Michael Burgess

Feature Writer

B.Sc. Zoology, M.Sc. Palaeobiology

Michael graduated with a first-class degree in Zoology from the University of Hull, and later received a Masters degree in Palaeobiology from the University of Bristol.

His main interests are vertebrate palaeontology and evolutionary ecology, particularly of animals within the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. He is also a firm advocate of rewilding.

After completing his degrees, Michael is working to gain invaluable experience in and around his specialty fields. In his free time, Michael can usually be found canoeing, painting, or building model layouts with his brothers.

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Articles from Michael

Can SARS-CoV-2 still be transmissible once symptoms have subsided?

Researchers based at the University of Missouri, in partnership with U.S. government science facilities in Maryland, have reported that individuals severely infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be able to continue shedding infectious viral RNA for over three weeks after the symptomatic infection has passed.

22 Mar 2021

How resistant is the SARS-CoV-2 Brazilian variant to antibodies?

Researchers based at the University of Oxford, UK, have shown that the P.1 Brazilian variant of SARS-CoV-2 is less resistant to natural or vaccine acquired antibody responses than the B.1.351, South African, variant, despite sharing convergent mutations.

18 Mar 2021

Researchers develop rapid method for identifying antibody-resistant SARS-CoV-2 mutants

Researchers in the United States have described a novel rapid method for identifying antibody-resistant mutants in SARS-CoV-2.

17 Mar 2021

Salivary IgG to SARS-CoV-2 after mild COVID-19

A team of researchers based in Stockholm, Sweden, has demonstrated that individuals exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have antibodies for the disease up to nine months after acquiring the disease, even if they displayed only mild symptoms.

16 Mar 2021

New Colombian SARS-CoV-2 lineage shares antibody-resistant mutations with other variants

Scientists in Colombia have identified a new highly divergent SARS-CoV-2 lineage with Spike substitutions L249S and E484K. These same mutations have convergently appeared in other mutant strains of the virus, most notably in variants of concern.

16 Mar 2021

Researchers use wastewater to monitor prevalence of COVID-19 for first time in United Arab Emirates

Early warning systems are vital in preventing surging waves of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Researchers have used wastewater samples to detect the spread of the virus in the United Arab Emirates from municipal and commercial aircraft, the first of its kind in the country, and the largest to date.

15 Mar 2021

White-tailed deer susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, finds study

White-tailed deer have been observed to be susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They can also transmit the virus both through direct and indirect contact to one another, researchers find. The research paper is available to be read online in the Journal of Virology.

15 Mar 2021

Could horse-derived antibodies promote immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Researchers based in India have demonstrated that horses inoculated with an inactivated dosage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are able to produce large amounts of strong antibodies that can neutralize multiple variants

12 Mar 2021

Single-dose vaccines may provide sufficient immunization for individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2

A group of researchers based at the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Italy have submitted evidence to suggest that individuals previously infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may adequately benefit from a single dose of mRNA vaccine, rather than requiring the current two-vaccine regimen.

12 Mar 2021

Spike protein mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants help resist antibody neutralization

Researchers based in Beijing and Shenzhen, China, report that they have identified mutations in the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may allow variant strains to avoid neutralization by monoclonal antibodies and convalescent blood plasma.

11 Mar 2021