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.....»»
Ford, GM stock rallies hang in the balance as earnings kick off
Quarterly earnings -- Ford reports after market close Wednesday and GM next week -- will leave investors and analysts balancing the companies’ gas-car-fueled performance at the start of the year against their outlook for all of 2021......»»
Scientists design "nanotraps" to catch, clear coronavirus
Researchers at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago have designed a completely novel potential treatment for COVID-19: nanoparticles that capture SARS-CoV-2 viruses within the body and then use the body's ow.....»»
CRISPR discovery paves the way for novel COVID-19 testing method
Most conventional molecular diagnostics usually detect only a single disease-related biomarker. Great examples are the PCR tests currently used to diagnose COVID-19 by detecting a specific sequence from SARS-CoV-2. Such so-called singleplex methods p.....»»
Friendly bacteria at center stage: Treating wastewater with less energy and lower emissions
Bacteria that eat nitrogen and organic matter are part of processes that can be developed for treating wastewater with less energy and emissions......»»
Nanobodies inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, including emergent variants
Australian researchers have identified neutralizing nanobodies that block the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering cells in preclinical models......»»
Study uncovers human-to-cat transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19
New research provides evidence that people have transmitted SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to cats during the pandemic in the UK. The study, which is published in Veterinary Record, detected the virus last year in cats that developed mil.....»»
Nanofiltration membranes to treat industrial wastewater from heavy metals
NUST MISIS scientists together with Indian colleagues from Jain University and Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College presented innovative membranes for the complete removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The special nanostructure of.....»»
Researchers unlock the secrets of fungal viruses: Why it matters
In the past year the world has been overwhelmed with rapidly emerging, important and fascinating information regarding SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The pace of learning has been astounding, not just for the general public but for virus.....»»
How SARS coronaviruses reprogram host cells to their own benefit
Coronavirus researchers led by Professor Rolf Hilgenfeld of the University of Luebeck and PD Dr. Albrecht von Brunn of the Ludwig-Maximilian Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have discovered how SARS viruses enhance the production of viral proteins in inf.....»»
In evolving to infect mink, SARS-CoV-2’s risk for humans changes
It's less infective, but it has a lower immune profile. Enlarge / The coronavirus spike protein that mediates coronavirus entry into host cell. (credit: Design Cells / Getty Images) We've always needed to limit the total SARS-CoV-2 infections.....»»
SARS-CoV-2 variants from mink evade inhibition by antibodies
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.....»»
Simulations reveal how dominant SARS-CoV-2 strain binds to host, succumbs to antibodies
Large-scale supercomputer simulations at the atomic level show that the dominant G form variant of the COVID-19-causing virus is more infectious partly because of its greater ability to readily bind to its target host receptor in the body, compared t.....»»
SARS-CoV-2 variant found in Brazil: More infectious, may limit immunity
Some hints of greater lethality and lowered immunity, but a lot of uncertainty. Enlarge / COVID-19 has taken a terrible toll on Brazil. (credit: Michael Dantas / Getty Images) Almost from the moment it made the jump to humans, the SARS-CoV-2 v.....»»
Water purification system engineered from wood, with help from a microwave oven
Researchers in Sweden have developed a more eco-friendly way to remove heavy metals, dyes and other pollutants from water. The answer lies in filtering wastewater with a gel material taken from plant cellulose and spiked with small carbon dots produc.....»»
Japan Scraps Mascot Promoting Fukushima Wastewater Dump
The Japanese government has been forced to quickly retire an animated character it had hoped would win support for its decision this week to release more than 1m tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.....»»
Triangular-shaped spikes key to coronavirus transmission, finds new study
COVID-19 needs no introduction. Last year, the disease, which is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, reached every continent across the globe. By the end of March 2021, there had been an estimated 128 million cases recorded with almost three million of t.....»»
Reliably measuring whether rivers or lakes run out of air
Wastewater carries large quantities of organic substances into the rivers and lakes, leading to heavy growth of bacteria and oxygen deficiency. Measurement methods have so far been incapable of measuring this organic pollution precisely. A new method.....»»
A novel, quick, and easy system for genetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2
Researchers from Osaka University and Hokkaido University develop a system for analyzing mutations in SARS-CoV-2 that is much simpler and faster than existing methods......»»
A multidimensional view of SARS-CoV-2
What exactly happens when the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 infects a cell? In an article published in Nature, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry paints a comprehensive picture of the viral inf.....»»
Global Vaccine Equity Is Much More Important Than "Vaccine Passports"
We need to suppress the level of SARS-CoV-2 in as many humans as possible as quickly as possible -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.....»»