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A vial containing a red blood sample is balanced on its end on a table or desk by someone wearing a blue medical glove on their right hand
New Evidence Shows COVID-19 Was in US Weeks Before Thought
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 17, 2021 | 4 min read
Some of the blood specimens collected in the United States for the NIH’s All of Us research program starting on January 2, 2020, have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
an illustration of the sars-cov-2 spike protein in purple tethered to the viral membrane in dark gray
Spike Protein Deletions Linked to COVID-19 Surges: Preprint
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Jun 15, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers find that surges in COVID-19 case numbers are associated with deletions in the SARS-CoV-2 genome in an antigenic site of the spike protein. Some of these mutations are present in vaccine breakthrough infections or reinfections.
streaks of white bacterial colonies on a blue Petri dish
Many Bacteria and Archaea Promoters Work Forward and Backward
Jack J. Lee | May 28, 2021 | 4 min read
New analyses find that divergent transcription, in which one promoter directs the expression of two adjacent genes oriented in opposite directions, is conserved across all domains of life.
Woman holding a CDC COVID-19 vaccination card with both hands.
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Appear Effective Against Multiple Variants
Lisa Winter | May 6, 2021 | 2 min read
Data from three studies indicate that fully vaccinated patients are able to stave off severe disease from the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants.
coronavirus particles in a variety of colors with a world map in background
What Scientists Know About the B.1.617 Coronavirus Variant
Shawna Williams | May 3, 2021 | 2 min read
While some experts speculate the variant could be partially responsible for India’s current surge in SARS-CoV-2 infections, information about the effects of its mutations is only beginning to emerge.
An illustration of an orange bacteriophage virus sitting on top of a green bacterium
Some Viruses Use an Alternative Genetic Alphabet
Abby Olena, PhD | Apr 29, 2021 | 4 min read
In a trio of studies, researchers follow up on a 40-year-old finding that certain bacteriophages replace adenine with so-called diaminopurine, perhaps to avoid host degradation.
Gene Exchange Among Gut Bacteria Is Linked to Industrialization
Catherine Offord | Mar 31, 2021 | 5 min read
A study of human populations around the world detects differing rates of horizontal gene transfer in the microbiome depending on what kind of society those people live in.
Q&A: Data Gaps Hinder Monitoring of SARS-COV-2 Variants
Jef Akst | Mar 24, 2021 | 6 min read
Martha Nelson of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases talks about the need to balance data sharing and patient privacy concerns when tracking the spread of variants.
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Ebola, virus, Guinea, West Africa, outbreak
Ebola Outbreak in Guinea Originated from Past Epidemic
Asher Jones | Mar 15, 2021 | 2 min read
Genetic analyses suggest that the virus came from a patient who survived the 2013–2016 West African outbreak.
Interim Report on Origin of SARS-CoV-2 Scrapped by WHO
Lisa Winter | Mar 5, 2021 | 2 min read
Instead, the full report will be available in mid-March.
Variant Found in Brazil Could Evade Immunity from Past Infection
Lisa Winter | Mar 2, 2021 | 2 min read
The P.1 variant, which has also been detected in five US states, could be responsible for cases of reinfection, according to a preprint.
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Another Potentially Immunity-Evading SARS-CoV-2 Variant Detected
Asher Jones | Feb 16, 2021 | 2 min read
B.1.525 shares a mutation with the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa that seems to allow the virus to dodge the immune system.
Are Phages Overlooked Mediators of Health and Disease?
Catherine Offord | Feb 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Bacteria-infecting viruses affect the composition and behavior of microbes in the mammalian gut—and perhaps influence human biology.
Infographic: Trans-kingdom Interactions in the Gut
Catherine Offord | Feb 1, 2021 | 1 min read
Phages interact with bacteria and eukaryotic cells in ways that researchers suspect influence mammalian health.
Retrons Help Bacteria Defend Themselves from Phages: Study
Catherine Offord | Feb 1, 2021 | 2 min read
The mysterious DNA sequences appear to help bacterial cells spot when they’ve been infected with viruses—and prompt those cells to self-destruct.
nextstrain sars-cov-2 variant tracking covid-19 coronavirus pandemic n510y 501Y.V2 b.1.1.7 B.1.351 e484k k417n p.1 virology
Side-by-Side Comparisons of Important SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Katarina Zimmer | Jan 26, 2021 | 3 min read
Here’s our brief guide to the most noteworthy mutations in the novel coronavirus.
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
Katarina Zimmer | Jan 26, 2021 | 10 min read
Scientists across the world are closely tracking the spread of mutations in the coronavirus and investigating whether they could render current vaccines less effective.
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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