EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Infectious Diseases

This month, we’re focusing on infectious diseases, a topic that affects lives and communities around the world. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how infectious diseases are being studied, prevented, and treated globally.

New papers reveal how gut-brain interactions shape eating behaviors

American Gastroenterological Association
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Bethesda, MD (Sept. 2, 2025) — Two new papers shed light on how gut-brain interactions, influenced by both biology and life circumstances, shape eating behaviors. Together, they highlight the importance of multidisciplinary, personalized approaches to digestive health and nutrition.

Journal: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology

3-Sep-2025

Living in a food desert doubles stroke risk for patients with atrial fibrillation, study finds

Tulane University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Patients with atrial fibrillation who live in neighborhoods with poor access to grocery stores face sharply higher odds of stroke and death, according to a new study from Tulane University. Compared with similar patients in better-served areas, those in food deserts had more than double the risk of ischemic stroke and nearly four times the risk of death.

Journal: JACC Advances

3-Sep-2025

Kunming Manifesto calls for agrobiodiversity to transform food systems

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Reports and Proceedings

The global food system is in urgent need of a radical shake-up to meet growing demand for food and nutrition security. The 2025 Kunming Manifesto, launched at the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum, presents agrobiodiversity as a solution to improve nutrition, strengthen ecosystems, and empower local communities, when integrated into policy and practice. Actionable recommendations and case studies show that a coordinated multistakeholder approach in resilient agrifood systems can deliver rapid health, economic, and environmental benefits.

3-Sep-2025

Don’t sweat it: New device detects sweat biomarker at minimal perspiration rate

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team at Penn State has developed a novel wearable sensor capable of continuously monitoring low rates of perspiration for the presence of a lactate — a molecule the body uses to break down sugars for energy. This biomarker can indicate oxygen starvation in the body’s tissues, which is a key performance indicator for athletes as well as a potential sign of serious conditions such as sepsis or organ failure.

Journal: Small

3-Sep-2025

Don’t sweat it: New device detects sweat biomarker at minimal perspiration rate

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Journal: Small

3-Sep-2025

Vegan dog food provides similar nutrients to meat-based diets, new study finds

University of Nottingham
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that vegan diets for dogs sold in the UK provide similar nutrition to meat-based diets.

The study, led by Rebecca Brociek from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, and published in PLOS One, highlights the importance of a balanced and nutritional diet for our canine companions.

Journal: PLOS One

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

Latest News Releases

New papers reveal how gut-brain interactions shape eating behaviors

Living in a food desert doubles stroke risk for patients with atrial fibrillation, study finds

Kunming Manifesto calls for agrobiodiversity to transform food systems

Don’t sweat it: New device detects sweat biomarker at minimal perspiration rate

Don’t sweat it: New device detects sweat biomarker at minimal perspiration rate

Vegan dog food provides similar nutrients to meat-based diets, new study finds

Updated food reactivity tool explains why we eat what we see