nearly transparent. But the damage it does is significant. 'The fungi decimate enzymes and assets, which deteriorates an object, and secrete pigments that colour it, so it actually changes its appearance,' says Bastholm. 'Even if you clean the mould off, it can leave marks. And the longer it grows on something, the worse it gets.' It's a potentially very expensive predicament for museums. One of the storage depositories Bastholm examined had more than 200,000 artefacts. 'Even if only 40 per cent of them have mould, it's still an extensive job to clean them all off. Some may need restoration work depending on the level of damage.' So far the mould has been detected in 12 Danish museums, and there are studies under way at 150 more sites. Oddly, Bastholm notes, this mould isn't just restricted to organic material like wood or paper, which is normally more vulnerable. 'I've seen it on ceramics, glass and metals too. But it doesn't seem to affect modern materials. For some reason this mould has a taste for cultural heritage.' That's potentially alarming news for many in the UK, whether gallery heads, custodians of stately homes, churches, libraries or even members of the public who have historic pieces of art or book collections. 'That mould could well be present in Britain already,' says Chris Woods, director of the National Conservation Service. 'Moulds spread around. We're constantly surrounded by spores – we can't escape them.' Woods is taking a keen interest in the Danish situation. 'We need to be aware of the risks if a mould is emerging that is seriously different to what we're used to and could potentially breach the stable environments in which we keep art and artefacts. I'll definitely be keeping a close eye to see if any British collections might be at risk. Our climate is very similar to Denmark's, so we could learn a lot.' Bastholm believes this is already an international problem. 'There are case studies from numerous places, like a Chinese museum depository, an Austrian church, a Swedish library and a Leonardo da Vinci self-portrait in Italy. It seems to be the same species.' She thinks we have it in the UK as well, but just haven't detected it yet. 'I've seen photographs and thought, 'Oh, yes, that looks like it.' The reason you haven't found it might be that you tend to find what you're looking for – and no one was looking for this.' It's essentially impossible to stop the spread of mould, explains Woods, with so many objects (including loans for exhibitions) transported around the world. 'We're alert to the risk of pests but we're not able to track mould spores at a very microscopic level, which are embedded in materials. You could bring back an unusual mould and not even know it.' Most big museums and galleries have sophisticated systems in place to control the environment for their collections, such as the light, temperature and relative humidity. However, Bastholm notes that the Danish museums where she found mould had all adhered to the International Council of Museums guidelines, and it hadn't prevented this particular mould from thriving. It's even harder in an uncontrolled environment, points out Woods. 'Think of a historic stately home with furniture, libraries or venues – you can't seal it off. Churches are definitely the trickiest.' Woods is an advisor to cathedrals such as Lincoln and Salisbury on how to conserve their Magna Carta exemplars. 'They're made of sheep-skin parchment, so they have naturally accumulated mould and bacteria over 800 years. That's why they're kept in tightly sealed frames that maintain extremely stable relative humidity of 40 per cent, which stops the mould from growing and prevents new spores from landing on them.' That should mean the Magna Carta is safe from this new strain reaching it, but, says Woods, you can't be too careful. 'Mould can create total destruction if it's allowed to. Parchment is such a nutritious source: I've seen it virtually be turned to dust.' Since few objects have the level of protection that the Magna Carta enjoys, what can the rest of us do to protect our artwork? The key thing is to be on high alert, says Camilla Hughes-Hunt, managing director of restoration specialists Plowden & Smith. That includes using a data logger to record the temperature and relative humidity of the space where you're storing your pieces, and keeping a close watch on the surfaces. '[This strain] may not smell as strongly, unlike typical moulds, making it harder to detect without close inspection.' She also recommends good ventilation and air filtration, which helps to reduce spore load, and frequent removal of dust, since these types of mould need it to get enough moisture to survive. Danielle Burke, lead art historian at the Fine Art Restoration Company, says many people forget to look behind their paintings. 'But mould can come through from the back, and then you don't see it until it's too late and already causing cracking or flaking on the canvas. We become so used to the art in our homes that we stop paying attention to it. We really need to monitor it carefully, especially if something is high value – either monetarily or emotionally, like a family heirloom.' Once spores have become ingrained in the surface of a painting or piece of furniture 'it becomes increasingly difficult to fully and safely remove the mould and prevent it from recurring,' says Sophie McAloone, conservation manager and easel painting conservator at the Fine Art Restoration Company. 'As the mould develops, it feeds on the organic material in the artwork and can cause irreversible damage.' McAloone suggests keeping a photographic record of artworks so you can immediately spot early signs, like staining or warping. Let it take hold and you'll pay a steep price. McAloone says paper restoration can be upwards of £900 for badly damaged pieces. Mould is also a health issue, which is another nightmare for museums, observes Bastholm, since by nature they need to be accessible for exhibitions, education and research. 'But if there's huge fungal growth, it becomes a health hazard. You might need to look at precautions like not letting people near items without wearing a mask.' It's a crisis in the making – and it could be right under our noses.
