Reproduction News and Research

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Eggs and embryos go through a more dynamic and complex journey than previously thought

The journey of the egg and the embryo through the fallopian tube or oviduct toward the uterus is not well understood, mainly because it is inaccessible for direct imaging.

14 Jul 2021

The progressive increase in transmissibility and virulence of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants could lead to a significantly more deadly pandemic

Researchers from Toronto University, Canada, recently showed that these emerging VOCs were linked to increased virulence, as determined by hospitalization risk, ICU admission, and mortality. This study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

12 Jul 2021

Researchers model probability of extinction of SARS-CoV-2 variant in an outbreak

However, it cannot be confirmed for certain that the strain has been eliminated, raising the question of how long a strain must go undetected before being considered, in all probability, extinct.

9 Jul 2021

Do lockdowns exert selection pressure on overdispersion of SARS-CoV-2 variants?

New research recently released on the medRxiv* preprint server describes a mathematical model that has been developed to evaluate competitions between variants that differ in their level of overdispersion (k) and their mean infectiousness.

8 Jul 2021

New genetic approach offers clues to the regulation of Wolbachia proliferation

Despite having been formalized as a species in 1936, Wolbachia pipientis remains an elusive microbe. The reason why relates to the relationship it establishes with its hosts.

8 Jul 2021

B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is more transmissible than B.1.526

A new paper available on the medRxiv* preprint server presents evidence that the B.1.1.7 VOC is more transmissible than the B.1.526 strain.

7 Jul 2021

New open-source camera system captures the mouse's view of natural environment

Researchers based in Munich and Tuebingen have developed an open-source camera system that images natural habitats as they appear to rodents.

2 Jul 2021

What role did the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant play in India’s devastating second wave?

A detailed report, available on the preprint server medRxiv*, describes the various facets of the second wave that set it apart from the first. The report also contains the findings of an extended SIR model that explored the potential effects of intervention at various time points in the second wave.

2 Jul 2021

Researchers evaluate tools for identification of microRNAs in plants

Almost twenty years ago, the process of RNA silencing was discovered in plants, whereby small fragments of RNA inactivate a portion of a gene during protein synthesis.

1 Jul 2021

Researchers discover genetic markers that drive the timing of first sex and birth

An Oxford-led team, working with Cambridge and international scholars, has discovered hundreds of genetic markers driving two of life's most momentous milestones - the age at which people first have sex and become parents.

1 Jul 2021

How is Taiwan tackling its third wave of COVID-19?

The international community has been struggling to predict and contain successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. The degree of success has varied between countries. In Taiwan, the use of contact tracing, with testing and isolation of confirmed cases, promises to end the ongoing third wave of the illness within two months. The strategy employed is described in a new preprint available on the medRxiv* server.

29 Jun 2021

Study shows rapid expansion of SARS-CoV-2 Delta lineage in Ontario, Canada

A recent short report from Canada, currently available on medRxiv* preprint server, shows a rapid increase in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) cases characterized by the N501Y-/E484K- mutation in the Ontario province, which implies that Delta variant will rapidly overtake the Alpha variant.

28 Jun 2021

Selection acting on males causes offspring to inherit healthy gene

A few males are enough to fertilise all the females. The number of males therefore has little bearing on a population's growth. However, they are important for purging bad mutations from the population.

28 Jun 2021

First CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive cuts and copies genetic elements in Arabidopsis plants

With a goal of breeding resilient crops that are better able to withstand drought and disease, University of California San Diego scientists have developed the first CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive in plants.

25 Jun 2021

Evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination effects on outbreak dynamics in Japan

Among the developed nations, Japan was the last to commence vaccination (February 2021). Only 8.7% of Japanese people are fully vaccinated as of today, June 25th, 2021. Fortunately for Japan, the incidence of the disease has been much lower than in Europe or the United States. Now, a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server analyzes the impact of vaccination on the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan

25 Jun 2021

Phenomenological model describes and regularizes COVID-19 data

The COVID-19 epidemic, which began late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread throughout the world, was accompanied by unprecedented releases of reported case data. Now, researchers propose combining phenomenological descriptions with epidemiological dynamics for an entirely new perspective on these data.

24 Jun 2021