December 2021/January 2022- Volume 17, Issue 12
In this Issue
Editors Insight
COVID-19 isn’t the only microbial infection to cause long-term symptoms
COVID-19 isn’t the only microbial infection to cause long-term symptoms
The long-term effects that many recovered COVID-19 patients experience, known as long COVID, seem unusual. But are they really?
Virology
Nanobodies derived from llamas, camels, and alpacas may help fight COVID-19
Nanobodies derived from llamas, camels, and alpacas may help fight COVID-19
Small antibodies called nanobodies produced in camels, llamas, and alpacas might help stop the spread of COVID-19, but can they stand up against the competition?
Explained: How do viruses move from animals into humans?
Explained: How do viruses move from animals into humans?
Bats, pigs, and pangolins – oh my! The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the consequences of viral spillover from animals, but it is not the first time in history that an animal virus has spurred disease in humans.
Biologics
From superfood to medicine maker, spirulina is a new cellular factory
From superfood to medicine maker, spirulina is a new cellular factory
Scientists engineer the photosynthetic bacteria spirulina to produce biologics at a large enough scale to treat some of the world’s deadliest and most prevalent diseases.
Animal microbiomes hold the key to new antifungals
Animal microbiomes hold the key to new antifungals
From sea squirts to ants to opossums on the side of the road, the bacteria that live in animal microbiomes are a surprising source of new antifungals.
Warring fungi produce new drugs for cancer and infectious disease
Warring fungi produce new drugs for cancer and infectious disease
Using bioinformatics and machine learning, scientists probe the depths of fungal genomes to find new compounds for undruggable cancers and infections.
Human Genetics
A new long-read approach solves an old genetic mystery
A new long-read approach solves an old genetic mystery
Researchers pioneered a new strategy for diagnosing puzzling genetic diseases, expanding scientists’ capability to study their causes and pathophysiology.
Combining proteomic, genetic, and functional data to understand cancer
Combining proteomic, genetic, and functional data to understand cancer
Researchers identified common, dysregulated pathways among different cancers using a newly developed protein-protein interaction mapping technique. The results may inform treatment and lead to the development of more effective drugs for cancer.
On the road to treating mitochondrial disease
On the road to treating mitochondrial disease
Recent advancements in mitochondrial genome editing technologies take scientists one step closer to developing viable treatments for mitochondrial diseases, which affect 1 in 4300 adults.
Genetic mutations associated with COVID-19 induced loss of smell identified
Genetic mutations associated with COVID-19 induced loss of smell identified
Researchers use GWAS to understand why some people lose their sense of smell and taste when they are infected with COVID-19.
