How do viruses get into cells? Their infection tactics determine whether they can jump species or set off a pandemic

Viruses can get into cells in several ways. Figuring out how to stop them from entering in the first place is a key to developing better vaccines and stopping future pandemics.

Peter Kasson, Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia • conversation
Nov. 21, 2023 ~6 min

96.4% of Americans had COVID-19 antibodies in their blood by fall 2022

There’s pretty much no one left in the US who hasn’t been exposed to the coronavirus, whether by vaccination, infection or both.

Derek Cummings, Professor of Biology, the Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida • conversation
June 15, 2023 ~5 min


Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

An effective nasal vaccine could stop the virus that causes COVID-19 right at its point of entry. But devising one that works has been a challenge for researchers.

Michael W. Russell, Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo • conversation
Dec. 14, 2022 ~9 min

What is inflammation? Two immunologists explain how the body responds to everything from stings to vaccination and why it sometimes goes wrong

Inflammation is a complicated and important part of how the immune system responds to threats to the body. But when the inflammatory response goes awry, it can lead to serious problems.

Mitzi Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina • conversation
Nov. 7, 2022 ~6 min

Newly discovered species of bacteria in the microbiome may be a culprit behind rheumatoid arthritis

A new species of bacteria that doesn’t normally live in the gut may trigger an immune response so strong that it spreads to the joints.

Meagan Chriswell, MD/PhD Candidate in Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
Oct. 27, 2022 ~6 min

HIV therapies currently need to be taken regularly for life – longer-lasting antibody treatments could one day offer an equally effective one-shot alternative

Antiretroviral therapies for HIV, while extremely effective, need to be taken daily for life. Designing antibody treatments that need to be taken only once could improve compliance and reduce drug resistance.

Ronald C. Desrosiers, Professor of Pathology, Vice-chair for Research, University of Miami • conversation
Sept. 23, 2022 ~7 min

When should you get the new COVID-19 booster and the flu shot? Now is the right time for both

When COVID-19 and the flu co-infect, it’s ‘flurona.’ But such cases are rare, and there are effective ways to protect yourself from both viruses.

Libby Richards, Associate Professor of Nursing, Purdue University • conversation
Sept. 22, 2022 ~9 min

Long COVID: How researchers are zeroing in on the self-targeted immune attacks that may lurk behind it

A new study finds that misdirected immune responses can persist for months in those who are suffering from long COVID-19.

Matthew Woodruff, Instructor of Human Immunology, Emory University • conversation
Aug. 31, 2022 ~9 min


What is listeria? A microbiologist explains the bacterium behind recent deadly food poisoning outbreaks

Listeria causes serious illness and food recalls nearly every year.

Yvonne Sun, Assistant Professor of Microbiology, University of Dayton • conversation
Aug. 19, 2022 ~10 min

COVID-19 official counts can miss mild cases – here's how serosurveys that analyze blood for signs of past infection can help

Your blood can hold a record of past illnesses. That information can reveal how many people have had a certain infection – like 58% of Americans having had COVID-19 by the end of February 2022.

Isobel Routledge, Postdoctoral Scholar in Medicine, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
May 6, 2022 ~9 min

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