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Black and gold sketch of Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman.
Nobel Prize for mRNA Vaccines
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman received this year’s Physiology or Medicine award for their work on RNA biology and mRNA-based vaccines.
Nobel Prize for mRNA Vaccines
Nobel Prize for mRNA Vaccines

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman received this year’s Physiology or Medicine award for their work on RNA biology and mRNA-based vaccines.

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman received this year’s Physiology or Medicine award for their work on RNA biology and mRNA-based vaccines.

COVID-19

Illustration of glowing fireflies
Glow-in-the-dark Diagnostics
Danielle Gerhard, PhD | Jul 5, 2023 | 2 min read
A nucleic acid detection platform that marries CRISPR diagnostic tools with bioluminescence could accelerate treatment decisions in the clinic.
Woman with her back to camera, with arms stretched out, soaking up the sunshine
A Genetic Predisposition to Vitamin D Deficiency Contributes to Severe COVID-19
Iris Kulbatski, PhD | Jun 1, 2023 | 3 min read
Ana Teresa Freitas discussed how individual variation in vitamin D synthesis and metabolism influences susceptibility to upper respiratory viruses.
<em >The Scientist</em>&rsquo;s Journal Club: Infectious Diseases
The Scientist’s Journal Club: Infectious Diseases
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Scientists present the latest research on infection prevention and treatment, including COVID-19 and tropical infectious diseases.
Illustration of a virus
Vaccines: Sex Matters
Niki Spahich, PhD | Jun 1, 2023 | 3 min read
Male patients who recover from mild COVID-19 have baseline immune states primed to mount stronger responses to future challenges than female patients.
SARS-CoV-2 self-assembling virus-like nanoparticle with spike proteins protruding from the surface.
New Technology Improves SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine-Induced Immune Responses
Elina Kadriu | May 30, 2023 | 3 min read
mRNA-encoded self-assembling enveloped virus-like particles presenting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein enhance immunity and may provide better protection against viral variants. 
Sun
Relevant Models Reflect Real-World Needs
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Jie Sun shares how his curiosity, creativity, and motivation to address clinical public health needs steer his research in immunology and infectious disease.
3D rendered illustration of a coronavirus with an overlaid network of lines and dots.
Connecting the Dots That Link Diabetes and Infection Severity
Deanna MacNeil, PhD | May 22, 2023 | 4 min read
Researchers shed light on the immunometabolism of respiratory infection, providing an avenue towards safer COVID-19 therapeutics for those affected by metabolic disorders.
Image of methylated DNA
Stress Increases Biological Age, But Recovery Can Revert It
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Apr 21, 2023 | 2 min read
A new study relying on DNA methylation clocks suggests that the biological age of mouse and human cells can fluctuate in response to stressful events.
What Lies Beneath: Wastewater Testing for Pathogens
What Lies Beneath: Wastewater Testing for Pathogens
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Michael Wiley will discuss detecting pathogens in communities through wastewater surveillance programs.
Artist&rsquo;s rendition of red SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses floating near blue strands of DNA.
COVID-19 Infections May Reshape Genetic Landscape
Holly Barker, PhD | Mar 30, 2023 | 3 min read
SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers structural changes in the host cell’s DNA, which provide a molecular explanation for long COVID, a new study suggests. 
Healthcare and medicine, Doctor touch and diagnose a virtual Human Lungs with Covid-19 or coronavirus spread inside on modern interface screen on laboratory, Innovation and Medical technology.
Uncovering Rare Disease Genetic Pathways with Global Biobanks
Deanna MacNeil, PhD | Mar 20, 2023 | 3 min read
Researchers discover new idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis risk factors with multi-ancestry analyses that increase representation of understudied populations.
<em >The Scientist</em>&rsquo;s Journal Club: Immunology
The Scientist’s Journal Club: Immunology
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Scientists present the latest research on the immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the influence of COVID-19 on future vaccine responses, and drivers of T cell development.
A fruit bat in the hands of a researcher
How an Early Warning Radar Could Prevent Future Pandemics
Amos Zeeberg, Undark | Feb 27, 2023 | 8 min read
Metagenomic sequencing can help detect unknown pathogens, but its widespread use faces challenges.
Microscope image of A549-ACE2 lung cells coinfected with SARS-CoV-2 and a reporter vector containing a key regulatory variant of interest in the region on human chromosome 3
How Genes from Neanderthals Predispose People to Severe COVID-19
Alakananda Dasgupta | Feb 22, 2023 | 4 min read
Researchers dissect the Neanderthal-derived region on chromosome 3 that drives severe COVID-19 to zero in on the key causal variants.
Improve qPCR Efficiency and Reproducibility
The Components of Effective qPCR
Bio-Rad | 1 min read
Putting the pieces together for molecular diagnostics and infectious disease research
An artistic rendering of SARS-CoV-2 made to look like stained glass
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Can Alter Future Immune Reponses
Niki Spahich, PhD | Feb 22, 2023 | 3 min read
Males recovered from mild COVID-19 have baseline immune states primed to mount stronger responses to future challenges.
An artist&rsquo;s rendering of a DNA-based virus trap, represented as gray rods in a short cone-shaped arrangement. One is coated with blue molecules, likely antibodies, that adhere to a virus target. Another image shows to traps coming together to capture a red coronavirus.
“Origami” DNA Traps Could Keep Large Viruses From Infecting Cells
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 18, 2023 | 4 min read
By engineering structures out of DNA, scientists could potentially prevent larger viruses, like coronaviruses and influenza viruses, from interacting with cells.
What Could Cause the Next Pandemic?
What Could Cause the Next Pandemic?
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 2 min read
Scientists prepare for the future by filling in the research gaps between zoonotic viral reservoirs, emerging viruses, and human immune defenses.
Illustration of viruses represented with different colors overlapping each other.
What Happens When You Catch More than One Virus?
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Dec 7, 2022 | 8 min read
The “tripledemic” shines a spotlight on viral interference, in which one infection can block another.
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