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 shows promise for developing novel COVID-19 therapeutics

A protein known as polymerase is used by SARS-CoV-2—the coronavirus that is responsible for causing the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic—to replicate its genome within the infected human cells.

1 Jul 2020

Even the sickest COVID-19 patients produce T cells to fight back the virus

A new study from researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Erasmus University Medical Center shows that even the sickest COVID-19 patients produce T cells that help fight the virus.

1 Jul 2020

Lab-grown 'mini-brains' can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus

A multidisciplinary team from two Johns Hopkins University institutions, including neurotoxicologists and virologists from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and infectious disease specialists from the school of medicine, has found that organoids (tiny tissue cultures made from human cells that simulate whole organs) known as "mini-brains" can be infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

1 Jul 2020

COVID-19 virus can infect heart cells in a lab dish, study shows

A new study shows that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus), can infect heart cells in a lab dish, indicating it may be possible for heart cells in COVID-19 patients to be directly infected by the virus.

1 Jul 2020

Sanford Burnham Prebys announces research agreement with Lilly to characterize COVID-19 antibodies

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute today announced a research agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) to characterize Lilly's next-generation anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

30 Jun 2020

Princeton researcher solves long-standing mysteries of membrane protein structure

Ion channels and membrane transporters are in the business of moving ions and small molecules across cellular membranes. They are essential for metabolic and cellular homeostasis, and for a host of biological signaling pathways.

30 Jun 2020

Existing drugs could disrupt SARS-CoV-2 from hijacking cells

An international team of researchers has analyzed how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, hijacks the proteins in its target cells.

30 Jun 2020

Researchers show how gut microbiome helps people resist cholera

Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated, and it sickens as many as 4 million people a year. In a new article in the journal Cell, researchers describe how gut bacteria helps people resist the disease.

30 Jun 2020

How upregulation of a single gene by SARs-CoV-2 can trigger cytokine storm

The SARS-CoV-19 virus initially has a limited capability to invade, attacking only one intracellular genetic target, the aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs).

29 Jun 2020

Researchers perform room-temperature X-ray measurements on SARS-CoV-2 main protease

A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Argonne national laboratories has performed the first room-temperature X-ray measurements on the SARS-CoV-2 main protease -- the enzyme that enables the virus to reproduce.

26 Jun 2020

Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Also Contaminate The Environment

Both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients have the capability of contaminating their surroundings, according to a new study published in mSphere.

25 Jun 2020

Experts identify steps to expand, improve SARS-CoV-2 serology tests

More than 300 scientists and clinicians from the federal government, industry and academia published a report of their conclusions and recommendations on COVID-19 serology studies online in Immunity.

24 Jun 2020

University of Kentucky collaborates with Atomwise to explore potential COVID-19 therapies

The University of Kentucky announced a research collaboration with Atomwise, an industry leader in using artificial intelligence (AI) for small molecule discovery, to explore potential COVID-19 therapies.

24 Jun 2020

Common bread fungus mutates its own DNA to fight virus-like infections

Organisms attempt to halt their DNA from mutating, but researchers have discovered that a common fungus mutates its own DNA as a means to fight infections.

23 Jun 2020

Antibody and RNA testing can help track SARS-CoV-2 virus

SARS-CoV-2 is usually tracked by two types of tests, reverse transcriptase PCR (rt-PCR) and antibody tests.

23 Jun 2020

Tongue microbes could help diagnose heart failure

Microorganisms on the tongue could help diagnose heart failure, according to research presented today on HFA Discoveries, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology.

23 Jun 2020

White Paper: Separation and characterization of viruses and antibodies

Postnova Analytics have published an informative new white paper that details how multi-detector Asymmetrical Field Flow Fractionation (AF4) and Electrical AF4 (EAF4) techniques are transforming the separation and characterization of viruses and antibodies.

From Postnova Analytics 23 Jun 2020