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Special report
501Y.V2 b.1.1.7 B.1.351 coronavirus COVID-19 e484k epidemiology genetics & genomics k417n micro n501y news feature p.1 pandemic SARS-CoV-2 virology variants
A Guide to Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Scientists across the world are closely tracking the spread of mutations in the coronavirus and investigating whether they could render current vaccines less effective.
A Guide to Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants
A Guide to Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Scientists across the world are closely tracking the spread of mutations in the coronavirus and investigating whether they could render current vaccines less effective.

Scientists across the world are closely tracking the spread of mutations in the coronavirus and investigating whether they could render current vaccines less effective.

genetics & genomics, microbiology

New SARS-CoV-2 Variant Could Evade Antibodies
Lisa Winter | Jan 22, 2021 | 3 min read
A preprint casts doubt on vaccine effectiveness in light of certain mutations in the 501Y.V2 variant that emerged from South Africa.
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Coronavirus Variant Linked to COVID-19 Outbreaks in California
Asher Jones | Jan 19, 2021 | 2 min read
It’s too early to know whether the L452R version of SARS-CoV-2 is highly infectious like the B.1.1.7 UK variant that is also spreading around the US.
Humans Domesticated Yeast Through Bread-Making: Study
Max Kozlov | Dec 11, 2020 | 4 min read
Over centuries of cultivating Saccharomyces cerevisiae to make dough, bakers have put selective pressure on the species, causing it to diverge into two distinct groups, according to the authors.
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Distinct Microbiome and Metabolites Linked with Depression
Rachael Moeller Gorman | Dec 9, 2020 | 4 min read
The gastrointestinal tracts of people with major depressive disorder harbor a signature composition of viruses, bacteria, and their metabolic products, according to the most comprehensive genomic and metabolomic analysis in depression to date.
SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Variant May Be More Transmissible
Abby Olena, PhD | Nov 25, 2020 | 4 min read
The so-called 614G mutation in the viral spike protein does not appear to cause more severe cases of COVID-19, but multiple studies indicate that it could be more contagious.
Q&A, Genetics & Genomics, research bias, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, coronavirus, big data
COVID-19 Research Biased Toward Only a Handful of Genes
Amanda Heidt | Nov 24, 2020 | 5 min read
Thomas Stoeger of Northwestern University has previously studied scientists’ limited focus on certain genes. In a new study, he shows how these same behaviors extend into the science of COVID-19.
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Giant Viruses Can Integrate into the Genomes of Their Hosts
Amanda Heidt | Nov 19, 2020 | 4 min read
Rather than introducing small chunks of DNA as other viruses do, some giant viruses can contribute more than 1 million base pairs to a host’s genome, broadening the ways in which viruses may shape eukaryote evolution.
Q&A: Minks Can Transmit SARS-CoV-2 to Humans, Study Shows
Max Kozlov | Nov 13, 2020 | 4 min read
Whole genome sequencing of the virus infecting the farm animals showed that it spread from the workers to the mink and back, indicating that an animal could serve as a viral reservoir.
Denmark to Cull 17 Million Mink Amid SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Concerns
Lisa Winter | Nov 5, 2020 | 2 min read
Government authorities say because the animals are good hosts of the novel coronavirus, and this new viral variant could undermine vaccine efforts against COVID-19, they are destroying the nation's entire stock of mink.
Alterations in Immune Genes Make Bats Great Viral Hosts
Abby Olena, PhD | Oct 27, 2020 | 3 min read
Bat species use different strategies to dampen immune activation in response to viruses.
Stomach Acid & Heartburn Drugs Linked with COVID-19 Outcomes
Ashley Yeager | Oct 7, 2020 | 6 min read
While sick with COVID-19, President Trump is taking an antacid. Doctors have been exploring whether these medicines can treat SARS-CoV-2 infections, and the results are mixed.
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Thousands of Coronavirus Infections Stemmed from a Biotech Event
Amanda Heidt | Aug 26, 2020 | 3 min read
Officials had initially linked 97 cases to a single conference held by Biogen in February in Boston, but a new study tracking viral genomes suggests the number may be as high as 20,000.
DNA Could Thwart Trade of the World’s Most Trafficked Mammal
Diana Kwon | Aug 6, 2020 | 4 min read
Pangolins are poached for their scales and meat, leading researchers to develop a set of molecular tools to help track and mitigate the trade.
Tracking Pangolin Traffic Networks
The Scientist | Aug 6, 2020 | 1 min read
Working at bushmeat markets in Africa, researchers are trying to trace the trade networks of the mammals.
Microbial Signatures in Blood Are Associated with Various Cancers
Shawna Williams | Jul 13, 2020 | 2 min read
A study suggests the potential for a noninvasive diagnostic that could detect tumors early and differentiate between disease types.
Two Genetic Regions Linked with Severe COVID-19
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 8, 2020 | 4 min read
In a genome-wide association study, variants in both the ABO blood group locus and a cluster of genes on human chromosome 3 are more common among COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure than in the general population.
SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Shares Sequence with a Human Protein
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Eight amino acids are identical to part of the human epithelial sodium channel, leading researchers to suspect the virus might interfere with the channel’s function.
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First US Outbreak of COVID-19 Seeded in Mid-February: Preprint
Kerry Grens | May 27, 2020 | 2 min read
A modeling study counters initial interpretations that the cluster began with someone who flew to Seattle in mid-January.
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Receptors for SARS-CoV-2 Present in Wide Variety of Human Cells
Chris Baraniuk | Apr 29, 2020 | 4 min read
Analyses from single-cell sequencing datasets support the idea that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory disease but an illness that can affect multiple organs.
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