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Study identifies genetic changes likely to have enabled SARS-CoV-2 to jump from bats to humans
A new study, involving the University of Cambridge and led by the Pirbright Institute, has identified key genetic changes in SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – that may be responsible for the jump from bats to humans, and established which animals have cellular receptors that allow the virus to enter their cells most effectively.
It is essential to understand which animals can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 and how mutations in the viral spike protein change its ability to infect different species Stephen Graham
Credit: Earlham Institute
Plants have the same variation in body clocks as that found in humans, according to new research that explores the genes governing circadian rhythms in plants.
The research shows a single letter change in their DNA code can potentially decide whether a plant is a lark or a night owl. The findings may help farmers and crop breeders to select plants with clocks that are best suited to their location, helping to boost yield and even the ability to withstand climate change.
The circadian clock is the molecular metronome which guides organisms through day and night - cockadoodledooing the arrival of morning and drawing the curtains closed at night. In plants, it regulates a wide range of processes, from priming photosynthesis at dawn through to regulating flowering time.
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IMAGE: A UT Southwestern study identified a gene used in the cellular recycling process called autophagy that rids cells of viruses. The above illustration breaks down the steps involved in this. view more
Credit: UT Southwestern Medical Center
DALLAS - Dec. 16, 2020 - A team led by UT Southwestern researchers has identified a key gene necessary for cells to consume and destroy viruses. The findings, reported online today in
Nature, could lead to ways to manipulate this process to improve the immune system s ability to combat viral infections, such as those fueling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Scientists have long known that cells use a process called autophagy to rid themselves of unwanted material. Autophagy, which translates as self-eating, involves isolating cellular garbage in double-layered vesicles called autophagosomes, which are then fused with single-layered vesicles known as lysosomes to degrade the materials inside and recycle them into build
Queen Mary University of London
Farm in the Southern Ethiopian Highlands
As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance which has allowed Ethiopian crop farmers to feed their families year-round is being disrupted. Scientists from Queen Mary, the University of Greenwich and Kew Gardens visited the region to learn more about how local crops exist in their current environment, and to see how farmers could adapt their processes to better withstand the effects of climate change.
The challenge
Over thousands of years, farmers in the southern Ethiopian highlands have developed unique cropping methods which allow them to ensure food all year round for their families. They grow a complex mix of annual and perennial plants and the landscape is able to support a dense population. This region has not experienced famine in living memory.
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