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.

Study: Wastewater containing coronaviruses may be a serious threat

Wastewater containing coronaviruses may be a serious threat, according to a new, global study led by researchers from the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).

25 Aug 2020

Researchers add a component to make cancer vaccine more effective

Jefferson researchers developing a cancer vaccine to prevent recurrences of gastric, pancreatic, esophageal and colon cancers have added a component that would make the vaccine more effective.

25 Aug 2020

Researchers identify a novel molecular mechanism of intestinal stem cells

Stem cells in the intestines maintain an excellent balance between two promising forms—developing into intestinal epithelial cells, or remaining as stem cells.

24 Aug 2020

Researchers develop multiplex genetic diagnostic device for early detection, prevention of crop diseases

A research group composed of Professor Takayuki Shibata and his colleagues at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology has applied a microfluidic chip technology to develop a multiplex genetic diagnostic device for the early detection and prevention of crop diseases.

24 Aug 2020

New study shows promise for developing COVID-19 vaccine

When news about a novel coronavirus switched from a chronicle of its progress in China to headlines about a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Gladstone Institutes scientist Nadia Roan, PhD, was in the midst of publishing several papers on T cells and their role in HIV spread and long-lasting infections.

24 Aug 2020

Programmable DNA nanoswitches can rapidly detect emerging viruses, including SARS-CoV-2

Programmable DNA nanoswitches that bind to viral RNA in human body fluids may provide an inexpensive platform to rapidly detect a wide variety of emerging viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, according to a new study.

24 Aug 2020

Study provides detailed map of natural killer cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study of 27 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has provided a detailed map of natural killer (NK) cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, revealing that specific characteristics of NK cell activation associate with different levels of disease severity.

24 Aug 2020

Cytokine storms in COVID-19 patients may prevent the development of long-term immunity

Shiv Pillai, MD, Ph.D., investigator in the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard and professor at Harvard Medical School (HMS), recently published a paper in Cell showing that that high levels of some cytokines seen in COVID-19 patients, as part of a cytokine storm, may prevent the development of long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

20 Aug 2020

Study shows how herpesvirus invades human cells and causes chickenpox

Inspite of several years of research, scientists are still clueless about how herpesviruses penetrate the human cells.

20 Aug 2020

Study shows age is a major risk factor for dying from COVID-19 infection

According to a study, genes that play a significant role in enabling SARS-CoV-2 to penetrate the heart cells become more active as people age.

20 Aug 2020

Surface structure of SARS-CoV-2 virus offers insights for development of therapeutics

At the start of a COVID-19 infection, the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 docks onto human cells using the spike-like proteins on its surface. The spike protein is at the centre of vaccine development because it triggers an immune response in humans.

19 Aug 2020

LJI scientists tracked down rare stem cells that generate neutrophils in humans

Neutrophils are the warriors of the immune system. They are always ready to spring to action to help heal injuries or fight off disease. Unless, that is, something goes wrong in their developmental process.

19 Aug 2020

Study investigates how Ebola virus adapts to bat and human cells

A new study by researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston uncovered new information on why the Ebola virus can live within bats without causing them harm, while the same virus wreaks deadly havoc to people.

19 Aug 2020

Novel gene editing approach removes latent herpes simplex virus 1

Infectious disease researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have used a gene editing approach to remove latent herpes simplex virus 1, or HSV-1, also known as oral herpes.

19 Aug 2020

Influenza viruses can spread through the air on dust, fibers

Influenza viruses can spread through the air on dust, fibers and other microscopic particles, according to new research from the University of California, Davis and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai.

From The University of California, Davis 19 Aug 2020

Researchers detect robust T cell response in patients with mild COVID-19 infection

Mild cases of COVID-19 pandemic can activate strong responses from memory T cells, even when detectable virus-specific antibody responses are absent.

19 Aug 2020

Study shows how proteins act as a defense mechanism to protect their own DNA

Viruses usually inject their DNA into a host cell to multiply. As soon as this foreign material penetrates the intracellular fluid, it activates a defense mechanism called the cGAS-STING pathway.

18 Aug 2020

Study shows how viruses escape the immune system

Scientists from the University of Otago have gained a deeper understanding of how viruses work and escape the immune system. The team is presently using this finding to find out more about the COVID-19 pandemic.

18 Aug 2020

High-speed AFM enables real-time visualization of influenza A hemagglutinin during viral entry

Unlike living organisms, to avoid extinction, viruses need to hijack living host machineries to generate new viruses.

18 Aug 2020

Novel receptor protein can be a promising treatment for COVID-19

A novel receptor protein that binds to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevents it from entering cells may hold promise for treating COVID-19 and other coronavirus-related diseases, according to research published online Aug. 4 in the journal SCIENCE.

18 Aug 2020

Virus News and Research

Study: Wastewater containing coronaviruses may be a serious threat

Researchers add a component to make cancer vaccine more effective

Researchers identify a novel molecular mechanism of intestinal stem cells

Researchers develop multiplex genetic diagnostic device for early detection, prevention of crop diseases

New study shows promise for developing COVID-19 vaccine

Programmable DNA nanoswitches can rapidly detect emerging viruses, including SARS-CoV-2

Study provides detailed map of natural killer cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Cytokine storms in COVID-19 patients may prevent the development of long-term immunity

Study shows how herpesvirus invades human cells and causes chickenpox

Study shows age is a major risk factor for dying from COVID-19 infection

Surface structure of SARS-CoV-2 virus offers insights for development of therapeutics

LJI scientists tracked down rare stem cells that generate neutrophils in humans

Study investigates how Ebola virus adapts to bat and human cells

Novel gene editing approach removes latent herpes simplex virus 1

Influenza viruses can spread through the air on dust, fibers

Researchers detect robust T cell response in patients with mild COVID-19 infection

Study shows how proteins act as a defense mechanism to protect their own DNA

Study shows how viruses escape the immune system

High-speed AFM enables real-time visualization of influenza A hemagglutinin during viral entry

Novel receptor protein can be a promising treatment for COVID-19

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