02/15/2021
“I’m Robert Jensen. I’ll be your guide into the restless and relentless mind of Wes Jackson. I first bumped into Wes’ work more than three decades ago, and his ideas have had a profound influence on my thinking about society and ecology.”
Robert Jensen was joined by Wes Jackson as Mr. Jackson reflects on his life and career, with his new book
Hogs Are Up: Stories of the Land, with Digressions scheduled to be published in March. Widely recognized as a leader in the sustainable agriculture movement, Mr. Jackson is a biologist and author who co-founded The Land Institute, a Kansas-based research organization dedicated to furthering sustainable agricultural practices. He previously served as a professor at Kansas Wesleyan University and at California State University, Sacramento, where he established the school’s environmental studies program. During the interview, Mr. Jackson chronicles his four decades of work in the sustainable agriculture movement, his own
February 04, 2021
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The new approach allows a dramatic shortening of the response time upon real infections, which can be critical in certain patients
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and California State University in Sacramento, US have found an alternative approach to train immune responses against Covid-19.
They have developed a novel strategy that redirects antibodies for other diseases existing in humans to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2.
The team proposes using peptide-based double-faced “booster” inhibitors, with one face binding to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and the other face binding to generic hepatitis B antibodies.
“Once the SARS-CoV-2 viruses become labelled by the hepatitis B antibodies via intermediate boosters, the viruses will be neutralised,” said Petr Král, UIC Professor of chemistry, physics, pharmaceutical sciences and senior author on the paper.
Novel strategy redirects generic antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins
The SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus behind the current pandemic, infects humans by binding its surface-exposed spike proteins to ACE2 receptors exposed on the cell membranes.
Upon a vaccination or a real infection, it takes several weeks before the immunity develops antibodies that can selectively bind to these spike proteins. Such antibody-labeled viruses are neutralized by the natural killer and T cells operated by the human immunity.
An alternative approach to train the immunity response is offered by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and California State University at Sacramento who have developed a novel strategy that redirects antibodies for other diseases existing in humans to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2.
Retrained Generic Antibodies can Recognize SARS-CoV-2, Says Study by Colleen Fleiss on February 3, 2021 at 11:27 PM
A new strategy that redirects antibodies for other diseases existing in humans to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 has been discovered by University of Illinois Chicago and California State University at Sacramento researchers.
Upon a vaccination or a real infection, it takes several weeks before the immunity develops antibodies that can selectively bind to these spike proteins. Such antibody-labeled viruses are neutralized by the natural killer and T cells operated by the human immunity.
An alternative approach to train the immunity response is offered by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and California State University at Sacramento who have developed a novel strategy that redirects antibodies for other diseases existing in humans to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2.
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IMAGE: Double-faced peptide-based boosters are computationally designed to allow recognition of SARS-CoV-2 (grey, schematic) by Hepatitis B antibodies. One booster face made of ACE2-mimic peptides (red) can bind to the receptor. view more
Credit: UIC
The SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus behind the current pandemic, infects humans by binding its surface-exposed spike proteins to ACE2 receptors exposed on the cell membranes.
Upon a vaccination or a real infection, it takes several weeks before the immunity develops antibodies that can selectively bind to these spike proteins. Such antibody-labeled viruses are neutralized by the natural killer and T cells operated by the human immunity.