Viruses and Bacteria

The body protects itself from invading viruses and bacteria using antibodies, but when a new threat emerges it takes time for the body to produce new ones. A new system from Berkeley Lab should speed up the discovery of new artificial antibodies.

A new study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is affirming early estimates suggesting 5.1 days is the average incubation period for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Although fresh produce is usually quite a healthy food choice, there's always a risk that it may be contaminated with norovirus. That said, new research now indicates that a fruit-derived coating helps eliminate such viruses more effectively than ever before.

A lab in the US has produced the most detailed images to date of the novel coronavirus currently spreading across the globe. The digitally colorized images illustrate the crown-like appearance of the virus now officially named SARS-CoV-2.

Scientists are investigating how the cell-destroying abilities of viruses can be leveraged to better attack different cancers, with a new study showing how a gene taken from the Ebola virus could be used to take the fight to a deadly brain tumor.

Ebola, Marburg, SARS, MERS, and now the new coronavirus Covid-19, all share one thing in common – they are thought to have originated in bats. But how do bats live with the viruses that seem to so easily kill other organisms?

The novel coronavirus spreading across the globe now has an official name. The World Health Organization revealed it has labelled the virus Covid-19 as the situation continues to spread, with over 43,000 cases currently confirmed and over 1000 deaths.

In China right now, you'll see many people wearing surgical masks to protect against coronavirus. A scientist claims that such masks may actually do more harm than good, if handled improperly – so he's created a coating that could change that.

Phase 2 human trial results have been published demonstrating the efficacy of an oral form of the influenza vaccine. The trial compared the pill to the most commonly used injectable flu vaccine and found it as safe and effective as its counterpart.

Phages, viruses that thrive by infecting bacteria, have long been mooted as a potential replacement for antibiotics, but they pose risks due to their own rapid evolution. New research suggests it may be possible to mitigate their risks.

Impressive research has verified a long-held hypothesis called immune amnesia, demonstrating how infection by the measles virus can remove pre-existing immune system protections, leaving a person vulnerable to other infections for several years.

The final results of a Phase 2b human trial into the efficacy of a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine have been published, indicating safe long-term protection from the devastating disease in around half of the subjects vaccinated.