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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Genome comparisons between SARS-CoV-2 and other betacoronaviruses yield applicable insights

Researchers from the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research and the Australian National University untangle the mutational and recombinational history of the SARS-2 lineage of betacoronaviruses and their metagenomes with the use of published genomic sequences. Their findings are currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

14 Jul 2020

Saliva promising alternative to upper airway swabs for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2

The standard diagnostic test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 describes the use of saliva as a sample in RT-PCR for diagnosis in place of nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs.

14 Jul 2020

New reliable method for treating male sterility

Infertility affects one in seven men of reproductive age worldwide. One idea for treating male sterility is spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) therapy.

14 Jul 2020

Researchers review scientific articles on the role of zinc in COVID-19 prevention

Researchers from Sechenov University in collaboration with colleagues from Germany, Greece and Russia reviewed scientific articles on the role of zinc in the prevention and treatment of viral infections and pneumonia, with projections on those caused by SARS-CoV-2. The results were published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine.

14 Jul 2020

Genetic variation shapes individual perception of fatty foods, twins study reveals

Most people would agree that the pleasure of some foods stems in part from its fat content. New research, led by the Monell Chemical Senses Center, has now found that liking of fatty food is more complex than its fat content alone - it could also be related to inborn genetic traits of the consumer related to fat perception.

14 Jul 2020

COVID-19 – researchers sum up the “Tsunami” of information

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) infection leading to COVID-19 is a raging pandemic across the world at present. It has infected 13 million and killed 571,000 individuals around the world as of today. The infection was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China in late December 2019.

13 Jul 2020

Study identifies three novel broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 cell entry inhibitors

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Cornell University in the U.S. just described several new inhibitors of human coronavirus spike proteins by screening a library of approved drugs with SARS-S and MERS-S pseudotyped particle entry assays. Their exciting findings are currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

13 Jul 2020

New method can enhance the effectiveness of bacteria used in biotechnological applications

Scientists have developed a new computational technique that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of bacteria used in biotechnological applications.

13 Jul 2020

EKF introduces novel molecular transport media for dual COVID-19 and influenza sampling

EKF Diagnostics the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces that it has added a novel viral transport media for the safe sample handling and testing of multiple infectious diseases from a single swab to its product range.

From EKF Diagnostics 13 Jul 2020

Breakthrough discovery could lead to ‘kinder’ treatments for childhood bone cancer

Researchers at the University of East Anglia and University of Manchester have made an important breakthrough that could lead to ‘kinder’ treatments for children with bone cancer, and save lives.

13 Jul 2020

No unique viral sequences found in pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2

In contrast to previous hypotheses, researchers from the University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust found no evidence of unique viral sequences from patients with pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS). Their study is published on the medRxiv* preprint server.

12 Jul 2020

Increasing level of SARS-CoV-2 detected in Montpellier wastewater

Researchers at The French National Centre for Scientific Research have identified a recent increase in the amount of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA at the main wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of the Montpellier metropolitan area.

12 Jul 2020

Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis reveals patients' immune responses to severe COVID-19

A new single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of more than 59,000 cells from three different patient cohorts provides a detailed look at patients' immune responses to severe cases of COVID-19.

12 Jul 2020

Study sheds new light on neurobiological processes that control drug-related adaptations

The lab of Jeremy Day, Ph.D., at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has used single-nucleus RNA sequencing approaches to compare transcriptional responses to acute cocaine in 16 unique cell populations from a portion of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, or NAc.

10 Jul 2020

SARS-CoV-2 a dagger to the aging heart

Researchers in Europe have shown that genes involved in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are expressed to a higher degree in older heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) than they are in younger cardiomyocytes.

9 Jul 2020

Groundbreaking study identifies unique lung cells that may drive pulmonary fibrosis

A groundbreaking study published today and led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, identifies unique lung cells that may drive Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a deadly lung disease that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans, and for which there is no cure.

9 Jul 2020

siRNA therapeutics can reduce off-target side effects of anticancer drugs

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has shown tremendous potential for treating human diseases in the past decades.

9 Jul 2020

Research shows how SARS-CoV-2 alters translation

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 shows that the 5’ end of the RNA molecule is capable of inhibiting the binding of mRNA to the ribosomal 40S subunit, thus preventing translation.

9 Jul 2020

Researchers map RNA structure throughout SARS-CoV-2 genome

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which is currently at the heart of a pandemic that has cost the world more than 550,000 lives, 12 million infections, and uncounted years of productivity, is an RNA virus with the largest genome among all such viruses. This 30 kb size virus has caused many difficulties for scientists in search of a vaccine.

9 Jul 2020

Tracing adaptation to ACE2 use in sarbecoviruses

A detailed study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 argues that recombination accounts for the appearance of the ability of both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 to use the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (hACE) 2 as the binding receptor mediating viral infection of human cells.

8 Jul 2020

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Genome comparisons between SARS-CoV-2 and other betacoronaviruses yield applicable insights

Saliva promising alternative to upper airway swabs for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2

New reliable method for treating male sterility

Researchers review scientific articles on the role of zinc in COVID-19 prevention

Genetic variation shapes individual perception of fatty foods, twins study reveals

COVID-19 – researchers sum up the “Tsunami” of information

Study identifies three novel broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 cell entry inhibitors

New method can enhance the effectiveness of bacteria used in biotechnological applications

EKF introduces novel molecular transport media for dual COVID-19 and influenza sampling

Breakthrough discovery could lead to ‘kinder’ treatments for childhood bone cancer

No unique viral sequences found in pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2

Increasing level of SARS-CoV-2 detected in Montpellier wastewater

Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis reveals patients' immune responses to severe COVID-19

Study sheds new light on neurobiological processes that control drug-related adaptations

SARS-CoV-2 a dagger to the aging heart

Groundbreaking study identifies unique lung cells that may drive pulmonary fibrosis

siRNA therapeutics can reduce off-target side effects of anticancer drugs

Research shows how SARS-CoV-2 alters translation

Researchers map RNA structure throughout SARS-CoV-2 genome

Tracing adaptation to ACE2 use in sarbecoviruses

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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