Newsletter: No Single Hotspot: UP Scientists Find Leptospirosis-Causing Bacteria Across a Manila Waterway

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By: Ram Julius L. Marababol

Phase contrast photomicrograph in 100X of the described Leptospira. (Photo credit: Ram Julius L. Marababol)

Leptospirosis is one of the Philippines' most persistent and least talked-about health threats: a bacterial disease carried in contaminated water and soil, spiking every year the moment the rains and the floodwaters come. Two new peer-reviewed studies out of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) and the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) now show that the picture may be worse than health workers assumed. This is not because the bacterium is new, but because of where scientists just found it living, and how completely it has settled in.

Newsletter: UP Scientists Identify Plant Boosting Bacteria in Bamboo and Corn

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Farmers usually use chemical fertilizers to grow their crops, but these can be expensive and may harm the environment. A more efficient and cheaper alternative is the use of specific microorganisms called plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). PGPB help plants absorb more nutrients and produce growth hormones that boost crop production. Using PGPB as biofertilizers can provide the same benefits as chemical fertilizers—without the harmful effects.