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.....»»
Antibody binding-site conserved across COVID-19 virus variants
A tiny protein of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that gives rise to COVID-19, may have big implications for future treatments, according to a team of Penn State researchers......»»
New web app ranks spillover risk for newly detected viruses
SARS-CoV-2 showed the world with devastating clarity the threat undetected viruses can pose to global public health. SpillOver, a new web application developed by scientists at the University of California, Davis, and contributed to by experts from a.....»»
Deep dive into key COVID-19 protein is a step toward new drugs, vaccines
Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Science have taken a key step toward new drugs and vaccines for combating COVID-19 with a deep dive into one protein's interactions with SARS-CoV-2 genetic material......»»
Florida homes evacuated as wastewater leak risks "catastrophic" flood
Emergency crews in central Florida were working Sunday to prevent an environmental catastrophe at a leaking reservoir that risked sending millions of gallons of contaminated wastewater toward nearby homes and into the Tampa Bay......»»
Leaking wastewater reservoir threatens Florida community, ocean
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was due Sunday to visit the site of a leaking toxic wastewater reservoir, threatening nearby homes and an environmental disaster in the sensitive Tampa Bay......»»
Dynamic model of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals potential new vaccine targets
A new, detailed model of the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals previously unknown vulnerabilities that could inform development of vaccines. Mateusz Sikora of the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, Germany, and colleagues.....»»
Origins of an outbreak: A recombination detection algorithm to find the source of SARS-CoV-2
It was late January 2020 when Maciej Boni realized that the COVID-19 pandemic was about to take over his life......»»
Environmental antimicrobial resistance driven by poorly managed urban wastewater
Researchers from Newcastle University, UK, working with colleagues at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) in Thailand and the Institute of Urban Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed samples of water and sedime.....»»
America"s Obsession With Wipes Is Tearing Up Sewer Systems
Even before the pandemic, Americans were already flushing far too many wipes into the sewer system. After a year of staying at home, the pipe-clogging problem has gotten worse. From a report: Just ask Larry Hare, who says he immediately observed the.....»»
Scientists identify virus-cell interaction that may explain COVID-19"s high infection rate
Bioengineering researchers at Lehigh University have identified a previously unknown interaction between receptors in human cells and the spike, or "S," protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This new information could aid in the deve.....»»
"No Evidence" to Support Trump CDC Director"s Theory about Coronavirus Origin
While President Trump's former CDC director says he still thinks SARS-Cov-2 somehow originated from a lab in China, "a team of experts from the World Health Organization, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and a number of virology experts have said the evidence to s.....»»
Trump"s Former CDC Director Says He Still Thinks SARS-CoV-2 Originated In a Lab
Beeftopia shares a report from Axios: Former CDC Director Robert Redfield told CNN on Friday that he believes the coronavirus "escaped" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and that it was spreading as early as September or October of 2019 -- though.....»»
Molecule attacks coronavirus in a novel way
Scientists at the University of Bonn and the caesar research center have isolated a molecule that might open new avenues in the fight against SARS coronavirus 2. The active ingredient binds to the spike protein that the virus uses to dock to the cell.....»»
Variances in critical protein may guide fate of those infected with SARS CoV-2
Why does COVID-19 seem to strike in such a haphazard way, sometimes sparing the 100-year-old grandmother, while killing healthy young men and women in the prime of life? A new study may offer some tentative clues. The research explores MHC-I, a criti.....»»
These baby great white sharks love to hang out near New York
Uncovering detailed travel patterns and habitat use of sharks along and across shelf territories has been historically challenging—especially for most pelagic shark species—which remain offshore for most of their lives. Their vertical diving beha.....»»
Refining the hunt for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater
A new study determines the best method yet for finding signs of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in municipal wastewater......»»
Study outlines testing strategies for safer air travel during the pandemic
Almost 90 percent of infectious travelers could be detected with rapid SARS-CoV-2 tests at the airport, and most imported infections could be prevented with a combination of pre-travel testing and a five-day post-travel quarantine that would only lif.....»»
Vaccines alone may not be enough to end pandemic
Even as vaccines are becoming more readily available in the U.S., protecting against the asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 is key to ending the pandemic, say disease experts in a new article......»»
Novel coronavirus circulated undetected months before first COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China
Using molecular dating tools and epidemiological simulations, researchers estimate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus likely circulated undetected for two months before the first human cases of COVID-19 were described in Wuhan, China in late-December 2019......»»
New study shows microplastics turn into "hubs" for pathogens, antibiotic-resistant bacteria
It's estimated that an average-sized wastewater treatment plant serving roughly 400,000 residents will discharge up to 2,000,000 microplastic particles into the environment each day. Yet, researchers are still learning the environmental and human hea.....»»