Virus News and Research

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A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can reproduce only inside a host cell. Viruses infect all types of organisms: from animals and plants, to bacteria and archaea. Since the initial discovery of tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 5,000 types of virus have been described in detail, although most types of virus remain undiscovered. Viruses are ubiquitous, as they are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet. The study of viruses is known as virology, and is a branch of microbiology.

Researchers demonstrate efficacy of vaccine candidates for various filoviruses

The efficacy of multiple vaccine candidates that target three filoviruses responsible for life-threatening infections to humans has been demonstrated in monkeys.

1 Sep 2021

Virus-infected cells endure long-term changes, says study

Scientists from the University of Basel observed in experiments with mice that cells can self-heal and eradicate viruses.

31 Aug 2021

Small synthetic molecules could one day cure or prevent COVID-19, herpes

In addition to antibodies and white blood cells, the immune system deploys peptides to fight viruses and other pathogens.

24 Aug 2021

Scientists isolate monoclonal antibodies against alphaviruses

A research group has isolated monoclonal antibodies that, in laboratory and animal studies, prohibited infection by alphaviruses.

From Vanderbilt University 24 Aug 2021

Accurate diagnosis of bacterial superinfection pneumonia could help avoid antibiotic overuse

Only 21 percent of patients with severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) have a documented bacterial superinfection at the time of intubation, resulting in potential overuse of antibiotics, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

23 Aug 2021

Researchers identify potent antibody that protects against a wide range of viral variants

The virus that causes COVID-19 today is not the same as the one that first sickened people way back in December 2019.

23 Aug 2021

Rare variants in the MX1 gene increase susceptibility to zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza

According to recent research, rare, single-nucleotide variants in the MX1 gene increase the human susceptibility to zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza infection.

23 Aug 2021

Researchers discover how glycans act as gateways for SARS-CoV-2 entry

Since the early days of the COVID pandemic, scientists have aggressively pursued the secrets of the mechanisms that allow severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to enter and infect healthy human cells.

From UC San Diego 20 Aug 2021

Genomic surveillance is vital to achieve effective mitigation and containment of COVID-19

Although the development and increasingly widespread availability of effective and safe vaccines provides the greatest hope for the future recovery from the increasingly devastating COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance is emerging as a vital necessity to achieve effective mitigation and containment.

19 Aug 2021

COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody protects against delta variant

Despite causing a surge in infections this summer that has resulted in thousands of hospitalizations and deaths, the delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is not particularly good at evading the antibodies generated by vaccination, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

18 Aug 2021

Study assesses the effectiveness of T-cell immune response to different SARS-CoV-2 variants

New mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been emerging continuously, enabling a more potent spread of the virus and allowing it to evade antibodies.

16 Aug 2021

New system solves 3D structures of RNA-only molecules with unprecedented speed and accuracy

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

Scientists develop new tool to identify neuronal proteins in animal models

Scientists, for the first time, developed a successful method for pinpointing proteins within different kinds of neurons in the brain of a living animal.

16 Aug 2021

Pest attack order impacts plant's defenses and nutritional quality

The dining time of different insects impacts a plant's defenses and nutritional quality-;a complexity uncovered in new research with implications for pest management strategies.

12 Aug 2021

Understanding computational fluid dynamics can inform more effective design of drug delivery devices

Increased air pollution in recent years has not only contributed to deteriorating environmental conditions in cities across the globe.

12 Aug 2021

New study could help design more effective vaccines against various COVID-19 variants

Scientists have discovered that individuals recovering from COVID-19 produce identical clones, or groups, of antibody-producing white blood cells.

From Vanderbilt University 12 Aug 2021

Researchers identify virus-derived variations in human genomes

Three geneticists from RIKEN identified previously undetected snippets of genetic material from viruses that were hidden in human DNA.

12 Aug 2021

New technique to hunt down mutations that cause cancer drug resistance

Using a virus to purposely mutate genes that produce cancer-driving proteins could shed light on the resistance that inevitably develops to cancer drugs that target them, a new study led by UT Southwestern scientists suggests.

11 Aug 2021

Scientists show how lab-grown beating heart cells are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Cambridge scientists have grown beating heart cells in the lab and shown how they are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In a study published in Communications Biology, they used this system to show that an experimental peptide drug called DX600 can prevent the virus entering the heart cells.

6 Aug 2021

Study highlights novel approach for designing anti-viral drugs

Scientists are exploring a novel screening approach that concentrates on the recognition of virus-specific morphological changes in virus-infected cells.

4 Aug 2021

Virus News and Research

Researchers demonstrate efficacy of vaccine candidates for various filoviruses

Virus-infected cells endure long-term changes, says study

Small synthetic molecules could one day cure or prevent COVID-19, herpes

Scientists isolate monoclonal antibodies against alphaviruses

Accurate diagnosis of bacterial superinfection pneumonia could help avoid antibiotic overuse

Researchers identify potent antibody that protects against a wide range of viral variants

Rare variants in the MX1 gene increase susceptibility to zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza

Researchers discover how glycans act as gateways for SARS-CoV-2 entry

Genomic surveillance is vital to achieve effective mitigation and containment of COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody protects against delta variant

Study assesses the effectiveness of T-cell immune response to different SARS-CoV-2 variants

New system solves 3D structures of RNA-only molecules with unprecedented speed and accuracy

Scientists develop new tool to identify neuronal proteins in animal models

Pest attack order impacts plant's defenses and nutritional quality

Understanding computational fluid dynamics can inform more effective design of drug delivery devices

New study could help design more effective vaccines against various COVID-19 variants

Researchers identify virus-derived variations in human genomes

New technique to hunt down mutations that cause cancer drug resistance

Scientists show how lab-grown beating heart cells are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Study highlights novel approach for designing anti-viral drugs

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