Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 will have side effects – that's a good thing
The side effects of new SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a result of immune system activation. While uncomfortable, they are both normal and expected. They are a sign that the vaccine is working.
Dec. 3, 2020 • ~9 min
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AI makes huge progress predicting how proteins fold – one of biology's greatest challenges – promising rapid drug development
Scientists in an artificial intelligence lab have made a breakthrough in solving the problem of how proteins fold into their final three-dimensional shape. The work could speed up creation of drugs.
Dec. 2, 2020 • ~11 min
protein biology deepmind amino-acids chess go protein-design
How spit gets its ‘army’ of proteins
A new paper maps out how saliva gets its many proteins. It's a baseline for further investigations into spit as diagnostic fluid.
Nov. 20, 2020 • ~6 min
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Protein may protect against Lyme disease bacteria
A protein appears to protect against the infection that causes Lyme disease. It may be an early warning for the immune system, research with mice shows.
Nov. 16, 2020 • ~3 min
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Truncated immune system receptors may regulate cellular activity
Unexpected findings in chemokine receptors once believed to be non-functional open up new fields of scientific inquiry.
Oct. 28, 2020 • ~7 min
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Smoothie time? Pig blood becomes protein powder
An enzyme from papayas can turn pig blood into protein powder, report researchers. Right now, the blood ends up in animal feed.
Oct. 26, 2020 • ~4 min
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SARS-CoV-2 infection can block pain, opening up unexpected new possibilities for research into pain relief medication
The SARS-CoV-2 virus usually infects the body via the ACE2 protein. But there is another entry point that allows the virus to infect the nervous system and block pain perception.
Sept. 21, 2020 • ~8 min
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How the coronavirus hijacks human cells to spread itself
Researchers have figured out a mechanism SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses to co-opt infected human cells to boost its own replication.
Sept. 18, 2020 • ~5 min
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9 reasons you can be optimistic that a vaccine for COVID-19 will be widely available in 2021
As grim as things are with the pandemic raging in the US and the mounting death toll, there are many reasons to be optimistic there will be a vaccine by early next year.
Aug. 20, 2020 • ~9 min
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