Synthetic Mini-Antibody Identified to Combat COVID-19
The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells depends on interactions between the viral spike protein and the human cell surface protein ACE2. To enable the…
Virology
Cruciviruses: Criss-Crossing Viruses Give Rise to Peculiar Hybrid Variants
For millions of years, viruses have participated in a far-flung, import-export business, exchanging fragments of themselves with both viral and nonviral agents and acquiring new…
Ultrapotent COVID-19 Vaccine Designed via Computer: Innovative Nanoparticle Vaccine Spurs Extremely High Levels of Protective Antibodies
Preclinical data published in Cell show the nanoparticle vaccine spurs extremely high levels of protective antibodies in animal models. An innovative nanoparticle vaccine candidate for…
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Revealed in “Mini-Lungs” Shows How COVID-19 Damages the Lungs
‘Mini-lungs’ grown from tissue donated to Cambridge hospitals has provided a team of scientists from South Korea and the UK with important insights into how…
It’s Evolving: Coronavirus Genetic Mutation May Have Made COVID-19 More Contagious
A study involving more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in Houston finds that the virus that causes the disease is accumulating genetic mutations, one of which…
Halloween and COVID-19: Scientific Study on the Coronavius Risk of Trick-or-Treating
Researchers say viral transmission risk is low, even when candies are handled by infected persons, but handwashing and disinfecting collected sweets reduces risk even further….
Critical Insight Into COVID-19 Immune Response From New Study of Serum Samples
New info on antibody levels in sicker patients and elderly could inform vaccine goals. As vaccine trials progress and public health officials brace for a…
New Research Uncovers Why Bats Excel As Viral Reservoirs Without Getting Sick
Study confirms bats adopt multiple strategies to reduce pro-inflammatory responses, thus mitigating potential immune-mediated tissue damage and disease. Findings provide important insights for medical research…
Vampire Bats Social Distance When They Get Sick, Slowing Disease Spread
A new paper in Behavioral Ecology, published by Oxford University Press, finds that wild vampire bats that are sick spend less time near others from their…
U.S. Navy Researchers Evaluate Ultraviolet Lamps to Combat COVID-19
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory researchers evaluated commercial ultraviolet (UV) sources for viral disinfection to combat COVID-19 on land and at sea, and established a dedicated…
The Latest Science on How to Keep COVID-19 Out of School Classrooms
Open windows, use glass screens in front of desks; Aerosol spread of virus in classrooms with air conditioning poses issues for students, teachers. As the…
Mystery Solved: How Do Tips of Plants Stay Virus-Free in Face of Intensive Infection?
Plants are able to keep growing indefinitely because they have tissues made of meristems — plant stem cells — which have the unique ability to…
Scientists Find That Age Does NOT Contribute to COVID-19 Susceptibility
Scientists have estimated that the age of an individual does not indicate how likely they are to be infected by SARS-CoV-2. However, development of symptoms,…
CBD Helps Reduce COVID-19 Lung Damage by Increasing Levels of Protective Peptide
One way CBD appears to reduce the “cytokine storm” that damages the lungs and kills many patients with COVID-19 is by enabling an increase in…
Mouthwash May Inactivate Human Coronaviruses, Help Reduce Spread of COVID-19
Certain oral antiseptics and mouthwashes may have the ability to inactivate human coronaviruses, according to a Penn State College of Medicine research study. The results…
New Technology Pulls Elusive COVID-19 Marker From Human Blood
Canadian researchers create method to measure severity of the pandemic virus. When COVID-19 attacks, the immune system produces a cytokine, or protein, called Interleukin-6 (IL-6),…
“Considerable Risk” of Human-to-Wildlife Transmission of the COVID-19 Virus
There’s considerable risk that humans transmit SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to wildlife, according to a perspective article published in Mammal Review. The authors…
Viral Factor Identified That Impairs Immune Responses in COVID-19 Patients
As of October 2020, the ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in more than 35 million reported cases and more than 1 million deaths…
