Virus News and Research

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A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can reproduce only inside a host cell. Viruses infect all types of organisms: from animals and plants, to bacteria and archaea. Since the initial discovery of tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 5,000 types of virus have been described in detail, although most types of virus remain undiscovered. Viruses are ubiquitous, as they are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. The study of viruses is known as virology, and is a branch of microbiology.

Discovery of 'Achilles heel' in protein crucial to HIV virulence paves way for new drugs

The discovery of a potential "Achilles heel" in Nef, the protein that is crucial to HIV virulence and its capacity to trigger AIDS, paves the way for the development of a new class of drugs against the virus.

17 Nov 2020

Study: 95.5% of current entries in GISAID lack relevant COVID-19 patient information

A new study led by Australia's national science agency CSIRO, has found 95.5 per cent of current entries in GISAID, the world's largest novel coronavirus genome database, do not contain relevant patient information -- a critical piece of the puzzle to understand the virus and how it is evolving.

17 Nov 2020

Interleukin 10 levels could warn about the progression of COVID-19

Immunology experts have collaborated to use their groundbreaking research techniques to put people’s response to COVID-19 disease under the microscope.

16 Nov 2020

Pollution is partly linked to rapid proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S.

The United States may have set itself up for the spread of a pandemic without even knowing it.

16 Nov 2020

MIT chemists determine molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 protein

MIT chemists have determined the molecular structure of a protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein, called the envelope protein E, forms a cation-selective channel and plays a key role in the virus's ability to replicate itself and stimulate the host cell's inflammation response.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 16 Nov 2020

Astrocytes regulate inhibitory synapses by binding to neurons

In the orchestra of the brain, the firing of each neuron is controlled by two notes--excitatory and inhibitory-- that come from two distinct forms of a cellular structure called synapses.

16 Nov 2020

New technique uses sunlight to convert medical waste into clean hydrogen fuel

Sunlight could be used to convert hazardous medical waste into clean hydrogen fuel, using a new technique being developed by a joint Wales/India team led by Swansea University researchers.

16 Nov 2020

Researchers identify key target to prevent viruses from disarming the human immune response

Viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C evade or disrupt the immune system to create persistent infections.

11 Nov 2020

Researchers discover new 'hidden' gene in SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have discovered a new "hidden" gene in SARS-CoV-2--the virus that causes COVID-19--that may have contributed to its unique biology and pandemic potential.

11 Nov 2020

Scientists identify potential targets against coronavirus

Scientists comprehensively studied the RNA genomic structure of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

11 Nov 2020

Study suggests that melatonin may be a viable treatment option for COVID-19

New findings indicate that melatonin could be a potential treatment option for COVID-19.

10 Nov 2020

Genetic disposition may play a key role in the human immune system

According to a new study headed by the University of Bonn, a genetic disposition that is involved in the development of the heart in the embryo also seems to play a major role in the human immune system.

10 Nov 2020

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may improve monoclonal antibody resistance

A recent paper examines a mutation of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 that has been observed to have arisen independently twice.

10 Nov 2020

Study may help develop new antiviral drugs against COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that is responsible for causing COVID-19 infection. It uses multiple steps to attack the body.

9 Nov 2020

Genetically edited form of herpes simplex virus outperforms key vaccine candidate

A genetically edited form of a herpes simplex virus -- rewired to keep it from taking refuge in the nervous system and eluding an immune response -- has outperformed a leading vaccine candidate in a new study from the University of Cincinnati, Northwestern University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

9 Nov 2020

Researchers show how encapsulated viruses hijack biosynthetic pathways in cells

Researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, York, Warwick and Oxford have shed light on how encapsulated viruses like hepatitis B, dengue and SARS-CoV-2 hijack the protein manufacturing and distribution pathways in the cell - they have also identified a potential broad spectrum anti-viral drug target to stop them in their tracks.

9 Nov 2020

Study shows how coronavirus block cells’ ability to produce protective proteins

One of the novel coronavirus' most insidious tricks is that it can block the ability of cells to produce protective proteins without hindering its own ability to replicate.

6 Nov 2020

Scientists use genomics to track the outbreak of Yellow fever virus in São Paulo

Yellow fever virus is normally confined to the Amazon region, but the virus circulated in the Southeast of Brazil between 2016 and 2018, causing the worst epidemic and epizootic outbreaks there for decades. The Ministry of Health confirmed 2,251 cases of yellow fever in humans and 1,567 cases in monkeys in Brazil between December 2016 and June 2019.

6 Nov 2020

Composition of virus communities is shaped by host genetic factors

Plants can be infected by multiple viruses at once. However, the composition of the pathogen community varies, even if individuals belong to the same species and the same population.

6 Nov 2020

Highly automated device rapidly detects the presence of COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, infectious disease experts and frontline medical workers have asked for a faster, cheaper and more reliable COVID-19 test.

6 Nov 2020

Virus News and Research

Discovery of 'Achilles heel' in protein crucial to HIV virulence paves way for new drugs

Study: 95.5% of current entries in GISAID lack relevant COVID-19 patient information

Interleukin 10 levels could warn about the progression of COVID-19

Pollution is partly linked to rapid proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S.

MIT chemists determine molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 protein

Astrocytes regulate inhibitory synapses by binding to neurons

New technique uses sunlight to convert medical waste into clean hydrogen fuel

Researchers identify key target to prevent viruses from disarming the human immune response

Researchers discover new 'hidden' gene in SARS-CoV-2

Scientists identify potential targets against coronavirus

Study suggests that melatonin may be a viable treatment option for COVID-19

Genetic disposition may play a key role in the human immune system

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may improve monoclonal antibody resistance

Study may help develop new antiviral drugs against COVID-19

Genetically edited form of herpes simplex virus outperforms key vaccine candidate

Researchers show how encapsulated viruses hijack biosynthetic pathways in cells

Study shows how coronavirus block cells’ ability to produce protective proteins

Scientists use genomics to track the outbreak of Yellow fever virus in São Paulo

Composition of virus communities is shaped by host genetic factors

Highly automated device rapidly detects the presence of COVID-19

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