Polymerase Chain Reaction News and Research

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Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a revolutionary laboratory technique that enables the replication of a specific DNA sequence. Using PCR, millions of copies of a target DNA can be easily synthesized within a short period of time.

Supercarriers: Just 2% of SARS-CoV-2 positive people carry 90% of the virus

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the vast majority of the viral load in a community at any given point is present in a very small minority of the infected population, underlining the vast differences in viral loads between individuals.

14 May 2021

Inexpensive test for rapid detection of COVID-19 with 90% accuracy

A low-cost, rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 developed by Penn Medicine provides COVID-19 results within four minutes with 90 percent accuracy.

12 May 2021

Case study examines prescriptions and healthcare use in non-hospitalized COVID-19 recoverers

In a new study published in The Lancet, a team of researchers examined prescription drug and healthcare use after SARS-CoV-2 infection in those who did not require hospital admission.

12 May 2021

Case study describes consequences of undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection during mRNA vaccination

Now, a new report describes a case of a coincidental mRNA vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection in a 31-year-old doctor, addressing the theoretical considerations for potential risks and further required actions in case more cases appear in the future.

11 May 2021

Researchers show SARS-CoV-2 genes can be integrated into the human genome

Researchers in the United States have shown that genes from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – can be integrated into the genome of infected human cells.

10 May 2021

New nanoimmunoassay can detect anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in ultralow-volume blood samples

In a recent study, researchers developed and validated a nanoimmunoassay (NIA) that analyzes 1,024 samples in parallel on a single microfluidic device the size of a USB stick. They detected anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, achieving a sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 100% based on an analysis of 134 pre-pandemic sera (collected in 2013/2014 and 2018) and 155 sera from reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive individuals.

10 May 2021

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Germany

Seroprevalence studies have proved their worth in estimating the size and directionality of an outbreak of infectious disease, especially the current pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A new study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server describes the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in five representative regions of Germany.

10 May 2021

Total COVID-19 deaths could be 7 million

A new analysis from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which independently researches health at the University of Washington School of Medicine, shows that the total global toll due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be more than twice the officially reported number of deaths, at almost 7 million.

10 May 2021

Immunosuppression in COVID-19 promotes emergence of multiple immune escape mutants

An interesting new study describes the emergence of several such variants from a chronically immunosuppressed COVID-19 patient, who remained infected for over 170 days before clearing the virus.

7 May 2021

Are infants at greater risk of COVID-19 than children?

The widely circulating SARS-CoV-2 has caused the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of this infection varies significantly with age, sparing young children for the most part, though not completely. However, a new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, shows that infants are not as resistant to the virus as children are. The researchers trace this to the expression of ACE2 to varying extents in different groups.

7 May 2021

Israeli study shows real-world efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine

Researchers have conducted an analysis of nationwide surveillance data from Israel demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech’s BNT162b2 vaccine at protecting against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

6 May 2021

COVID-19 vaccination dramatically reduces symptomatic and asymptomatic infections

Vaccination dramatically reduced COVID-19 symptomatic and asymptomatic infections in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital employees compared with their unvaccinated peers, according to a research letter that appears today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

6 May 2021

Robust passive and active immunity found in infants born to COVID-19 positive mothers

A new study provides evidence that babies born to mothers who were COVID-19 positive two or more months before delivery are protected by maternal antibodies, besides mounting a robust immune response in case they contract the infection in the perinatal period.

5 May 2021

Wyss Institute licenses nasal swab collection technology to Massachusetts-based startup

The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Massachusetts-based startup Rhinostics announced today that the University's sample collection swab and high-throughput automation technologies have been licensed to Rhinostics.

4 May 2021

Researchers demonstrate real-world effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

Researchers in the United States and India have conducted a study demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Ad26.COV2.S vaccine at preventing infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

3 May 2021

Hopeaphenol inhibits entry of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern into cells

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, reports promising results with the natural product hopeaphenol, which successfully prevented the entry of the virus into host cells.

3 May 2021

Most long COVID-19 sequelae affect people under 65, finds study

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, discusses the typical symptoms and signs of this syndrome, with the intention of improving the specificity of detection and reporting.

3 May 2021

Researchers identify novel SARS-CoV-2 variant with mutations in membrane protein-encoding gene

A recent study published in the Journal Emerging Microbes and Infections has highlighted the emergence of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant with mutations in the membrane protein-encoding gene. Two potential mutations, M:I82T and M:V70L, have been identified within the transmembrane helices, which are expected to improve viral fitness by modulating glucose uptake during replication.

3 May 2021

Could COVID-19 rapid antigen tests aid international border control measures?

A recent study has explored the use of rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 at borders to reduce community transmission, and concluded that it would be effective only at lower volumes of passenger traffic.

30 Apr 2021

Researchers review materials used to design biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 detection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still causing a dramatic loss of human lives worldwide, constituting an unprecedented challenge for society, public health, and economy, to overcome. Currently, SARS-CoV-2 can be diagnosed in two different ways: i) antigen tests (point-of-care, POC) and ii) molecular tests (nucleic acid, RNA, or PCR-polymerase chain reaction).

30 Apr 2021

Polymerase Chain Reaction News and Research

Further Reading

Supercarriers: Just 2% of SARS-CoV-2 positive people carry 90% of the virus

Inexpensive test for rapid detection of COVID-19 with 90% accuracy

Case study examines prescriptions and healthcare use in non-hospitalized COVID-19 recoverers

Case study describes consequences of undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection during mRNA vaccination

Researchers show SARS-CoV-2 genes can be integrated into the human genome

New nanoimmunoassay can detect anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in ultralow-volume blood samples

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Germany

Total COVID-19 deaths could be 7 million

Immunosuppression in COVID-19 promotes emergence of multiple immune escape mutants

Are infants at greater risk of COVID-19 than children?

Israeli study shows real-world efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 vaccination dramatically reduces symptomatic and asymptomatic infections

Robust passive and active immunity found in infants born to COVID-19 positive mothers

Wyss Institute licenses nasal swab collection technology to Massachusetts-based startup

Researchers demonstrate real-world effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

Hopeaphenol inhibits entry of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern into cells

Most long COVID-19 sequelae affect people under 65, finds study

Researchers identify novel SARS-CoV-2 variant with mutations in membrane protein-encoding gene

Could COVID-19 rapid antigen tests aid international border control measures?

Researchers review materials used to design biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 detection

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (2nd Edition) eBook

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Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (3rd edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Microbiome (1st edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition)

Advancing degrader and proximity-based drug development

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo