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Life science sector is thriving in Northern Ireland

The growing importance of Northern Ireland’s pharmaceutical and life sciences industries is revealed today [Tuesday 20 October 2020] in a new report tracking the significant contribution the sector makes to the NI economy.

21 Oct 2020

Allergy charities encourage parents, teachers to ‘Check It, Don’t Chance It’ to safeguard allergic children

To mark Allergy Awareness Week (19-25 October), two leading allergy charities are urging parents and teachers to ‘Check It, Don’t Chance It’ to ensure pupils and young adults with allergies are safe in schools.

21 Oct 2020

Researchers conduct review on viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2

A review of dozens of studies by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and Oregon State University suggests that people may shed virus for prolonged periods, but those with mild or no symptoms may be infectious for no more than about 10 days.

21 Oct 2020

New research highlights potential global hesitancy to accept a COVID-19 vaccine

A research team from the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Georgetown University Law School announced today that Nature Medicine has published their research revealing potential global hesitancy to accept a COVID-19 vaccine.

21 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 hijacks mitochondria

An important phase of the viral protein translation relies on the mitochondrial translation machinery. Towards this goal, the molecular mechanism involved in the SARS-CoV-2 entry into human cells is studied by Zhenguo Cheng et al.

21 Oct 2020

Study shows ssRNA encapsidation results in stabilization of the Ebola virus nucleocapsid

The Ebola virus causes a serious infection with a mortality rate between 50% and 90%. Nucleoproteins in the virus assemble into a helical arrangement and encapsulate a single stranded RNA genome, ssRNA, to form a rodlike complex known as a nucleocapsid, which is critical to the function of the virus.

21 Oct 2020

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 uses a receptor to efficiently infect human cells

To efficiently infect human cells, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is able to use a receptor called Neuropilin-1, which is very abundant in many human tissues including the respiratory tract, blood vessels and neurons.

21 Oct 2020

Researchers use supercomputers to simulate the inner working of Ebola virus

As the world grapples with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, another virus has been raging again in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent months: Ebola.

21 Oct 2020

Study uses computational fluid-particle dynamics to explore aerosol transport in classroom model

As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread around the globe, studying aerosol and droplet transport within different environments can help establish effective, physics-informed measures for virus mitigation.

21 Oct 2020

Researchers explore SARS-CoV-2 at single cell resolution in human airway epithelial cells

The cellular tropism of the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects several aspects of infection, such as the spread of the virus within and between hosts, tissue pathology, immune control mechanisms, and the response to treatment with promising antiviral drugs.

21 Oct 2020

CDC says 'mask up' when traveling

These updates focus on the prevention of the spread of the infection during travel. Since the onset of the pandemic, international and intra-state travel has been restricted across many nations.

20 Oct 2020

Scientists discover mechanism linking gum disease to inflammatory conditions

The link between periodontal (gum) disease and other inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and diabetes has long been established, but the mechanism behind that association has, until now, remained a mystery.

20 Oct 2020

New smart surface pulls critical COVID-19 marker from the blood

When COVID-19 attacks, the immune system produces a cytokine, or protein, called Interleukin-6 (IL-6), whose concentrations can offer vital information about a patient's level and stage of infection.

20 Oct 2020

New fluid dynamics model for infectious droplets shows distancing and masks are not enough

Wear a mask, keep your distance, avoid crowds - these are the common recommendations to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. However, the scientific foundations on which these recommendations are based are decades old and no longer reflect the current state of knowledge.

20 Oct 2020

3D imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ferrets using light sheet microscopy

Researchers from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health demonstrate the ability to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in 3D tissue samples in ferrets. This will allow the detection of infection patterns in tissues and their interrelations.

20 Oct 2020

Engineered decoy receptor could protect against coronaviruses

Researchers in the United States have shown that an engineered soluble decoy receptor tightly binds the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated viruses. This could potentially provide protection against zoonotic betacoronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

20 Oct 2020

Precision epidemiology could help explain variability in COVID-19 symptoms

Researchers from National Taiwan University have presented a multi-omics view of how mutations in angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) affect infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and progression of coronaviruses disease 2019 (COVID-19).

20 Oct 2020

Psoriasis patients taking immunosuppressants have high COVID-19 survival rates

Patients with psoriasis who are taking drugs that affect their immune system have high rates of survival from COVID-19. According to the first findings from a global registry of psoriasis and COVID-19 patients, led by Guy's and St Thomas' clinicians, over 90% survive.

20 Oct 2020

Serious ongoing symptoms in COVID-19 survivors

Although predominantly a respiratory illness, emerging data suggests that multi-organ injury is common, particularly in moderate to severe infections. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 describes the illness's sequelae in the months after recovery.

20 Oct 2020

Scientists are developing a point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 detection system based on photonic sensors

Detecting SARS-CoV-2 virus and related antibodies is essential to control the COVID-19 pandemic. A multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Malaga, led by Robert Halir, researcher of the Department of Communications Engineering of the Higher Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering, aware of the limitations of current techniques, are developing a point-of-care detection system based on photonic sensors.

20 Oct 2020