Genetic News and Research

RSS

P681R spike mutation enhances replication efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 delta variant

A team of scientists from the University of Texas, USA, has recently revealed that the P681R spike mutation is responsible for increased infectivity of the delta variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The P681R spike mutation increases the replication of the delta variant by increasing the dissociation of S1 and S2 subunits at the furin cleavage site. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

18 Aug 2021

Researchers receive $26.5 million NIH grant to pursue a new strategy for curing HIV

Over the last 40 years, HIV has shifted from a deadly and mysterious virus to one that can be controlled with daily drugs. But attempts to completely eliminate the virus from the bodies of people living with HIV, curing them for good, have failed.

17 Aug 2021

UC Davis Health offers third dose COVID-19 'booster' shots to immunocompromised patients

As COVID-19 cases rise due to the Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has approved third dose vaccinations for patients whose immune systems are compromised moderately to severely.

17 Aug 2021

Children’s Hospital Colorado helps prove safety and efficacy of CF treatment in younger pediatric patients

Researchers at the Children's Hospital Colorado Breathing Institute, the largest pediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) clinical care center in the U.S., participated in the pivotal international multi-center Phase 3 clinical trial, sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, leading to FDA approval of TRIKAFTA (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor), a highly effective CF treatment, for patients ages 6 through 11 who have at least one copy of the F508del mutation.

17 Aug 2021

Infantile sudden death associated with a de novo genetic mutation in the SOS1 gene

A previously healthy infant who suffered aborted sudden cardiac death was found to have a de novo genetic mutation in the SOS1 gene.

17 Aug 2021

Research shines light on histamine as a potential key player in depression

Bodily inflammation dampens levels of a ‘feel-good molecule’ and antidepressants’ ability to boost them, according to new research in mice.

17 Aug 2021

Protein implicated in tumor growth may protect against neurodegenerative diseases

Cells translate their genetic material at rapid rates with exquisite precision to reproduce, repair damage or even combat disease.

17 Aug 2021

ERS Genomics and Cellular Engineering Technologies Enter CRISPR/Cas9 License Agreement

ERS Genomics Limited and Cellular Engineering Technologies today announced a non-exclusive license agreement.

17 Aug 2021

Mutated enzyme impairs communication between neurons and causes motor defects in SCA34 model

In one type of a rare, inherited genetic disorder that affects control of body movement, scientists have found a mutation in an enzyme that impairs communication between neurons and what should be the inherent ability to pick up our pace when we need to run, instead of walk, across the street.

17 Aug 2021

MGH researchers discover how triple-negative breast cancer can evade powerful drugs

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have identified for the first time how a highly aggressive form of breast cancer can evade one of the most powerful and effective drugs used to treat it, reporting their findings in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

17 Aug 2021

Data reinforces SAB-185’s potential to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants

A study, available on the pre-print server bioRxiv*, evaluated the neutralizing capacity of a fully human polyclonal antibody (SAB-185) against the Delta, Kappa, and Lambda variants using a lentiviral-based pseudovirus assay.

17 Aug 2021

Study provides insight into fitness effects of genomic structural variants in natural populations

Molecular geneticists have known for about a decade that genomic structural variants can play important roles in the adaptation and speciation of both plants and animals, but their overall influence on the fitness of plant populations is poorly understood.

16 Aug 2021

Tool for defining new SARS-CoV-2 spike nucleotide sequences to Pango lineage sets

In a recent study, a group of researchers determined the degree to which Pango lineages are distinguishable using spike-only nucleotide sequences.

16 Aug 2021

Brain’s structural and functional alignment can vary with sex, age and may be genetic, study suggests

The degree to which the brain's wiring aligns with its patterns of activity can vary with sex and age, and may be genetic, suggests a study published by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The study finds that this alignment may also have implications on cognition.

16 Aug 2021

NIH scientists develop new sample preparation method to detect SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed a new sample preparation method to detect SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

16 Aug 2021

Research reveals increased risk of heart problems associated with night shift work

People who work night shifts are at increased risk of developing an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF), according to research published in the European Heart Journal.

16 Aug 2021

The newest disease detection tool for covid and beyond: Poop

Since reopening campus at the University of California-San Diego last summer, university officials have relied on the tried-and-true public health strategies of testing and contact tracing. But they have also added a new tool to their arsenal: excrement.

16 Aug 2021

Researchers assess the genetic features of T-cell immunity development to SARS-CoV-2 variants

The continuing emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 mutations allows the virus to spread more effectively and evade antibodies. However, it is unclear whether new strains are capable of evading T-cell immunity - one of the body's main lines of defense against COVID-19.

16 Aug 2021

New system combines computer software and cryo-EM to determine 3D structures of RNA-only molecules

The single-stranded genetic material RNA is best known for guiding the assembly of proteins in our cells and carrying the genetic code for viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and HIV.

16 Aug 2021

Simple roundworm may hold the key to understanding cell death processes

A biologist at The University of Texas at Arlington hopes that a simple roundworm might hold the key to understanding novel cell death processes. Such knowledge could lead to improved therapies to treat a variety of conditions in humans, including cancer and neurological injuries.

14 Aug 2021

Genetic News and Research

P681R spike mutation enhances replication efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 delta variant

Researchers receive $26.5 million NIH grant to pursue a new strategy for curing HIV

UC Davis Health offers third dose COVID-19 'booster' shots to immunocompromised patients

Children’s Hospital Colorado helps prove safety and efficacy of CF treatment in younger pediatric patients

Infantile sudden death associated with a de novo genetic mutation in the SOS1 gene

Research shines light on histamine as a potential key player in depression

Protein implicated in tumor growth may protect against neurodegenerative diseases

ERS Genomics and Cellular Engineering Technologies Enter CRISPR/Cas9 License Agreement

Mutated enzyme impairs communication between neurons and causes motor defects in SCA34 model

MGH researchers discover how triple-negative breast cancer can evade powerful drugs

Data reinforces SAB-185’s potential to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants

Study provides insight into fitness effects of genomic structural variants in natural populations

Tool for defining new SARS-CoV-2 spike nucleotide sequences to Pango lineage sets

Brain’s structural and functional alignment can vary with sex, age and may be genetic, study suggests

NIH scientists develop new sample preparation method to detect SARS-CoV-2

Research reveals increased risk of heart problems associated with night shift work

The newest disease detection tool for covid and beyond: Poop

Researchers assess the genetic features of T-cell immunity development to SARS-CoV-2 variants

New system combines computer software and cryo-EM to determine 3D structures of RNA-only molecules

Simple roundworm may hold the key to understanding cell death processes

Genetics & Genomics - Second Edition eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News