Deconstructing the infectious machinery of SARS-CoV-2
Scientists have published a comprehensive study that -- alongside other recent, complementary studies of coronavirus proteins and genetics -- represents the first step toward developing treatments for COVID-19......»»
Nano-sized cell particles are promising intervention tool in treating infectious diseases, says study
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of being prepared with drug interventions to contain viral outbreaks that can otherwise have devastating consequences. In preparing for the next pandemic—or Disease X, there is an urgent need for ve.....»»
The infectious disease forecast for Thanksgiving is looking dicey
Respiratory virus season is in full swing as people ready for family gatherings. Enlarge / Travelers walk through Union Station as they travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Washington, DC, November 21, 2023. (credit: Getty.....»»
Research highlights data gap in SARS-CoV-2 cases in animals
COVID-19 in animals? The question got lost in the shuffle during the ongoing global pandemic. Research on SARS-CoV-2 has primarily focused on its implications for humans, despite the virus most likely being a zoonosis, a disease transmitted from anim.....»»
How the COVID-19 virus makes itself more infectious
Scientists at EPFL have uncovered a cunning strategy that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses to increase its infectivity......»»
Surveying wetlands for infectious bird flu—and finding it
Recently, morning omelets and holiday dinners have gotten more expensive. One likely cause is bird flu, outbreaks of which led to the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys from infection or culling in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Ag.....»»
Zen and the art of mitochondrial maintenance: The machinery of death makes a healthier life
While we all aspire for a long lifespan, what is most coveted is a long period of vigor and health, or "healthspan," that precedes the inevitable decline of advancing age. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have discovered that instruments of death that.....»»
Fungal hybrids study finds climate crisis could trigger outbreak of new and lethal infectious diseases
The climate emergency poses a major threat to human health. Rising temperatures and changes in ecosystem conditions, coupled with globalization and human action, such as the extensive use of fungicides and antibiotics in agriculture, can favor the em.....»»
Pig welfare outweighs climate concerns for consumers, study finds
Pork production is a societal concern on several fronts: antibiotics use, infectious disease, poor animal welfare and climate and environmental pressures. Even though the beef, coffee and chocolate industries are each major climate culprits, the worl.....»»
Scientists uncover cause of mysterious deaths of elephants in Zimbabwe
A bacterium, closely associated with deadly septicemia, could have caused the deaths of six African elephants in Zimbabwe and possibly more in neighboring countries. The findings place infectious diseases on the list of pressures on African elephants.....»»
Broad-spectrum antiviral candidate targets dengue and SARS-CoV-2
A broad-spectrum antiviral drug candidate, 2-thiouridine, that targets positive-strand RNA viruses has been identified and characterized......»»
Current bird flu epidemic found to have originated in Europe and Africa
An international team of biologists, public health specialists and infectious disease experts reports that the current near-global bird flu epidemic has its roots in Europe and Africa. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group analyz.....»»
Lordstown Motors ex-CEO approved to buy company assets for $10 million
LAS Capital, majority-owned by former CEO Steve Burns, will acquire Lordstown's intellectual property, business records, and machinery including assembly lines for EV motors and batteries......»»
Collating data on droplet properties to trace and localize the sources of infectious particles
A team of atmospheric scientists, chemists and infectious disease specialists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, working with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamical Systems, the University of Denver, Georg August University an.....»»
Targeting a coronavirus ion channel could yield new COVID-19 drugs
The genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus encodes 29 proteins, one of which is an ion channel called E. This channel, which transports protons and calcium ions, induces infected cells to launch an inflammatory response that damages tissues and contributes t.....»»
Scientists discover how the SARS-CoV-2 virus initiates replication program in infected cells
How SARS-CoV-2 initiates its replication process during infection is not yet fully understood. Researchers from the Helmholtz Institute Würzburg have now shown for the first time in the journal Cell that it is the human protein SND1 that works toget.....»»
New method can better identify sneaky sugars on viruses" spiky weapons
To effectively repel an enemy invasion, it helps to have accurate intelligence about that enemy's weaponry and attack plan. Medical scientists laboring to repel infectious viruses, such as those that cause COVID-19 and HIV, now have a better method f.....»»
Natural compound found in plants inhibits deadly fungi
A new study finds that a natural compound found in many plants inhibits the growth of drug-resistant Candida fungi—including its most virulent species, Candida auris, an emerging global health threat. The journal ACS Infectious Diseases published t.....»»
COVID mutates rapidly in white-tailed deer, but here"s why we don"t need to worry—for now
At some point during the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, spread from humans to white-tailed deer in the US......»»
How incoming adenoviruses change their chromatin structure for efficient gene expression
Adenoviruses, known for their low pathogenicity and technological approachability, have become instrumental in many therapeutic applications, including as a vaccination vector platform during the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Central to their efficacy.....»»
Mapping the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein could provide insight into vaccine development
Although the COVID-19 pandemic was the first time most of humanity learned of the now infamous disease, the family of coronaviruses was first identified in the mid-1960s. In a new study, molecular biologist Steven Van Doren, a scientist in the Univer.....»»