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New rapid CRISPR-based test for sensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection

A new study reports the approval of a new CRISPR-based coronavirus test that is both sensitive and rapid and intended to help reduce the time required to test symptomatic or potentially contagious cases.

13 May 2020

Researchers use “gene drive” technology to eliminate malaria mosquitoes in lab experiments

A modification that creates more male offspring was able to eliminate populations of malaria mosquitoes in lab experiments.

13 May 2020

COVID-19 has magnified health disparities among vulnerable population

The impact of COVID-19 on underserved and vulnerable populations, including persons of color, is addressed in a new roundtable discussion in Health Equity, a peer-reviewed open access journal.

12 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 cell entry affinity varies across different host species

A new study from India, currently available on the preprint server bioRxiv*, estimated the probability and readiness of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to infect cells of different animal species – and revealed many of them that could act as disease carriers.

12 May 2020

Estonians eat less fiber than recommended, study confirms

For normal gut and body function, the diet should contain sufficient amounts of (at least 25 - 35 grams of) various (a variety of )dietary fibers. Fibers are a type of carbohydrates forming a big group of molecules of very different structures and sizes that have different functions in our body.

12 May 2020

Neovii and Tel Aviv University partner to develop novel COVID-19 vaccine

Ramot, Tel Aviv University's technology transfer company, and Neovii, a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company and a member of Israel-based Neopharm Group, announced today that they have signed a research and license agreement to develop a novel and potentially life-saving COVID-19 vaccine.

12 May 2020

COVID-19 patients improve after experimental heart cell therapy

Four of six critically ill COVID-19 (coronavirus) patients significantly improved after receiving an experimental therapeutic designed to reduce inflammation, a major cause of death from this disease, according to a case series published by Cedars-Sinai and Capricor Therapeutics.

12 May 2020

Regeneron and CCPM collaborate to advance human genetics, precision medicine

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus today announced a large-scale research collaboration designed to advance the field of human genetics and precision medicine through the sharing of 450,000 DNA samples and corresponding health records from de-identified, consented patient participants in the expansive UCHealth system.

11 May 2020

Telehealth during COVID-19 could help avoid admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis

A new study has shown that for some patients with type 1 diabetes the close monitoring of their condition using telehealth protocols combined with appropriate technology may lead to better care during the COVID-19 pandemic, when patients are avoiding in-person visits.

11 May 2020

Fred Hutch, NIH experts outline an efficient approach to creating COVID-19 vaccines

Unprecedented collaboration and resources will be required to research and develop safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 that can be manufactured and delivered in the scale of billions of doses to people globally.

11 May 2020

Italy develops vaccine candidate that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 in mice

As the world grapples with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), scientists race to develop treatments and vaccines to combat the viral infection. Though many ongoing trials show promise in fighting the novel coronavirus, Italian researchers claim they have developed a vaccine that can neutralize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in animal cells.

10 May 2020

Understanding the ability of COVID-19 virus to infect pets and livestock

A new paper identifies the critical need for research on the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect certain animal species, the transmissibility of infection between humans and those animals, and the impact infection could have on food security and the economy.

9 May 2020

Tissue engineering can play an important role during COVID-19 pandemic

Tissue engineering has a unique set of tools and technologies for developing preventive strategies, diagnostics, and treatments that can play an important role during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

8 May 2020

Study sheds light on how a cellular pathway in plants senses danger signals

In nature, every species must be equipped with a strategy to be able to survive in response to danger. Plants, too, have innate systems that are triggered in response to a particular threat, such as insects feeding on them.

8 May 2020

Antibodies from llamas may hold cure for novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

As scientists across the globe race to find an effective treatment for the novel coronavirus, a team of scientists believe that a four-year-old llama named Winter may hold the key to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

7 May 2020

BIOCAD becomes Vector’s industrial partner to develop COVID-19 vaccine

The biotechnology company BIOCAD has signed an agreement with the State Scientific Center for Virology and Biotechnology &laquoVektor» (Novosibirsk) on joint work on a vaccine based on rVSV against the COVID-19 virus.

7 May 2020

Researchers develop nano-based anti-coronavirus surface coating

The coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic, is transmitted between people mainly via respiratory droplets, but it is known that the virus remains stable on various surfaces for days.

7 May 2020

Study: Genes may play a far more complex role in oocyte maturation than previously assumed

Over the last six years a group of Estonian geneticists led by Associate Professor Agne Velthut-Meikas and a PhD student Ilmatar Rooda from TalTech Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology have studied genes previously associated primarily with female hormone synthesis and ovarian follicle development.

7 May 2020

GeoVax and Sino Biological establish exclusive supply agreement for research grade bioreagents related to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccine development

GeoVax Labs, Inc., a biotechnology company developing human vaccines and immunotherapies against infectious diseases and cancer, announced today that Beijing- and Philadelphia-based Sino Biological, Inc. will be its exclusive supplier of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) bioreagent research products.

From Sino Biological Inc. 6 May 2020

New method to trace COVID-19 in wastewater can be used to track future outbreaks

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) scientists have developed a new methodology to trace the SARS-CoV-2 virus through the sewage and wastewater systems, which could potentially be used to track existing and future outbreaks of the coronavirus.

6 May 2020