Sewer slime can hang on to SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater
During the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring the levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater entering treatment plants has been one way that researchers have gauged the disease's spread. But could the slimy microbial communities that line most sewer pipes aff.....»»
CDC turns to poop surveillance for future COVID monitoring
Sewage can detect surges and variants before testing, CDC says. Enlarge / Aeration System, Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant, Camarillo, Ventura County, California. (credit: Getty | Universal Images Group) The Centers for.....»»
Process removes biofuel contaminants from wastewater and generates hydrogen to fuel its own operation
The holy grail of bio-fuel researchers is to develop a self-sustaining process that converts waste from sewage, food crops, algae and other renewable carbon sources into fuels, while keeping waste carbon out of our atmosphere and water. Much progress.....»»
Artificial intelligence system rapidly predicts how two proteins will attach
Antibodies, small proteins produced by the immune system, can attach to specific parts of a virus to neutralize it. As scientists continue to battle SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, one possible weapon is a synthetic antibody that binds wi.....»»
Covid-19 Infection Can Reactivate the Latent Retroviruses In Human DNA
He Who Has No Name writes: In a synopsis posted Monday, John Hewitt at Phys.org points out some fairly unsettling implications of an ugly trick by Covid-19 (more formally, SARS-CoV-2) -- it wakes up latent viruses that we are born with in our DNA. A.....»»
Wearable Air Sampler to Assess SARS-CoV-2 Exposure
Researchers at Yale University created a wearable air sampler clip that can be worn on clothing and which can bind aerosols present in the environment. The clip can later be analyzed to determine the level of SARS-CoV-2 exposure while it was worn. Th.....»»
5 Reasons to Wait for the Galaxy S22 & 3 Reasons Not To
5 Reasons to Wait for the Galaxy S22 & 3 Reasons Not To is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile. While you might be tempted to buy a Galaxy S21, Galaxy Note 20, or another smartphone right now, some of you might want to hang around and wait for.....»»
Two cannabinoids have opposing effects on SARS-CoV-2 in culture
In early tests, CBD inhibits the virus, but THC blocks this effect. Enlarge / Don't try this at home. Seriously. We mean it. (credit: Anna Efetova) Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have tested a wide range.....»»
Researchers find newer variants of SARS-CoV-2 can infect mice, unlike the original version of the virus
A team of biology researchers at Georgia State University has found that some of the newer variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 can infect the respiratory tract of wild mice, unlike the original strain that emerged from China......»»
Despite Cannabinoids Study, "Odds Aren"t Fantastic" It Will Ever Treat Covid
While a recent study found that cannabinoids protected cells in a petri dish from SARS-CoV-2 infection, "working in a petri dish is a relatively low bar for a drug to clear," Slate points out. "The conventional wisdom in pharmaceutical sciences hol.....»»
Thousands of gallons of toxic phenol reportedly spilled this week at a Philly chemical plant
A worker failed to shut off a valve Thursday at the AdvanSix plant in Philadelphia and up to 2,000 gallons of phenol spilled, with some possibly entering the sewer system, according to a police report......»»
Immune system vs. virus: Why omicron had experts worried from the start
How the immune system targets viruses and shapes viral evolution. Enlarge / Illustration of antibodies responding to an infection of SARS-CoV-2. (credit: Getty Images/Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library) Right from omicron's f.....»»
Clothes dryers are an underappreciated source of airborne microfibers
No one likes when their favorite clothes develop holes or unravel after many laundry cycles. But what happens to the fragments of fabric and stitching that come off? Although it's known that washing clothes releases microfibers into wastewater, it's.....»»
Gene discovered in Georgia water a possible global threat
A gene that causes bacteria to be resistant to one of the world's most important antibiotics, colistin, has been detected in sewer water in Georgia. The presence of the MCR-9 gene is a major concern for public health because it causes antimicrobial r.....»»
Growing algae outside of wastewater
Growing algae in wastewater has been a hot topic in research for years. News reports for decades have touted the latest research as bringing us within reach of new sources of fertilizer or environmentally friendlier biofuel......»»
Tracking Facebook connections between parent groups and vaccine misinfo
Tracking connections pre and post COVID also shows the pull of conspiracy groups. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Joe Amon) Misinformation about the pandemic and the health measures that are effective against SARS-CoV-2 has been a si.....»»
SARS-CoV-2 goes "underground" to spread from cell to cell
The virus that causes COVID-19 has adopted some stealth moves to stay alive and kicking, and one secret to its success is hiding from the immune system by spreading through cell-to-cell transmission, a new study has found......»»
US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID, SARS Variants
Slashdot readers fahrbot-bot and Tangential share a report from Defense One: Within weeks, scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to announce that they have developed a vaccine that is effective against COVID-19 and all its v.....»»
Coating surfaces with a thin layer of copper has the potential to kill the virus causing COVID-19 faster
Researchers have discovered that using a thin-film coating of copper or copper compounds on surfaces could enhance copper's ability to inactivate or destroy the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19......»»
Exploring genetics of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses in animals around the world
A genetic and geographic analysis of variants of SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19 -- and related viruses in humans and animals may provide evidence of interspecies transmission worldwide......»»
Breakthrough infections generate "super immunity" to COVID-19, study suggests
Breakthrough infections greatly enhance immune response to variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to new research. The study is the first to use live SARS-CoV-2 variants to measure cross-neutralization of blood serum from breakthrough.....»»