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Study shows why bacterial cells behave differently on different types of surfaces

These results from studies in both experimental and theoretical physics may help to improve antibacterial surfaces. The research work was recently published in the journal 'Nanoscale'.

17 Sep 2020

The art of science: Olympus launches second global image of the year award

Following the success of the first Global Image of the Year Life Science Light Microscopy Award, Olympus has launched its second annual Global Image of the Year Award to recognize the best in life science imaging.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 16 Sep 2020

Newly identified mechanism regulates the distensibility of the heart

A healthy heart beats 50 to 100 times a minute and pumps 8,000 litres of blood around our body every day. A precondition for this function is the elasticity of the cardiac walls, which dilate as blood flows in (diastole) and contract again as the blood flows out (systole).

15 Sep 2020

New antibody assay for COVID-19 promises sensitive mass-scale detection

A new paper by researchers at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020, reports on the development of a serologic assay that is suitable for sensitive high-throughput antibody testing for COVID-19.

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

Single-molecule imaging of SARS-CoV-2 spikes on virus particles

Using single-molecule FRET analysis, a team of researchers has revealed how the different conformations of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein are interconnected. Figuring out the different conformations in real-time and which conformations antibodies prefer may help design effective vaccines and drugs. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

14 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 does not pose a food safety risk, health agency says

Now, a new report by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) highlights the link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and food safety. ICMSF is a global non-government organization that aims to provide information on food safety and human health.

8 Sep 2020

Antibody-mediated platelet death linked to COVID-19 severity

A new study by University of Tuebingen researchers shows the strong association between platelet apoptosis and the thrombotic manifestations that may underlie critical COVID-19 illness.

7 Sep 2020

Brazilian state of Maranhão heading towards SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity, say researchers

Researchers at the Federal University of Maranhão, Brazil, have conducted a study suggesting that the state of Maranhão is well on its way to acquiring herd immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

2 Sep 2020

Researchers observe how two proteins operate at tricellular junctions

Organs in animals and in humans have one thing in common: they are bounded by so-called epithelial cells.

27 Aug 2020

World's first confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 re-infection

A team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong said that they have proven that a 33-year-old man was infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus for a second time. The man was discharged from a hospital in April but contracted the infection again after returning from Spain via the United Kingdom in August.

24 Aug 2020

COVID-19 mother transmitted virus to baby during pregnancy, report physicians

A pregnant mother who tested positive for COVID-19 transmitted the virus causing the disease to her prematurely born baby, UT Southwestern physicians report. Both were treated and recovered.

24 Aug 2020

Study shows how medicine can benefit from dinosaur research

Researchers from the University of Bonn: Even Tyrannosaurus rex could have suffered a slipped disc. The intervertebral discs connect the vertebrae and give the spine its mobility.

24 Aug 2020

Study highlights the need to standardize training around evaluating urine sediment tests

A new study shows that nephrologists do not always agree on their interpretation of images from urine sediment tests, which are frequently ordered to evaluate a variety of kidney diseases.

21 Aug 2020

Researchers develop 3D imaging technique to visualize damaged lung tissue after severe COVID-19

Physicists at the University of Göttingen, together with pathologists and lung specialists at the Medical University of Hannover, have developed a three-dimensional imaging technique that enables high resolution and three-dimensional representation of damaged lung tissue following severe Covid-19.

21 Aug 2020

Macaques show low neutralizing antibody and cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 presents a cynomolgus macaque model that develops symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in a mild form, with low or no antibody responses, making it suitable to study human responses to vaccines and drugs targeting the virus.

21 Aug 2020

Bioinformatics identifies key genes and cellular pathways in COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is showing no signs of waning or extinction anytime soon. Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 shows a new bioinformatics approach to studying the pathogenesis of this disease, by uncovering the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and cell signaling pathways that cause the disease characteristics. This will help develop better therapies to counter the effects of these genes.

20 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 hijacks antiviral factors to promote infection in human lung cells

Now, a new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 shows that under conditions resembling those in vivo, IFNs may promote efficient viral invasion instead.

20 Aug 2020

Number of children contracting SARS-CoV-2 steadily increasing, CDC says

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance revealing that the number and infection rate of COVID-19 cases among children have steadily increased between March and July, which may worsen as schools start to re-open.

18 Aug 2020

Can the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 be spread through frozen food?

It is well-known that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can spread through respiratory droplets when people sneeze, cough, or talk. Recent evidence has also shown that the virus can hang in the air for hours, hinting at the possibility of airborne transmission.

17 Aug 2020