RNA News and Research

RSS

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

‘A great day for science and humanity’; Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is found to be 90% effective

Pfizer and BioNTech have today announced their new vaccine candidate (BNT162b2) is 90% effective against SARS-CoV-2.

9 Nov 2020

New strategy shows promises for treating RNA-repeat expansion disorders

A new strategy for treating a variety of diseases known as RNA-repeat expansion disorders, which affect millions of people, has shown promise in proof-of-principle tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

8 Nov 2020

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 direct heart muscle cell infection, cell death, loss of contractility

In the study, published on the pre-print journal bioRxiv, the researchers revealed that SARS-CoV-2-infected EHTs manifested the typical characteristics of myocarditis or heart inflammation. These include the stimulation of immune cells, heart cell death, and decreased contractile force generation.

8 Nov 2020

Study suggests SARS-CoV-2 mutation fingerprints could be used for molecular contact tracing

In a recent groundbreaking study, researchers from Stanford University demonstrated the potential of multiplexed targeted next-generation sequencing assay for detecting SARS-CoV-2 genetic fingerprints used in mutation profiling, with the potential of massive scalability required for population studies. The findings are currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

8 Nov 2020

Mobile phone contamination could be part of SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain in hospitals, Brazil case study suggests

Researchers conducting a study at a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care unit (ICU) in São Paulo, Brazil, have warned that infection control guidelines need to include a universal policy regarding the disinfection of mobile phones in the hospital setting.

8 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens found in non-pulmonary tissues in recovering patients

A team of researchers in Singapore, led by Dr. Joe Yeong, and Prof. Tony Kiat Hon Lim, have reported the presence of residual SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) – the virus' genetic material – in stool samples and gastrointestinal tissues from patients recovering from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

8 Nov 2020

Cats shed SARS-CoV-2 RNA for a shorter duration compared to humans, study finds

Since the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there have been numerous reports of pets becoming infected. Both dogs and cats have been observed to exhibit symptoms of infection.

8 Nov 2020

Innate immunity key to limiting viral load in COVID-19 cases

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause many difficulties for public health authorities, research is ongoing to understand how the virus can cause fatal effects on those infected and thereby suggest effective preventive and therapeutic measures against it.

8 Nov 2020

Second wave of COVID-19 in UK has reached “critical” stage, says study

The current paper reports the preliminary findings of the sixth round of the REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-1 (REACT-1) study, which has traced the path of the outbreak in England since May this year (2020).

8 Nov 2020

Research sheds light on how encapsulated viruses hijack protein production systems

Researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, York, Warwick and Oxford have shed light on how encapsulated viruses like hepatitis B, dengue and SARS-CoV-2 hijack the protein manufacturing and distribution pathways in the cell - they have also identified a potential broad spectrum anti-viral drug target to stop them in their tracks.

6 Nov 2020

Study shows iscan method could be effective for rapid COVID-19 testing

A simple COVID-19 test kit combines virus amplification with a CRISPR-Cas system for effective SARS-CoV-2 detection. The kit, called iSCAN, uses reagents that can be locally manufactured.

6 Nov 2020

Study may help develop effective drugs against COVID-19

Scientists at the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with Justus-Liebig University, Germany, have uncovered how the genome of SARS-CoV-2 - the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 - uses genome origami to infect and replicate successfully inside host cells.

5 Nov 2020

Sterile spikelets improve yield in sorghum and related grasses, shows study

Much of the food we eat comes from grasses such as rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, and sugarcane. These crops still resemble the wild species from which they were derived. In all grasses the structures that contain the flowers and seeds are called spikelets.

5 Nov 2020

A digital CRISPR-based method for quick detection and absolute quantification of SARS-CoV-2

In a recent medRxiv* preprint manuscript, researchers from Singapore and the United States report the development of a digital CRISPR method for the sensitive, specific, and rapid detection of viral nucleic acids at a constant temperature, which could be exploited for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

5 Nov 2020

Persistent and extensive lung damage seen in COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers at the University of Trieste in Italy aimed to determine the extent and the causes of lung damage from COVID-19 to better understand the pathological correlates of the disease.

5 Nov 2020

Researchers solve longstanding mystery about peculiar hybrid structures found in bacteria

Peculiar hybrid structures called retrons that are half RNA, half single-strand DNA are found in many species of bacteria.

5 Nov 2020

Stanford researchers create a highly automated device that can detect COVID-19 in 30 minutes

Throughout the pandemic, infectious disease experts and frontline medical workers have asked for a faster, cheaper and more reliable COVID-19 test.

5 Nov 2020

Zinc-embedded polyamide fabrics are effective in absorbing and inactivating SARS-CoV-2

An international team of scientists has recently demonstrated that zinc-embedded polyamine fibers can effectively absorb and inactivate human respiratory viruses, including influenza A virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Thus, a face mask or other personal protective equipment (PPE) made from this fiber is expected to provide better protection against viral transmission.

4 Nov 2020

An analysis of genetic diversity of D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2

A new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 reports that the effect of the mutation is minimal, in terms of pathogenicity or altered response to neutralizing antibodies elicited against the native virus strain.

4 Nov 2020

RNA-binding proteins may suppress antiviral defenses against SARS-CoV-2

Conducted by researchers in South Korea at the Institute for Basic Science and the International Vaccine Institute, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 describes the many host proteins that bind with the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and regulate the replication of the virus.

4 Nov 2020

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

‘A great day for science and humanity’; Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is found to be 90% effective

New strategy shows promises for treating RNA-repeat expansion disorders

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 direct heart muscle cell infection, cell death, loss of contractility

Study suggests SARS-CoV-2 mutation fingerprints could be used for molecular contact tracing

Mobile phone contamination could be part of SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain in hospitals, Brazil case study suggests

SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens found in non-pulmonary tissues in recovering patients

Cats shed SARS-CoV-2 RNA for a shorter duration compared to humans, study finds

Innate immunity key to limiting viral load in COVID-19 cases

Second wave of COVID-19 in UK has reached “critical” stage, says study

Research sheds light on how encapsulated viruses hijack protein production systems

Study shows iscan method could be effective for rapid COVID-19 testing

Study may help develop effective drugs against COVID-19

Sterile spikelets improve yield in sorghum and related grasses, shows study

A digital CRISPR-based method for quick detection and absolute quantification of SARS-CoV-2

Persistent and extensive lung damage seen in COVID-19 patients

Researchers solve longstanding mystery about peculiar hybrid structures found in bacteria

Stanford researchers create a highly automated device that can detect COVID-19 in 30 minutes

Zinc-embedded polyamide fabrics are effective in absorbing and inactivating SARS-CoV-2

An analysis of genetic diversity of D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2

RNA-binding proteins may suppress antiviral defenses against SARS-CoV-2

Latest eBooks

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