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Standard PCR tests do not pick up new Covid strains, warns expert

Some new strains of Covid-19 are not being picked up by standard PCR tests, reveals leading testing expert Dr Quinton Fivelman. He warns that new mutations mean some variants are not being picked up by the standard, widely-used, single gene tests.

15 Nov 2021

A study of livestock exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers recently published reports on pilot studies evaluating the susceptibility of common domestic livestock (cattle, sheep, goat, alpaca, rabbit, and horse) to intranasal infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections.

14 Nov 2021

$SARS-CoV-2 RNA is enriched in the solids fraction of wastewater$

SARS-CoV-2 RNA is enriched in the solids fraction of wastewater

New research led by Alexandria Boehm of Stanford University in California shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ribonucleic acid (RNA) in wastewater can be detected by measuring solid samples and flowing sewage water samples.

14 Nov 2021

Researchers develop a digital tool to better monitor Barrett's esophagus

A team including researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a digital tool to better monitor a condition known as Barrett's esophagus, which affects more than 3 million people in the United States.

12 Nov 2021

Recipe to decontaminate disposable facemasks

Here's the recipe to decontaminate a disposable facemask: Heat it at 160 degrees Fahrenheit in an oven for five minutes. You can use your own oven.

12 Nov 2021

Higher order protein catenation leads to the development of artificial antibodies

Chemical topology is a unique dimension for protein engineering. Over the past few years, the discovery of topological nontrivial proteins in nature has already revealed their many potential functional benefits, such as enhanced thermal/mechanical/chemical stability.

12 Nov 2021

EKF Diagnostics acquires ADL Health molecular diagnostic testing laboratory

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces that it has acquired Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory LLC, a Texas based PCR-focused testing laboratory certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments for high-complexity molecular diagnostics testing.

From EKF Diagnostics 12 Nov 2021

Researchers identify gene expression involved in cancer progression and chemotherapy resistance

Even within a single patient with cancer, there is a vast diversity of individual tumor cells, which display distinct behaviors related to growth, metastasis, and responses to chemotherapy.

11 Nov 2021

Study highlights the need for caution while using CRISPR-based gene therapies

A comprehensive study - conducted by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other groups - has shown that gene editing, specifically gene knockout (KO), with CRISPR -Cas9 can favor cells with mutated forms of genes linked to cancer.

11 Nov 2021

New study offers genetic insight into why we look the way we do

Which genes control the defining features that make us look as we do? And how do they make it happen?

11 Nov 2021

New therapy harnesses "dancing molecules" to reverse paralysis, repair tissue after spinal cord injuries

Northwestern University investigators have developed a new injectable therapy that harnesses "dancing molecules" to reverse paralysis and repair tissue after severe spinal cord injuries.

11 Nov 2021

Surveillance approaches to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a fully vaccinated population

Researchers at the University of Calgary Health Technology Assessment Unit investigated scientific evidence on various surveillance and testing methods to monitor the presence of the virus in a vaccinated population.

10 Nov 2021

Researchers develop a new approach for personalized robotic exosuit assistance

People rarely walk at a constant speed and a single incline. We change speed when rushing to the next appointment, catching a crosswalk signal, or going for a casual stroll in the park.

10 Nov 2021

UArizona researchers get closer to developing a safe, effective non-opioid pain reliever

Researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences are closer to developing a safe and effective non-opioid pain reliever after a study showed that a new compound they created reduces the sensation of pain by regulating a biological channel linked to pain.

10 Nov 2021

Children are more tolerant of a parent performing the nose swabbing technique, study suggests

Nose swab samples collected by parents are as good as those collected by nurses at detecting respiratory infections in children, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum today [10 November].

10 Nov 2021

Inhibiting epigenetic modification could be key to reducing cancer metastasis

Fatty acid uptake produces an epigenetic modification that is required for cancer metastasis, according to a study published in Nature.

10 Nov 2021

Global progress toward measles elimination continues to decline amidst the pandemic

While reported measles cases have fallen compared to previous years, progress toward measles elimination continues to decline and the risk of outbreaks is mounting, according to a new report from the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

10 Nov 2021