The latest issue of our Society-owned community magazine, The Biochemist, is out now!

For our June issue, we’re looking at Beneficial Bacteria, examining how the characteristics of microbes can be manipulated for the benefit of human health and help to solve forensic mysteries.

Science Editor of The Biochemist, Dr Kakoli Bose (ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, India), shares her thoughts on this issue in her latest editorial:

“Since the late 19^th Century, we have been aware of the benefits bacteria possess, which allowed us to utilise this understanding and develop antibiotics. It was later in the 20^th Century that Élie Metchnikoff made the correlation between the consumption of fermented dairy and the health and longevity of individuals in certain regions of Bulgaria. This was the beginning of what we now know as probiotics.

Today, the positive impact of bacteria is becoming undeniable, particularly in relation to food. Western cultures have seen a growing appreciation of the health benefits associated with fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut. As awareness of the significance of the gut microbiome continues to expand, an equally important side unfolds: can bacteria support our health beyond the gut in multiple ways? The feature articles in this issue delve deep into this question and uncover the diverse ways bacteria contribute to human wellbeing.

Through combined efforts across the molecular biosciences, with support of the Biochemical Society, we’re able to continue to lead this new frontier of probiotics and find new and innovative uses for bacteria to overcome societal challenges.”

Read more about what is to come in this issue in Kakoli’s editorial. 

This issue includes helpful education and careers resources, with an education article exploring interactive storytelling as an approach to teaching protein expression and we hear from a specialist technician in biomaterials as Jen Adcott shares a typical day in her life. We are also excited to hear from our Biochemical Society 2027 Award winners in this issue as we continue to be inspired by their work.

Alongside themed feature articles, this issue contains new articles in our Student Focus series with an article from the founders of Vitae Careers covering student entrepreneurship and an article from Marcus Lomas sharing valuable insights from his research project.

The June issue proves to be full of engaging articles covering a wide spectrum of the molecular biosciences and highlights the important work being done to support researchers across the field.

Explore the full issue now!