Respiratory News and Research

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Researchers discover dramatic changes in the chemistry and composition of Sargassum

For centuries, pelagic Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources like excretions from fishes and invertebrates, upwelling and nitrogen fixation.

24 May 2021

New iron-nitrogen-doped carbon catalyst could reduce harmful air pollutants

Our reliance on fossil fuels as a primary energy source has pushed air pollution to an all-time high, resulting in several environmental and health concerns. Among the major pollutants, nitrogen oxide (NOx) accumulation can cause severe respiratory diseases and imbalance in the Earth's nitrogen cycle. Reducing NOx accumulation is, therefore, an issue of utmost importance.

21 May 2021

Microbial seasonality has a significant impact on global carbon emissions

The climate where we live affects our energy intake as humans.

11 May 2021

The history of the Amazon Basin affects the distribution of manatees

All three species of manatee now present on Earth share a common ancestor from which they split some 6.5 million years ago, when a huge lake in Amazonia, then linked to the Caribbean, was cut off from the sea.

11 May 2021

Distinctive "spike" proteins of SARS-CoV-2 also play a key role in the disease

Scientists have known for a while that SARS-CoV-2's distinctive "spike" proteins help the virus infect its host by latching on to healthy cells.

3 May 2021

Study shows a possible link between pesticide exposure and increased COVID-19 susceptibility

Researchers have discovered a possible connection between increased vulnerability to COVID-19 infection and exposure to organophosphate pesticides.

27 Apr 2021

Low-dose administration of MERS DNA vaccine protects against COVID-19

The Wistar Institute has developed a synthetic DNA vaccine candidate for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

26 Apr 2021

Study finds raised levels of specific immune cells in asymptomatic people with COVID-19

The largest study of its type in the UK has identified differences in the immune response to COVID-19, between people with no symptoms, compared to those suffering a more serious reaction to the virus.

21 Apr 2021

Antibodies may not inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants from minks

It has been known for about a year that minks can become infected with SARS-CoV-2. The virus had been transmitted from humans to farmed mink and mutated in infected animals. Mutations were acquired in the spike protein, which is crucial for the entry of the virus into host cells and represents the central point of attack for antibodies.

20 Apr 2021

INRS professor receives $700,000 for research on bacteria of the nasopharynx

Professor Frédéric Veyrier of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has received $711,450 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for a project on bacteria of the nasopharynx, including Neisseria.

16 Apr 2021

Air pollution may increase chance of hospitalization for COVID-19 patients

Patients who have preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and live in areas with high levels of air pollution have a greater chance of hospitalization if they contract COVID-19, says a University of Cincinnati researcher.

15 Apr 2021

Scientists generate a detailed molecular atlas of lung development

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have produced a detailed molecular atlas of lung development, which is expected to be a fundamental reference in future studies of mammalian biology and of new treatments for diseases, such as COVID-19, that affect the lungs.

25 Mar 2021

Monitoring pollen levels using environmental DNA

In this interview, AZoLifeSciences speaks to Dr. Ben Wheeler about his latest research and how we monitor pollen levels using environmental DNA.

From University of Exeter 25 Mar 2021

Study shows how human viruses are better adapted to infect certain tissues

The world’s first systematic study has explained how SARS-CoV-2 and other human viruses are more adapted to infect specific types of tissues..

17 Mar 2021

Environmental DNA could help better understand grasses that cause allergies

Pollen from grass is a significant outdoor allergen that causes widespread and expensive respiratory conditions, such as hay fever (rhinitis) and allergic asthma.

15 Mar 2021

Virtual clinical trials could transform the development of new drugs

New cutting-edge research undertaken at the University of Leicester could revolutionize the way new drugs are developed and the way patients are cared for, through a pioneering new approach using virtual clinical trials.

8 Mar 2021

Genomics study examines the impact of COVID-19 on care homes

Care homes are at high risk of experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Older people and those affected by heart disease, respiratory disease and type 2 diabetes - all of which increase with age - are at greatest risk of severe disease and even death, making the care home population especially vulnerable.

4 Mar 2021