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SARS-CoV-2 test in 20 minutes with FISH

A collaboration from the University of Oxford and the University of Warwick has led to research into a novel method of viral detection through rapid fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in order to effectively detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus within 20 minutes.

29 Jun 2021

Study finds minimal SARS-CoV-2 viral load in vaginal secretions

The virus has also been observed to be present in blood, urine, feces, and tears, though not in semen. Vaginal secretions have not been consistently shown to be positive for the virus in most studies. The authors of a new study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine affirm that the presence of the virus in the vagina is rare, irrespective of pregnancy.

28 Jun 2021

Could microalgae-derived antiviral compounds combat SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses?

A new review article published in the journal Antibiotics reports the presence of a large number of bioactive compounds in microalgae that target chemical structures present only in their structure.

28 Jun 2021

Vaccines and drugs must be adapted to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, says study

A new review of the emerging variants of concern (VOCs) of the SARS-CoV-2, which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, shows that there is a major need to constantly re-evaluate the utility of existing therapeutics and vaccines against the virus and to develop new ones.

28 Jun 2021

Lambda lineage of SARS-CoV-2 has potential to become variant of concern

Researchers have described the first reported infection with the C.37 (Lambda) lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Southern Brazil.

27 Jun 2021

Could polio vaccines induce cross-reactive antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2?

A new preprint released on the medRxiv* server explores a link between immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the earlier SARS-CoV, and childhood poliovirus vaccination. Almost 90% of the world’s people have received this vaccine, but antibodies elicited by it reduce over time and are almost absent at the end of adolescence.

24 Jun 2021

New tablet-sized device can profile multiple COVID-19 antibodies and biomarkers simultaneously

Biomedical engineers at Duke University in the USA have developed a device that detects coronavirus disease (COVID-19) antibodies as well as biomarkers that distinguish between antibodies produced in response to SARS-CoV-2 and four other coronaviruses with complete accuracy.

24 Jun 2021

Study finds no evidence for remdesivir's benefit in severe COVID-19 patients

A new analysis of current data indicates that remdesivir does not show efficacy in regulating the severity of the illness.

23 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant likely to become dominant in the United States

Researchers have conducted a study showing that the B.1.1.7 lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged in the UK is now rapidly being displaced as the dominant strain in the United States by the variants of concern B.1.617.2 (Delta) and P.1 (Gamma) that emerged in India and Brazil, respectively.

23 Jun 2021

Research suggests people living with HIV/AIDS may be less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in India have conducted a study showing that the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – was lower among people living with HIV and AIDS than among the general population.

23 Jun 2021

Researchers review the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and present treatment methods

A million more questions arise for every answer we have against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Where did it come from? And will it ever go away? A recent article published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology reviews what scientists currently know about the origin, SARS-CoV-2 structure, and potential treatments against this new virus.

23 Jun 2021

What is the optimal dosing regimen for remdesivir in COVID-19 patients? A computational model

A team of scientists from the Pennsylvania State University, USA, recently analyzed the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of antiviral drug remdesivir using computational models. Based on the study findings, which are yet to be peer-reviewed, the scientists recommend that for effective inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection, remdesivir should be used with other antiviral medicines, or its dosing regimen should be optimized to improve bioavailability.

22 Jun 2021

Researchers screen Chinese herbal medicines and plant compounds for anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

A review published in Phytotherapy Research discussed the natural anti-SARS-CoV-2 products identified based on in silico prediction. The review’s authors also illustrate the impact of many phytochemicals either alone or in combination with traditional treatments and their potential molecular mechanisms involved in SARS-CoV-2 prevention and treatment.

22 Jun 2021

Does SARS-CoV-2 alter the expression of molecules involved in the homeostasis of blood pressure?

A recent study finds that COVID-19 alters the expression of several molecules involved in the homeostasis of blood pressure.

22 Jun 2021

Coronaviruses identified in two species of Sri Lankan bats

Researchers sampled different species of bats roosting in the Wavul Galge cave in Sri Lanka and found two species harboring alpha- and beta-coronaviruses.

22 Jun 2021

Zinc inhibits SARS-CoV-2’s main protease in vitro

Zinc has antiviral properties. However, the detailed kinetics and the mechanism of zinc in the inhibition of viruses, particularly SARS-CoV-2 – the causative virus of COVID-19 – is unclear. To probe the role of zinc as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent at the structural and molecular level, researchers in India studied the binding kinetics and the inhibition mechanism of zinc with SARS-CoV-2’s viral proteins.

21 Jun 2021

New test is cheaper, easier, and can reliably diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection

New lateral flow test Vigilant is cheaper, easier to use and as reliable as the current gold standard PCR test for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection.

21 Jun 2021

Yeast cell machinery seamlessly 'reads' the unnatural ingredients in the genetic recipe

If the genome is the recipe of life, base pairs are the individual ingredients listed. These chemical structures form DNA, and every living organism on Earth has just four. The specific arrangements of these four base pairs -- A, T, C, G -- make us who and what we are.

18 Jun 2021

Scientists develop low-cost lab-on-paper device for rapid and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the University of Connecticut, USA, has developed a low-cost lab-on-paper technology to rapidly and easily detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The work has recently been published in a Royal Society of Chemistry’s Lab on a Chip journal.

18 Jun 2021

COVID-19 outbreak in Mauritius dominated by new SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.318

Underlining the key role of genomic surveillance in keeping tabs on the spread of SARS-CoV-2, a new medRxiv* preprint shows how a new variant called B.1.1.318 rose to dominance in the small island country of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean.

18 Jun 2021

Polymerase News and Research

SARS-CoV-2 test in 20 minutes with FISH

Study finds minimal SARS-CoV-2 viral load in vaginal secretions

Could microalgae-derived antiviral compounds combat SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses?

Vaccines and drugs must be adapted to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, says study

Lambda lineage of SARS-CoV-2 has potential to become variant of concern

Could polio vaccines induce cross-reactive antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2?

New tablet-sized device can profile multiple COVID-19 antibodies and biomarkers simultaneously

Study finds no evidence for remdesivir's benefit in severe COVID-19 patients

SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant likely to become dominant in the United States

Research suggests people living with HIV/AIDS may be less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2

Researchers review the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and present treatment methods

What is the optimal dosing regimen for remdesivir in COVID-19 patients? A computational model

Researchers screen Chinese herbal medicines and plant compounds for anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

Does SARS-CoV-2 alter the expression of molecules involved in the homeostasis of blood pressure?

Coronaviruses identified in two species of Sri Lankan bats

Zinc inhibits SARS-CoV-2’s main protease in vitro

New test is cheaper, easier, and can reliably diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection

Yeast cell machinery seamlessly 'reads' the unnatural ingredients in the genetic recipe

Scientists develop low-cost lab-on-paper device for rapid and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 outbreak in Mauritius dominated by new SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.318

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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