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Capillary blood microsampling could prove a breakthrough in SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance

As COVID-19 seems to be making a comeback in many areas of the world, including Japan, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows the relevance of microsamples of blood in serosurveillance of this disease.

15 Oct 2020

Exploring the effects of smoking tobacco on COVID-19 risk

A study conducted by researchers in China has shed light on how certain tobacco compounds might prevent cells from becoming infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

14 Oct 2020

New clinical cleanroom manufacturing and training facility launches in Brisbane

The Hon Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology is opening the Translational Research Institute's new state-of-the-art clinical cleanroom manufacturing and training facility, T3 Cleanrooms, and the inaugural MTPCareers Symposium on Wednesday 14 October 2020.

13 Oct 2020

Health inequities can be measured in children as young as 5 years old, shows study

9 Oct 2020

Mass production of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 protein using a chemical-inducible system in tobacco BY-2 cells

Researchers from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) and Ishikawa Prefectural University, Japan, recently attempted to synthesize the ORF8 protein with the help of a chemical-inducible protein production system using tobacco BY-2 cells. This study has been published demonstrated in the preprint server, bioRxiv.

9 Oct 2020

Face masks far more protective against COVID-19 than face shields, CDC experts

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have conducted a study showing that face masks and neck gaiters appear to be much more effective than face shields at reducing the expulsion of respiratory aerosols that could potentially transmit severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

8 Oct 2020

Engineers invent plant-based spray that could be used in N95 mask filters

Engineers have invented a way to spray extremely thin wires made of a plant-based material that could be used in N95 mask filters, devices that harvest energy for electricity, and potentially the creation of human organs.

7 Oct 2020

New approach to reveal high-resolution protein structural details

The number of proteins in the human body, collectively known as the proteome, is vast. Somewhere between 80,000 and 400,000 proteins circulate in our cells, tissues and organs, carrying out a broad range of duties essential for life.

6 Oct 2020

Study reveals potential utility of artemisinin-based treatments against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent, methodologically robust bioRXiv preprint paper, researchers from Germany, Denmark and Hong Kong report in vitro efficacy of extracts from the sweet wormwood plant (Artemisia annua), but also artemisinin, artesunate and artemether derivatives against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

6 Oct 2020

Thiopurines could help stop viral replication in human coronaviruses

Researchers from the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Dalhousie University, University of Calgary, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Canada, worked with human coronaviruses in cell cultures to look for drugs that might prevent accumulation and replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

6 Oct 2020

Rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 with portable CRISPR-based mobile phone diagnostic test

A large group of researchers from the United States reported developing an amplification-free CRISPR-based mobile phone assay for direct detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from nasal swabs. Their state-of-the-art paper is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

4 Oct 2020

Furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein enhances viral replication in the lungs

In a new bioRxiv* preprint paper, researchers from the Imperial College London, King's College London, and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom show that the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein represents a key determinant for transmission among humans, as it substantially facilitates replication in airway cells - opening the door for the development of novel therapeutics.

4 Oct 2020

Direction and type of the force acting on a cell can alter gene expression

Tissues and cells in the human body are subjected to a constant push and pull - strained by other cells, blood pressure and fluid flow, to name a few.

1 Oct 2020

Combinational therapy with antibiotics and stem cells effectively treats bone infections

Bone infections caused by implants are difficult to treat and usually require a prolonged course of antibiotic treatment.

1 Oct 2020

Newly developed fusion protein could improve COVID-19 research

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland have developed a high-quality recombinant virus protein that could be applied in the development of vaccines against the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and in the detection of novel viruses or antibodies.

30 Sep 2020

Resveratrol and pterostilbene inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro

A team of scientists at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, demonstrates that a natural plant product, resveratrol, and its structural analog, pterostilbene, have long-lasting antiviral effects against severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

28 Sep 2020

Special formulation of inhaled niclosamide may be effective against SARS-CoV-2

Now in new research published on the preprint server bioRxix*, a novel formulation of the drug Niclosamide (NIC) is observed to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV in mouse models; it also protects against methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia and inflammatory lung damage.

28 Sep 2020

micro News and Research

Capillary blood microsampling could prove a breakthrough in SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance

Exploring the effects of smoking tobacco on COVID-19 risk

New clinical cleanroom manufacturing and training facility launches in Brisbane

Health inequities can be measured in children as young as 5 years old, shows study

Mass production of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 protein using a chemical-inducible system in tobacco BY-2 cells

Face masks far more protective against COVID-19 than face shields, CDC experts

Engineers invent plant-based spray that could be used in N95 mask filters

New approach to reveal high-resolution protein structural details

Study reveals potential utility of artemisinin-based treatments against SARS-CoV-2

Thiopurines could help stop viral replication in human coronaviruses

Rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 with portable CRISPR-based mobile phone diagnostic test

Furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein enhances viral replication in the lungs

Direction and type of the force acting on a cell can alter gene expression

Combinational therapy with antibiotics and stem cells effectively treats bone infections

Newly developed fusion protein could improve COVID-19 research

Resveratrol and pterostilbene inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro

Special formulation of inhaled niclosamide may be effective against SARS-CoV-2

Risk factors for mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19

New device helps study the reaction of individual cells to mechanical stress

ZwickRoell’s zwickiLine Testing System Validated for Cleanroom Use

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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