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Robust regulatory systems can address market failures of urban sanitation

For too long sanitation, specifically on-site sanitation systems such as septic tanks and pit latrines, have been left in the realm of household responsibility.

19 Nov 2020

Research shows sexual lineage plays crucial role in transgenerational plasticity

A new pair of papers published in the Journal of Animal Ecology has shown that sexual lineage matters for how offspring receive adaptations from parents in stickleback fish.

18 Nov 2020

"Escape mutations" could help SARS-CoV-2 evade immune attack

Researchers in the United States have identified mutations within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – that can reduce antibody binding to the virus, potentially mediating its escape from immune attack.

18 Nov 2020

Males may have higher but more transient SARS-CoV-2 immunity than females post-infection

Adding another piece to the puzzle that is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) serology, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020 suggests that males have stronger but more transient anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) protective immunity than females.

17 Nov 2020

Allowing movement and not closing borders may be effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19

New data reveals the moving out of densely populated cities is a more impactful strategy than closing borders at decreasing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

17 Nov 2020

Study investigates similarities between network of galaxies and network of neuronal cells in the human brain

In their paper published in Frontiers of Physics, Franco Vazza (astrophysicist at the University of Bologna) and Alberto Feletti (neurosurgeon at the University of Verona) investigated the similarities between two of the most challenging and complex systems in nature: the cosmic network of galaxies and the network of neuronal cells in the human brain.

17 Nov 2020

Novel mechanism enhances the formation of hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells can replenish all the different cell types of our blood system. For this reason, hematopoietic stem cells are the cells used in many blood diseases when patients need transplantations.

17 Nov 2020

Sanger Institute and COG-UK get £12.2M funding to build genomic surveillance system for COVID-19

The Department for Health and Social Care Testing Innovation Fund has backed the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium in expanding whole genome sequencing of positive SARS-CoV-2 virus samples to map how COVID-19 spreads and evolves.

16 Nov 2020

Google searches for COVID-19 symptoms can anticipate case numbers

Google searches may come to the aid in predicting the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, which we need to identify, manage, and, if possible, contain new outbreaks.

16 Nov 2020

Researchers identify specific circular RNA that regulates neurogenesis

In a screening for a functional impact to the neuronal differentiation process, Danish researchers identified a specific circular RNA, circZNF827, which surprisingly "taps the brake" on neurogenesis.

16 Nov 2020

Difference in antibody evolution could predict COVID-19 outcomes

For COVID-19, the difference between surviving and not surviving severe disease may be due to the quality, not the quantity, of the patients' antibody development and response, suggests a new Cell paper published by Galit Alter, PhD, a member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard.

16 Nov 2020

New methodology predicts mutation hotspots in SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers in Sweden and China have presented a new methodology for predicting mutation “hotspot” sites within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

15 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 immunity may last over six months through antibody evolution and B cell memory

With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic infecting over 52.7 million people around the world, and killing over 1.2 million, a large amount of research has tried to better understand immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen that causes COVID-19.

15 Nov 2020

Mink farms potential viral reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2

A new study published in the journal Science in November 2020 describes the probable transmission of the virus between farmed minks and humans working on the mink farm, even with biosecurity measures in place and the culling of infected farms as soon as an infection is reported.

12 Nov 2020

Common spike mutation may make SARS-CoV-2 more susceptible to a vaccine

A new study published in Science confirms that SARS-CoV-2 has mutated in a way that's enabled it to spread quickly around the world, but the spike mutation may also make the virus more susceptible to a vaccine.

12 Nov 2020

Comparison of 240 mammal genomes helps geneticists to identify disease mutations

A large international consortium led by scientists at Uppsala University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has sequenced the genome of 130 mammals and analyzed the data together with 110 existing genomes to allow scientist to identify which are the important positions in the DNA.

11 Nov 2020

Discovery of novel hidden gene in SARS-CoV-2

A team of researchers from Germany, Taiwan, and the United States has identified and characterized a new hidden gene in SARS-CoV-2 that is also present in Guangxi pangolin coronaviruses – though, curiously, absent in closely related pangolin and bat coronaviruses.

11 Nov 2020

Evolution News and Research

Robust regulatory systems can address market failures of urban sanitation

Research shows sexual lineage plays crucial role in transgenerational plasticity

"Escape mutations" could help SARS-CoV-2 evade immune attack

Males may have higher but more transient SARS-CoV-2 immunity than females post-infection

Allowing movement and not closing borders may be effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19

Study investigates similarities between network of galaxies and network of neuronal cells in the human brain

Novel mechanism enhances the formation of hematopoietic stem cells

Sanger Institute and COG-UK get £12.2M funding to build genomic surveillance system for COVID-19

Google searches for COVID-19 symptoms can anticipate case numbers

Researchers identify specific circular RNA that regulates neurogenesis

Difference in antibody evolution could predict COVID-19 outcomes

New methodology predicts mutation hotspots in SARS-CoV-2 virus

SARS-CoV-2 immunity may last over six months through antibody evolution and B cell memory

Mink farms potential viral reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2

Common spike mutation may make SARS-CoV-2 more susceptible to a vaccine

Comparison of 240 mammal genomes helps geneticists to identify disease mutations

Discovery of novel hidden gene in SARS-CoV-2

Uracil point mutations found in SARS-CoV-2 variants alter innate immune responses

Analysis of all COVID-19 research provides a comprehensive overview

Researchers uncover new 'hidden' gene in SARS-CoV-2

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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