ADVERTISEMENT
Bacteriophage (green) attacking a bacterium (orange)
Bacteria Set Off Viral “Bombs” Inside Neighbors
A study finds some E. coli can deploy a chemical called colibactin to reawaken long-dormant viruses inside bacteria, causing destruction.
Bacteria Set Off Viral “Bombs” Inside Neighbors
Bacteria Set Off Viral “Bombs” Inside Neighbors

A study finds some E. coli can deploy a chemical called colibactin to reawaken long-dormant viruses inside bacteria, causing destruction.

A study finds some E. coli can deploy a chemical called colibactin to reawaken long-dormant viruses inside bacteria, causing destruction.

virus

Raccoon dog behind bars of a cage
New Preprints Further Implicate Market in Pandemic’s Origins
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 28, 2022 | 4 min read
Three studies that analyzed samples from Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market add to evidence that SARS-CoV-2 has zoonotic origins.
Woman waiting in line at the airport, carrying a bag and standing next to two other suitcases. She is wearing a N95 face mask.
SARS-CoV-2 in the Air: What’s Known and What Isn’t
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Feb 18, 2022 | 9 min read
Evidence suggests that COVID-19 is primarily an airborne disease. Yet the details of how transmission occurs are still debated and frequently misunderstood.
Photo of carved bust in front of building labeled "Institut Pasteur"
Luc Montagnier, Virologist who Codiscovered HIV, Dies at Age 89
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 11, 2022 | 3 min read
The Nobel laureate had courted controversy in recent years on vaccines and other matters.
illustration of green viral particles flowing into a person's nostril
First COVID-19 Human Challenge Trial Reveals Uneven Susceptibility
Shawna Williams | Feb 3, 2022 | 2 min read
Only half of volunteers deliberately exposed to SARS-CoV-2 developed an infection. None developed serious symptoms, paving the way for further challenge trials.
blue gloved hand putting vial of blood into centrifuge machine
Studies Identify Risk Factors for Long COVID
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 26, 2022 | 4 min read
Two recent papers provide insight into possible risk factors for developing the chronic condition, including autoantibodies and diabetes.
indoor chicken farm
Avian Flu Case Numbers Soar in Europe
Chloe Tenn | Jan 7, 2022 | 6 min read
The Scientist spoke with the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, about this winter’s high bird flu prevalence, the effects of the disease, and efforts to combat it.
Illustration of a targeted virus over a world map
The Hunt for a Pandemic’s Origins
Martha Nelson | Jan 4, 2022 | 10+ min read
Dozens of researchers, including myself, worked for years to uncover that swine flu had leapt to humans from a pig in Mexico in 2009. We learned a lot about influenza evolution, pig farming, and outbreak risk along the way.
Illustration of a world map showing a truck going from the US to Mexico, a plane going from Europe to Mexico, and a pig surrounded by various viruses in Mexico
Infographic: How H1N1 Came to Spark a Pandemic in 2009
Martha Nelson | Jan 4, 2022 | 2 min read
The pathogen known as swine flu evolved in pigs in Mexico following imports of the livestock from the US and Europe.
An illustration with a world map, pigs, and viruses
Timeline: Investigating the Origins of the 2009 Pandemic
Martha Nelson | Jan 4, 2022 | 3 min read
Seven years of surveillance and research revealed the complex history of the H1N1 virus that leapt from pigs to humans and sparked the global swine flu outbreak.
mummy
Scratchy Scalps Help Glue Together Pieces of an Ancient Past
Chloe Tenn | Dec 29, 2021 | 3 min read
Scientists find human DNA preserved in lice cement from the heads of South American mummies.
An artist’s rendering of the Omicron variant portrays the virus as a lumpy blue sphere with several orange spike proteins jutting out of it.
Omicron Propagates 70 Times Faster than Delta in Bronchi: Study
Dan Robitzski | Dec 17, 2021 | 5 min read
A preprint reports that the new SARS-CoV-2 variant multiplies faster in human bronchial tissue but slower in lung tissue than the Delta variant, potentially explaining how it’s spreading from person to person so quickly.
Illustration of various colored viruses
Omicron Appears to Evade Vaccines Better Than Other Variants
Jef Akst | Dec 14, 2021 | 3 min read
Preliminary studies suggest that existing vaccines falter in preventing symptomatic infections caused by the new coronavirus variant, but protection against severe disease is still high.
A grid of images showing different cross sections of a human brain MRI.
Study Links Flu to Increased Parkinson’s Risk a Decade Later
Dan Robitzski | Nov 19, 2021 | 5 min read
Epidemiological research suggests that a flu diagnosis might be one factor in the eventual onset of the neurodegenerative disease, but experts say it doesn’t prove a causal relationship.
orange and blue cell image
Woman’s Body Appears to Rid Itself of HIV
Chloe Tenn | Nov 18, 2021 | 3 min read
Researchers report what appears to be the second case of a person’s immune system clearing the virus on its own.
illustration of blue coronavirus particles with snowflakes in the background
Is COVID-19 Seasonal?
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Nov 10, 2021 | 7 min read
While the weather isn’t currently the dominant factor driving SARS-CoV-2 transmission, experts say that in the future COVID-19 may become a disease of winter.
Deer at grass field with autumn trees at the background stock photo
Researchers Detect Coronavirus in Iowa Deer
Chloe Tenn | Nov 3, 2021 | 3 min read
Multiple white tailed deer tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 likely transmitted from humans, a study finds, indicating the species could act as a reservoir for the virus.
Colored 3D rendered image SEM view of Ebola virus
New Ebola Case Confirmed in DRC Months After Previous Outbreak
Chloe Tenn | Oct 11, 2021 | 3 min read
Ebola virus was detected in samples from a child who died last week, the World Health Organization and Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Health announce.
Updated
Merck research facility in San Francisco
Antiviral Pill Lowers Risks of COVID-19 Hospitalization, Death
Chloe Tenn | Oct 1, 2021 | 3 min read
Merck reports that its antiviral molnupiravir was effective against early stages of COVID-19 in high-risk patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial.
close-up of a mosquito on human skin
West Nile Virus and Climate Change: It’s Complicated
David Adam | Sep 28, 2021 | 3 min read
Warmer temperatures are likely to increase the prevalence of the mosquito-borne disease in many places, but not all.
ADVERTISEMENT