Host specificity is the biological process by which a parasite, pathogen, symbiont, or herbivore exhibits a restricted range of host taxa that it can successfully infect, colonize, or utilize, determined by molecular recognition, physiological compatibility, and ecological interactions. It involves coevolutionary dynamics between host and associated organism, including receptor–ligand matching, immune evasion or suppression, metabolic dependence, and niche adaptation. Host specificity can be narrow (specialism) or broad (generalism) and is quantified using measures such as host range breadth and phylogenetic host distance. It shapes patterns of disease emergence, host shifts, co-speciation, and community structure, and is a central parameter in epidemiology, invasion biology, and host–microbe interaction research.
As multidrug antibiotic resistance emerges as a potent public health challenge, medical science has renewed attention on the potential for bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that target, infect ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 27, 2026
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Tiny viruses that infect bacteria could one day help us tackle infections that antibiotics can no longer treat. But first, scientists need to understand how these viruses work, and artificial intelligence could provide them ...
Biotechnology
Aug 15, 2026
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The last time you had a cold sore, you might have fretted about how long it would hang around. Perhaps you avoided reflective surfaces. It's unlikely you worried about dying from it.
Plants & Animals
Aug 4, 2026
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Fungal diseases that affect grain crops can be devastating to global agriculture and food security. Fungicides are the most common preventive measure, but as fungal diseases become more prevalent, the pathogens become increasingly ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Aug 4, 2026
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For the first time in Brazil, scientists have identified the presence of bacteria that cause columnaris disease, a serious disease in farmed fish intended for human consumption. Previously, different species of the genus ...
Ecology
Jul 31, 2026
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A team led by researchers at the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), in Manaus, has found evidence that the "zombie-ant" fungus (genus Ophiocordyceps), known worldwide for controlling ant behavior and forcing ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 30, 2026
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Many viruses can infect both humans and animals, including hepatitis E virus. This virus is often transmitted to humans via contaminated meat products, such as by ingesting raw or undercooked pork or wild game. However, mouse ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 29, 2026
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About 1 in 3 people worldwide have been infected with a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii—or simply "toxo"—which can cause toxoplasmosis. After the initial infection, toxo settles into our muscles and brains, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 10, 2026
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A new study published in the journal Alpine Entomology has found that alpine butterflies in the Swiss National Park are closely matching the pace of local warming in their range shift to higher elevations.
Plants & Animals
Jul 6, 2026
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7
What does a hantavirus do inside its rodent hosts? How do these viruses move through animal populations? And how is it that they cause almost no apparent symptoms in rodents, yet can be nearly fatal in humans? Specially Appointed ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 2, 2026
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