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New project outlines the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2

Independent group leaders Eleanor Scerri and Denise Kuehnert of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (MPI-SHH) have teamed up with other colleagues from the institute and beyond to comment in Nature Ecology & Evolution on the future of field-based sciences in a COVID-19 world.

15 Sep 2020

Buckling could trigger embryo morphogenesis

The embryo of an animal first looks like a hollow sphere. Invaginations then appear at different stages of development, which will give rise to the body's structures (the brain, digestive tract, etc.).

14 Sep 2020

Computational models screen for coronaviruses likely to infect humans

The researchers from Rochester Institute of Technology and the Hauptmann-Woodward Medical Research Institute produced models of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) found on outbreak strains of betacoronaviruses and its interaction with the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

14 Sep 2020

Researchers identify microRNA molecules that could repress the replication of human coronaviruses

HSE University researchers have found microRNA molecules that are potentially capable of repressing the replication of human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2.

14 Sep 2020

A map of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations enables the development of therapeutic antibody cocktails

A recent tour-de-force study by the US researchers describes a comprehensive approach to completely map mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) that escape antibody binding – enabling, in turn, rational design of antibody therapeutics and appraisal of the antigenic consequences of viral evolution. The results are currently available in a bioRxiv preprint paper.

13 Sep 2020

Exploring sex differences in gene expression

Males and females share the vast majority of their genomes. Only a sprinkling of genes, located on the so-called X and Y sex chromosomes, differ between the sexes. Nevertheless, the activities of our genes--their expression in cells and tissues--generate profound distinctions between males and females.

12 Sep 2020

Study shows how the pandemic unfolded across the world

A new study combines evolutionary genomics from coronavirus samples with computer-simulated epidemics and detailed travel records to reconstruct the spread of coronavirus across the world in unprecedented detail.

11 Sep 2020

Study shows role of pathogens in shaping human evolution

Every human cell harbors its own defenses against microbial invaders, relying on strategies that date back to some of the earliest events in the history of life, researchers report.

10 Sep 2020

Allergic immune response against bacteria is not pathological but protective

Allergy is one of the most common diseases in Europe, it is estimated that more than 150 million Europeans suffer from recurring allergies and by 2025 this could have increased to half of the entire European population.

9 Sep 2020

Exploring the Relationship Between Mass Spectrometry and Informatics

Mass spectrometry has always had a powerful synergy with computers. Computers have pushed mass spectrometry forward at key junctures in it’s history from data collection to instrument operation to data analysis.

From Bruker Daltonics 9 Sep 2020

Host gene editing main driving force of SARS-CoV-2 mutations

A new study published on the aRxiv preprint server in September 2020 shows that the host immune response, mediated by two RNA editors, causes the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to adapt and change strain characteristics.

9 Sep 2020

Humans to blame for rapid extinction of mammals

New research has revealed that a huge number of mammalian species may have been lost to extinction due to the advent of humans. This finding was based on fossil records unearthed by scientists. The new study titled, "The past and future human impact on mammalian diversity," is published in the latest issue of the journal Science Advances.

8 Sep 2020

Study illuminates the role of body temperature in realizing diet-induced health benefits

Cutting calories significantly may not be an easy task for most, but it's tied to a host of health benefits ranging from longer lifespan to a much lower chance of developing cancer, heart disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's.

8 Sep 2020

Study reveals complex immunology behind MIS-C in children with COVID-19

In a recent paper published in the prestigious journal Cell, researchers from Sweden and Italy show that inflammatory response in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) differs from the cytokine storm found in severe acute illness, involving autoantibodies at the same time and sharing several features with Kawasaki disease.

8 Sep 2020

Scientists describe various dynamic structures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Early in the pandemic, scientists uncovered the role of the ACE2 receptor in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors act as a lock and key for cell infection.

7 Sep 2020

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

As the world scrambles to control the growing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, new research in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology shows viruses also play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive.

7 Sep 2020

Fly brain structure governed by lineage-dependent repulsion mechanism between neurons

The brain's structure has columnar features, which are hypothesized to arise from nerve cells (neurons) stemming from the same parent cell, initially forming radial units. How exactly this process unfolds at the molecular level remains unexplained, however.

5 Sep 2020

Study addresses evolutionary rates of larval and adult life stages at a large scale

If you have any children in your life, imagine for a moment that they don't look anything like their parents, they don't eat anything humans normally eat, and they're active only while adults sleep.

5 Sep 2020

Two researchers from Bielefeld University receive ERC Starting Grants

The European Research Council has awarded ERC Starting Grants to two researchers from Bielefeld University.

5 Sep 2020

D614G spike mutation increases infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralization susceptibility

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, it is crucial to track the viral changes in order to link the clinical and epidemiological features of the disease with these mutations. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on a common severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutation, D614G, and its effects on the virus.

4 Sep 2020

Evolution News and Research

New project outlines the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2

Buckling could trigger embryo morphogenesis

Computational models screen for coronaviruses likely to infect humans

Researchers identify microRNA molecules that could repress the replication of human coronaviruses

A map of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations enables the development of therapeutic antibody cocktails

Exploring sex differences in gene expression

Study shows how the pandemic unfolded across the world

Study shows role of pathogens in shaping human evolution

Allergic immune response against bacteria is not pathological but protective

Exploring the Relationship Between Mass Spectrometry and Informatics

Host gene editing main driving force of SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Humans to blame for rapid extinction of mammals

Study illuminates the role of body temperature in realizing diet-induced health benefits

Study reveals complex immunology behind MIS-C in children with COVID-19

Scientists describe various dynamic structures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

Fly brain structure governed by lineage-dependent repulsion mechanism between neurons

Study addresses evolutionary rates of larval and adult life stages at a large scale

Two researchers from Bielefeld University receive ERC Starting Grants

D614G spike mutation increases infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralization susceptibility

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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