Researchers have developed a fast, cheap, and quantitative antibody test to allow us to understand how COVID-19 affects our immune response. Continue reading Fighting COVID-19 with a Faster, Cheaper, and Quantitative Antibody Test
by Sam Berry In 1918, a new influenza (flu) strain infected nearly a third of the world’s population, leaving tens of millions dead. At the time, relatively little was known about this strain, later called the Spanish Flu—why it was so dangerous, how it spread, even what it was made up of. In the past 100 years, we’ve unveiled the structure of the double-helical DNA … Continue reading What Can Evolution Teach us About the Viruses of the Future?
by Noel Jacksonfigures by Daniel Utter Have you ever wondered how scientists study human tissue in the lab? They do so with the help of authentic human cells. Normal cells in the human body have a finite number of replications, which limits their lifespan. Immortal cancer cells escape this limit and replicate indefinitely, making them ideal for research that requires a constant supply of quickly … Continue reading Vessels for Collective Progress: the use of HeLa cells in COVID-19 research
by Sydney Shermanfigures by Daniel Utter If you’ve ever received a vaccine or been prescribed a medication, then you have benefited from the contribution of animals to research. Humans have looked to animals to help combat diseases since at least 380 BC and continue to do so today. The race for COVID-19 treatments and preventatives is no exception. We usually think of animal research in … Continue reading Animals in the Fight Against COVID-19
Why is it that some people get really sick from COVID-19, and others don’t? The answer may lie in a weakened innate immune response. Continue reading Severe vs Mild COVID-19 infections: differences in immune responses
Catherine (Xiaoxiao) Ding is a second-year Applied Math Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, where she is studying programmable materials. Daniel Utter is a 5th year Ph.D. student in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard. Continue reading Unmasking the Facts
Pregnancy test but for viruses? Mini droplet-based diagnostics tests combined with CRISPR may offer a way forward for fast, mass-testing of not just SARS-CoV-2, but hundreds of other viruses as the same time.
Continue reading CRISPR and Droplets offer a new way forward in viral diagnostics?
by Apurva Govande figures by Tal Scully COVID-19, the disease caused by the newly discovered virus SARS-CoV-2, is a national emergency. We need a vaccine to prevent severe outcomes of disease, to successfully combat future outbreaks of this virus, and to ensure that businesses and schools can safely reopen. Until one is available, healthcare professionals can mitigate symptoms while deploying existing drugs that may show … Continue reading COVID-19: from treatment to prevention
by Kayla Davisfigures by Jovana Andrejevic With COVID-19 cases showing up across much of the United States, many people are increasingly curious if they have contracted the disease. Although the COVID-19 infection rate continues to rise, tests are still hard to find and nearly impossible to come by in certain areas of the country. It’s important to understand how widespread the COVID-19 infection rate is … Continue reading Better Late than Never: COVID-19 testing across the United States
