Monthly Archives: March 2020

Iridescent blue-striped zebrafish dart back and forth in tiny tanks stacked floor-to-ceiling in the basement of the Baylor College of Medicine. The freshwater minnowssome 13,000 strong in their watery studio apartmentsplay an integral role in innovative biomedical research.

They are part of the Gorelick Lab, one of more than 3,250 sites in 100 different countries using zebrafish to advance medicine and better understand human diseases. Led by Daniel Gorelick, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of cellular and molecular biology at Baylor, the lab studies zebrafish to learn how certain hormones and chemicals affect the development and function of the human heart and brain, as well as other tissues.

Although science and technology are constantly evolving, zebrafish have remained relevant research tools for almost 50 years. Today, scientists are harnessing the power of CRISPR-Cas9 technologywhich can edit segments of the genome by deleting, inserting or altering sections of the DNAto generate specific mutations in zebrafish.

This has been a huge advance because it allows us to create mutant strains of zebrafish that have the same mutations as are found in a human disease, said Gorelick, whose lab is housed in Baylors Center for Precision Environmental Health and is currently undergoing an expansion to accommodate as many as 30,000 fish.

In addition, scientists have long sought to map the cell-by-cell progression of animals, in pursuit of understanding how a single cell develops into trillions of cells that make up an intricate biological system of organs. With single-cell RNA sequencing, a technology named Science magazines 2018 Breakthrough of the Year, scientists are able to track the different, intricate stages of embryo development in unprecedented detail, allowing researchers like Gorelick to study the cascading effects at the cellular level.

Theres just so much evidence now that a lot of the drugs that are effective in humans are also effective in [zebrafish], so people are now starting to use fish to discover drugs, Gorelick said. You want to know, if youre taking a drug or youre exposed to some pollutant, does that cause birth defects? How does that affect the life of humans? We can use [zebrafish] as research tools to understand how the chemicals normally work in a normal embryo.

Regenerative heartZebrafish are named for the colorful horizontal stripes on their bodies, and can grow from 1.5 to 2 inches in length. The tropical fish are native to South Asia.

On the surface, zebrafish appear nothing like humans, but 70 percent of the genes in humans are found in zebrafish and 84 percent of human genes associated with human disease have a zebrafish counterpart, studies show.

George Streisinger, an American molecular biologist and aquarium enthusiast, pioneered the use of zebrafish in biomedicine at the University of Oregon in 1972. His breadth of knowledge about zebrafish laid the groundwork for research methodologies, including developing breeding and care standards and creating tools for genetic engineering and analysis. He performed one of the first genetic screens of zebrafish by using gamma rays to randomly mutate the DNA of certain zebrafish and identify offspring that had notable phenotypes, such as pigmentation defects.

That caused a big explosion in the field and then thats when things really took off, Gorelick said.

Zebrafish are now used as a genetic model for the development of human diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative diseasesto name a few. Housed down the street from Gorelicks lab, John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., is using zebrafish to study atherosclerosis, the major cause of heart disease in the country. Although zebrafish have only one ventricle to pump blood to the heart, whereas humans have two (a left and a right ventricle), their vasculature is very similar to humans.

The zebrafish can help us in understanding the cardiovascular system, in achieving those basic insights, and in translating those basic insights towards something thats potentially useful for people, said Cooke, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration at Houston Methodist Research Institute.

Cooke hopes that studying the regenerative capabilities of the zebrafish heart will lead to new discoveries that help human patients.

You can remove 20 percent of their heart, and they can regenerate it, Cooke explained. Why is that? We want to know. There are groups that are studying that amazing regenerative capacity of the [zebrafish] heart, and those insights obtained from that work may lead us to new therapies for people to regenerate the human heart or, at least, improve the healing after a heart attack.

Watching cells migrateAlthough mice are genetically closer to humans than zebrafish, sharing 85 percent of the same genomes, zebrafish have a few key advantages for researchers.

On average, zebrafish produce between 50 to 300 eggs, all at once, every 10 days. Their rapid breeding allows scientists to quickly test the effects of genetic modifications (such as gene knockouts and gene knock-ins) on current fish, as well as ensuing generations.

In addition, zebrafish are fertilized and developed externally, meaning the sperm meets the egg in the water. This allows scientists to access the embryos more easily, as opposed to mouse embryos that develop inside the womb. In one of his research projects, Gorelick simply adds drugs to the water to see how the zebrafish are affected.

Most drugs in the water will get taken up by the embryo, Gorelick said. We add it into the water and it gets taken up the next day when theyre just one day old. All of that discovery happened in zebrafish because you can literally watch it live.

Not only do zebrafish embryos develop quickly, they are also transparent. Within two to four days, a zebrafish will develop all its major organsincluding eyes, heart, liver, stomach, skin and fins.

We can literally watch these cells migrate from different parts of the embryo, form the tube, constrict, form the hourglass, loop on itself, beat regularly and see blood flow all at the same time, Gorelick said. When theres a belly and a uterus, you dont have access. You can use things like ultrasound, like we do with humans, but you cant get down to single-cell resolution like we can with the fish.

Ultimately, zebrafish have proven to be a powerful resource for researchers. Although all zebrafish studies are confirmed in rats and mice, followed by human tissue, they constitute a significant stepping stone.

You wouldnt want to build a house only using a hammer and a screwdriver. I want a power drill and I want a band saw, Gorelick said. Fish are part of that. Theyre not a cure-all. Theyre not the only tool, but theyre an important tool.

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Zebrafish are the tropical minnows advancing genetics and molecular biology - TMC News - Texas Medical Center News

As the world scrambles to monitor and contain the COVID-19 outbreak, drug companies are racing to develop or repurpose treatments to combat the potential pandemic. The death toll continues to climb.

A new survey by Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) reveals 35 active drug development programs in North America, Europe, and China. Those 35 include treatments that have received the greatest public attention in recent days, being developed by companies that range from pharma giants like GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi, to small and large biotechs such as Moderna and Gilead Sciences. Gileadhas begun clinical trials in Chinaafter peer-reviewed journals showed its antiviral candidate, remdesivir, having positive results ina case involving an American patientandChinese in vitro tests.

Chinas status as the center of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is reinforced by a statistic tucked at the bottom of areportpublished February 28 by the state-run Xinhua news agency: Of 234 clinical trials registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, nearly half (105) focus on treatments for COVID-19.

This list is certain to multiply in coming weeks as global health agencies, governments, and drug developers step up efforts against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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35 drugs in the race for a coronavirus treatment - Genetic Literacy Project

A University of Virginia biomedical engineering student is trying to tackle the worlds No. 1 cause of death on a genetic level.

Rita Anane-Wae, from Ghana by way of Glendale, Arizona, and a third-year biomedical engineering student, is using a 2019 Harrison Undergraduate Research grant to seek a genetic solution to atherosclerosis, or the build-up of plaque in ones arteries, which impedes blood flow.

There are cells that will try to fix this problem by covering them and basically pushing the plaque down to allow blood flow, she said. These cells will try to reduce that plaque so that there is correct blood flow. In very serious cases, the plaque can harden and break off. Once it breaks, it can get lodged somewhere and cause a stroke or a heart attack.

Created through a gift from the late David A. Harrison III and his family, the Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards fund outstanding undergraduate research projects. Selected by a faculty review committee, awardees receive as much as $4,000 apiece to pursue their research interests, under the direction of a faculty mentor.

Anane-Wae started working in a laboratory run by Mete Civelek, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, as a second-year student.

Civelek had already altered her life. Anane-Wae came to UVA to be a chemical engineer. She met Civelek when she signed up as a first-year student for a program that offered faculty mentoring.

At the time I was a chemical engineering major with an interest in biomedical engineering, Anane-Wae said. After talking with him, he was able to assuage my fears about biomedical engineering.

Biomedical engineering is a relatively new field and as such, I did not believe there were many jobs out there, and my parents were worried for the same reason, she said. Mete has a chemical engineering undergrad degree and a masters and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, so he was the perfect person for me to talk to. He explained the two fields in a unique way, unlike what I had read and seen on YouTube.

Honestly, I love biomedical engineering. When I switched into biomedical engineering, literally in my first class, I though Oh, my God, this is home. I am learning about anatomy, physiology, genes and cells, and it is still all really exciting for me.

Civelek also suggested Anane-Wae participate in the research trip to Uganda through the UVA Minority Health & Health Disparities International Research Training program to perform research on congestive heart failure. While in Uganda, Anane-Wae made rounds with a doctor at a local hospital and met a 17-year-old girl suffering from congestive heart failure.

Her legs were all swollen, Anane-Wae said. She had edema and her stomach was filled with fluid. I was looking at her and thinking, This girl cant lay down because of all the swelling and she cant even be at rest. And I was thinking, She is about my age and I am fortunate enough to be traveling the world and she is here stuck in this hospital bed.

Her encounter with the girl became part inspiration to her and part reminder that congestive heart failure is not just for older patients.

I have a hard time accepting what I am capable of doing, Anane-Wae said. Being here, being in Uganda, working in the lab, it has taught me that I am basically capable of making change. I know what I am supposed to be doing with my time and my future and I know that doing it makes me happy and will make other people better.

In her lab work, Anane-Wae studies a specific gene melanoma inhibitor activity 3, or MIA3 that affects smooth muscle cells.

Smooth muscle cells are able to basically cover the plaque in that disease state, Anane-Wae said. We are running experiments to see how us modulating MIA3 affects the disease.

She said she and members of the research team in the lab also performed experiments knocking out the MIA3 gene from the cells, which led to a more serious disease state.

I think experiments like these are really important because we are not yet at the stage where we can do gene therapy on a person, Anane-Wae said. If you knock out specific genes, it will affect things that we dont understand yet.

Anane-Wae is working on a small section of a large field, but she thinks there is promise in the work she is doing.

The genome-wide association studies show that 161 different genes so far have been associated with coronary artery disease, she said. And we are studying just one. There is so much further that we have to go.

The path is really long, but we are trying to understand the mechanism by which one gene affects the disease and if we actually figure out that mechanism, we can try to apply it to the other genes and maybe understand the bigger picture.

Research can lead her down many blind alleys, which she understands. Anane-Wae is also very conscious of the law of unintended consequences, and how something that solves one problem can create other problems in the process.

We can say that about everything, she said. I think that is the way with all new development. You fix problems and new ones will arise, and then you fix those, too. So we can only do so much. But I think what I have learned is that I have found something about which I am passionate. I have found something that I enjoy and here at UVA, I have found a community of people who will help me develop my skills.

Included in that community, Anane-Wae cited Civelek and Redouane Aherrahrou, an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow with whom she works.

Aherrahrou has known Anane-Wae since she joined the lab in 2018. When she first joined our lab, Rita knew only the fundamental lab skills and methods, he said. After a short amount of training, she learned rapidly and became very familiar with the cell culture techniques and appropriate lab handling. She performed the experiments independently. Her interactions with other lab members are both professional and friendly.

He described Anane-Wae as a diligent researcher, a gifted student, an inspiring person, and enjoyable to be around.

She has a great personality, is open to guidance and responds well to criticism, he said. She wants to apply to Ph.D. programs after she graduates, and I predict a great future in her career as a research scientist.

Civelek said he enjoys having Anane-Wae as part of his team.

She is hard-working, curious and eager to make a scientific impact, he said. I can see the joy in her face when she learns something new. She gets along well with everyone in the lab and is a role model to those who are junior to her. She has a bright future and I am very proud of her accomplishments.

Civelek said Anane-Wae was recently awarded a German Academic Exchange Research Internship in Science and Engineering, which is presented to only 300 students from the U.S. and Canada.

Redouane and Mete both have high standards for me and motivate me to do my very best, Anane-Wae said. They have instilled a confidence in me that I did not have prior to joining the lab, and they continuously push me to achieve great things. I am so fortunate to have these two individuals as mentors, in addition to all of the other members in the laboratory.

A Blue Ridge Scholarship recipient, Anane-Wae is member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. She also has received a Hugh Bache Scholarship.

Anane-Wae said she is looking at doing big things, such as gene therapy, but realizes that she has to take small steps at first, and that her friends in the lab will help her out when things go wrong.

She has also learned that research is a team effort, not a solo pursuit.

You cant do research by yourself, she said. You wont be able to get anything done. You will have to depend on other people and you have to be able to share what you have learned. You wont get anything done in any amount of time if you dont trust other people and work together.

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First-Year Lab Experience Gave This Student the Confidence to Aim for a Ph.D. - UVA Today

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A microorganism is a microscopic organism, known to be one ofthe earliest life forms on earth. Viruses, fungi, bacteria,archaea, protozoa and algae are the six major forms ofmicroorganisms, exploited expeditiously by the biotechnologists andmicro-biologists for research purposes. From beer brewing, breadmaking to mass production of antibiotics, microorganisms is used inall such processes by the scientists to reach the desired results.Genetic engineering techniques, DNA typing etc., have further pavedway for genetically modified organisms such as the geneticallymodified bacterium, as in the US Supreme court case of Diamond v.Chakrabarty.

The case of Diamond v.Chakrabarty1 in 1980s, opened gates forthe patentability of microorganisms, wherein the claim of aMicro-biologist Dr. Ananda Chakrabarty, for the grant of patent fora live human made & genetically engineered bacterium, capableof breaking the components of crude oil was accepted by the USSupreme Court. In this case, the controller of patents of theUnited States denied the claim for patenting the bacterium per se,stating that, microorganism are product of nature and hence arenon-patentable according to the US patents regime, which wasreversed by the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals.Dejected by the decision of the US court of Customs and PatentsAppeal, Sideny A. Diamond, the commissioner of Patents andtrademarks appealed to the US Supreme court2 which againwent in favour of Chakrabarty by establishing that a human made,genetically engineered bacteria was capable of treating oil spillsand thus was an invention accompanied by novelty, usefulness,utility, non-obviousness and industrial applicability3,which a naturally occurring microorganism was incapable of.

Before the US Supreme Court's decision in the case ofDiamond v. Chakrabarty, Patent protection was not granted tomicroorganisms as product claims, but only to the process claims inwhich microorganisms was used as a medium ininventions.4

Article 27(3)(b) of the TRIPS 1994, further established thatmicroorganisms and non-biological and microbiological processes arepatentable by stating that, "Members may also exclude frompatentability, plants and animals other than micro-organisms, andessentially biological processes for the production of plants oranimals other than non-biological and microbiologicalprocesses."

'Microorganisms per' se can be patented, however, itshould be noted that a patent is not granted for a discovery ratherfor an invention which is novel, non-obvious, useful and capable ofindustrial application. Therefore, a patent can only be granted fora micro-organism, when there's a human intervention to create anew, non-obvious and useful microorganism by way of geneticmodification/engineering, cell fusion, gene therapy or othermicro-biological or non-biological techniques.5

Further, since the disclosure of details in written descriptionw.r.t., inventions involving micro-organisms is not possible, theBudapest Treaty provides for a mechanism to deposit microorganismwith any "international Depository Authority" for thepurpose of patent procedure of national patent office of all thecontracting states.

The Indian Patents Act, 1970 added microorganisms under thepurview of patentability through the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2002,in compliance with the TRIPS.

According to Section 3(j) of the Patents Act, 1970, a plant,animal, seeds and biological processes, apart from microorganismsare not patentable. Therefore, section 3(j) of the Indian patentsact, allows patentability of microorganisms.

The landmark judgment of the Calcutta High court in the case ofDimminaco A.G. v. Controller of Patents &Designs on 15th January, 2001, prior tothe 2002 amendment in the patents act, 1970 established a benchmarkin the field of micro-biological research. In this case, an appealwas filed against the Assistant Controller of Patents &Designs, wherein, the process for preparation of infectiousBursitis Vaccine was refused on the grounds that the process ofpreparation of vaccine that contained a living virus cannot beconsidered manufacture and that a vaccine comprising of a livingvirus cannot be considered a substance or inanimate object. Thecourt in this case reversed the decision of the Assistantcontroller and held that, the process of preparing a vendiblecommodity containing a living substance is not excluded from thepurview of the word, 'manufacture' and that the controllererred in denying patent protection to the vaccine just because itcontained a live virus. Furthermore, the end product was novel,capable of industrial application and was useful for protectingpoultry against contagious Bursitis infection, thus making theprocess an invention. The court further allowed the appeal anddirected the petitioner's patent application to be reconsideredwithin two months of the publication/delivery of the judgement.

In the recent Supreme Court's judgment in the case of,Monsanto Technology Pvt. Ltd. v. NuziveeduSeeds6, The plaintiff claimed that theirpatent in the man-made, chemical product called NAS(Nucleotide AcidSequence) containing the gene Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt gene),capable of killing bollworms when inserted in cotton, was not aninfringement under section 3(j) of the patents act, 1970, as heldby the Division bench of the Delhi High Court. Nuziveedu'sclaim was that, NAS was merely a chemical composition in-capable ofreproduction and not a man-made inventive microorganism, capable ofindustrial application7. The Supreme Court in this caseset aside the order of the division bench and restored the order ofthe single bench and reverted back the matter back to the singlebench of the Delhi High Court to be decided on the basis of expertadvice and evidence, who had held that, the claims on NAS wasrightly entertained by the Indian Patent office and that theparties shall remain bound to their sub-lease agreement.

Thus, the current scenario in India w.r.t. patents inmicroorganisms is still at an infancy stage and needsprogression.

The micro-organisms with human interventions, accompanied bynovelty, utility and industrial applicability are patentable. Thetechnological advancements in the field of micro-biology, genetics,etc., have complicated the issues relating to patents inmicroorganisms. Therefore, scientific aspects and legal drafting ofthe invention should be done with due precaution and consideration.Further even though, the issues involved in the Monsanto's casewas highly technical, The Supreme Court missed its opportunity indeciding upon the facts in issue8.

Footnotes

1 447 US 303 (1980)

2 Patenting of microorganisms: Systems and concerns,Ramkumar Balachandra Nair & Pratap Chandran Ramachandranna.Journal of Commercial Biotechnology volume 16, pages337347(2010) access from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/jcb.2010.20

3 Dr. BL Wadehra.Law Relating to Intellectual Property66.(Universal-Lexis Nexis, Fifth Edition, Reprint 2018)

4 Id. at ii.

5 Globalization and Access to Drugs. Perspectives on theWTO/TRIPS Agreement Health Economics and Drugs Series, No.007 (Revised). Essential Medicines and Health Products InformationPortal.A World Health Organization resource. Access from:https://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Jwhozip35e/3.4.4.html

6 AIR2019SC559

7 Kluwer Patent Blog.Monsanto v. Nuziveedu: A MissedOpportunity by the Supreme Court?

Access from: http://patentblog.kluweriplaw.com/2020/01/27/monsanto-v-nuziveedu-a-missed-opportunity-by-the-supreme-court/

8 Ibid.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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What is digital food? Heres everything you need to know

The food industry has been undergoing monumental changes in the past few decadesnew technologies were implemented, even into the way we cook, produce and buy food. Climate change pushed more and more people to watch out for how much meat they consume, which then made becoming a vegetarian or vegan extremely trendy. This created a growing need for plant-based meats and non-dairy products.

Along with these shifts, a new term appeared in the culinary world: digital food. Its here, and it doesnt look like its going to vanish anytime soon, so you better get used to it. But what exactly is digital food, and what changes will it inspire in the ever-changing industry that is the food sector?

First of all, lets start by clarifying something: digital food and new technologies being used in the daily operations of food companies are two different things. New technologies meant that manufacturing processes were upgraded and started producing more food at a faster pace. But digital food is something else entirely. With social media came the recent boom in online food-based media, which completely changed the way we look at food online and seek out new recipes, restaurants and reviews.

We began craving new flavours from different countries, but it went even further than that. From sharing images of food on Instagram to augmented reality (AR) filters that shape our faces into a peach or a tomato or any food you can think of, it seems that the term digital food still has many meanings and, therefore, that there is no general consensus on its definition. Why is it not clearer? Because digital food is so recent that it is still in constant change. In other words, digital food is the future but no one can tell what the future holds.

Forget about the Instagram face, the new trend involves face filters that either allow you to look like your favourite food or make photo-realistic 3D food models appear on your camera. Not only can you look like your favourite kind of bubble tea, but you can also help reduce food waste by playing with food digitally. Because, lets be honest, who hasnt tried the Greggs face filter that lets you know which Greggs product you are?

Screen Shot spoke to Clay Weishaar, also known as @wrld.space on Instagram, the AR artist specialising in food filters, about our new obsession with food, especially on social media, and why his designs mainly focus on digital food, Food culture has always been a big subject on Instagram. So has fashion. This has really inspired me to explore the idea of food as fashion. I loved the idea of people wearing their favourite food. With augmented reality technology we have the ability to do this.

This can explain the kind of feedback that his Instagram filters received: I am a huge foodie myself. Combining food, fashion and technology was a sweet spot for me. I think the reason my filters have almost 2 billion impressions is that food is something people identify with. Its a universal subject, and it is what brings people and cultures together.

Some big food chains have already seen the potential in digital food. For example, Dominos created a Snapchat filter that would let users see an AR pizza and offer them the possibility of ordering the pizza online, straight from their Snapchat app. Using AR, brands could show us exactly what a specific meal would look like, making it easier for potential customers to make up their minds on what theyd like to order.

Five years ago, people were writing about food online to complain about the trend of people sharing pictures of their meals on Instagram. Now, people are looking, liking and sharing pictures of fake fooddigital food.

Among the few who can already see the potential of digital food is Jessica Herrington, who created the Instagram account Fresh Hot Delicious, a completely digital restaurant specialising in digital desserts. She described the concept in OneZero, saying, Each dessert exists as a freely available AR filter on Instagram. To simulate a real-world restaurant, the desserts sell out when the AR filters reach a specific number of views. Users can play with the desserts for free until they are sold out and become deactivated. In this way, the digital restaurant gives a life span to previously permanent digital objects.

Experiencing digital food through AR is an accessible and innovative alternative to engage with an audience. Food brands are trying to sell more than a productthey need to sell an experience, and digital food could help them build a connection with potential customers. The future of the food sector is digital, and weve only witnessed a few of the many ways we will consume digital food. As unusual it may seem to many for now, digital food will offer us a new approach to traditional eating experiences, and I dont know about you, but all this made me hungry.

What is digital food? Heres everything you need to know

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GMO brought us the Impossible Burger but what does it actually mean? - Screen Shot

With the coronavirus now spreading rapidly in Italy, recent concerns that various spring races most notably this Saturday's Strade Bianche, next week's Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo (March 21) could be affected have now become very real, and their cancellation extremely likely, with the Italian government calling for a halt to all sporting and public events for the next month. Additionally, a number of cycling teams have revealed their own concerns in the past 24 hours about racing in Italy and at Paris-Nice in France and many have already pulled out of the races.

The Italian races now seem most likely to be rescheduled for a later date, although RCS Sport the organiser of Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo hopes that their spring events might be able to be rescheduled, with further announcements expected following meetings on Thursday.

But what exactly is the Covid-19 coronavirus? Cyclingnews dug into the facts, as reported by theCenters for Disease Controland Prevention and other sites, in order to be able to explain more about the virus, who it affects and why it is important to control its spread.

Bottom line? Practising good personal hygiene and helping prevent the spread of the virus is the absolute best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, your neighbours and your community, and the world at large.

Covid-19 is the disease caused by a new type of coronavirus. The group is named after the viruses' appearance, with each virion surrounded by bunches of spiky proteins that look like a halo, or the corona of the sun, under a microscope. The virus that causes Covid-19 is actually named SARS-CoV-2.

Coronaviruses are common in animals, and in rare cases can pass to humans from direct contact. It is not yet known which animal was the source of SARS-CoV-2, although it is suspected it may have come from bats. Other types of coronaviruses that have jumped from animals to humans include Ebola, MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). SARS-CoV-2 emerged from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China.

Myth: The virus came from a genetic-research facility. Scientists have sequenced the entire genome of the virus and found no evidence that it was the result of genetic engineering, which would leave hallmark sequences behind.

The problem with SARS-CoV-2 is that it is new, so humans likely don't have immunity to it. Immunity from previous infection or vaccination can hamper the ability of a virus to spread, which is why vaccinations like the ones for polio, measles and diptheria are so effective at stopping the spread of the diseases they cause.

Viruses vary in their transmission rate the rate depends on a number of factors including when and how long a person is infectious, how the virus is transmitted, and how long it can stick around in the air or on surfaces. Scientists have been furiously studying SARS-CoV-2 to determine how it's passed along in order to predict how it will spread.

So far, scientists agree that Covid-19 is spread much like the flu or the common cold, by infected people coughing out tiny droplets of virus-laden moisture that can land on people within a few feet or be left on surfaces that others can pick up on their hands. People then become infected when they touch their eyes or mouth, or inhale the droplets.

As a result, good personal hygiene hand-washing, and not touching your eyes, nose or mouth is important. Most professional cyclists already practise this in order to try not get sick during the season.

Because there is no vaccination yet for SARS-CoV-2, it is important to slow the spread using other methods, like isolating sick patients and quarantining people who might have come into contact with infected people. To be safe, these quarantines are kept in place for two weeks to make sure anyone who is infected with the virus can be identified once they begin to show symptoms. Quarantines can keep the virus from spreading outside the community.

To measure how infectious a disease is, epidemiologists calculate the R0 (R-nought) or number of people an infected person is likely to infect. Some viruses like chickenpox or measles are highly contagious because they are carried on smaller vapour particles and can linger in the air much longer. There is little evidence at this point that Covid-19 is as infectious as that. One person with the measles can infect 12-18 people, while one person with Covid-19 typically infects two to three.

But the R0 isn't static; people can bring the infection rates down. According toScientific American, the SARS outbreak went from about three to 0.4 after people took preventative measures. Once the R0 goes below one, the virus will die out.

The best way to stop a virus is immunity, which is why scientists are working quickly to find a vaccination, but until then, the best steps to slow the spread are quarantines, such as those being imposed in regions where infections have been confirmed like China, South Korea and Italy, and good personal hygiene.

It's important to take this seriously if you have travelled to an area with active contagion. One woman in South Korea refused to take a test for coronavirus and is thought to have infected more than 30 people at her church.

The outbreak in Italy has now likely caused the cancellation of Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico, and potentially even the Giro d'Italia (May 9-May 31) if the virus continues to spread, with RCS Sport's Mauro Vegni initially tellingCyclingnewsof his concern for his races at last week's UAE Tour, and saying on Wednesday that he now hopes thatStrade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico andMilan-San Remo, if/when declared cancelled, could be rescheduled for June or September.

The main symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, a cough and aching muscles. More severe cases can develop into difficulty breathing and pneumonia, while the most critical cases require hospitalisation. In Wuhan, the death rate has been higher than in other cities because the hospitals there became overwhelmed with patients.

If you've been to an area where Covid-19 is present, keep an eye on your temperature and quarantine yourself if you spike a fever, and be sure to cover your mouth when coughing, and wash your hands to reduce the chances of spreading it to those close to you.

Myth: Healthy people need to wear masks to keep from getting the virus. The masks are actually most effective for sick people to keep them from spreading the germs with their coughs. Masks require precise fitting and training to ensure that air doesn't get around them to your nose and mouth, so it's likely they won't protect you from getting sick if you're healthy.

The chances are in favour of you surviving the outbreak. Recent statistics show that 81 per cent only have mild symptoms from the virus. The reason health officials are so concerned is because of the potential of this virus to spread from human to human in a population without immunity to it. Healthy young people have the least to fear it's the elderly and other vulnerable groups that are most at risk.

The chances of dying from a virus is known as 'case fatality rate', or CFR. For the flu, the CFR is typically less than 0.5 per cent. The estimated CFR for Covid-19 is more than 2 per cent from numbers taken in China. That's why it is important to take this outbreak seriously.

Myth: The flu vaccine offers protection against SARS-CoV-2. No, it doesn't. But not getting the flu will help free up medical resources for people who get Covid-19.

The most recent study estimated the death rate of Covid-19 to be 2.3% of those infected in China. It's less deadly than MERS (34.4%) or SARS (9.6%), but more transmissible. But the measurement is still a rough estimate because there may be more people infected without symptoms or with mild symptoms that were not counted.

Unlike the 1918 flu also known as Spanish flu which struck healthy young adults and children, Covid-19 appears to be more deadly for the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. There have been no deaths of those aged nine or under, but the CFR for people 80 and older in China was 14.8%.

The disease becomes critical when the body's immune system goes into overdrive, producing chemicals called cytokines that signal to the immune system to produce more white blood cells to fight the pathogen. These immune cells then congregate at the site of infection the lungs and cause inflammation and fluid build-up as they try to battle the virus. In some patients, the body goes overboard producing cytokines, resulting in a 'cytokine storm' that can lead to organ failure, sepsis and death.

No. Be encouraged by the fact that 81 per cent of the cases are mild, and that one per cent of people infected don't show any symptoms at all.

Also be encouraged by the fact that scientists are working faster on this virus, and sharing their data more widely, than at any other time, using cutting-edge technology to learn how it works and how to fight it. There are already efforts under way to create a vaccine for Covid-19, and trials for various drugs to treat severe and critical cases.

The key is to buy time for science to come up with a vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus and to find effective treatments for the severe cases. It took less than a year for the SARS virus to be fully contained, and while Covid-19 has infected more people, there's still time to stop it in its tracks.

The biggest risk to professional cycling is travel restrictions because of quarantines. The summer will be unpredictable, however, with officials speculating that if the virus is not contained by May, this summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, could be cancelled.

But don't worry there's always e-racing...

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What is the Covid-19 coronavirus and how might it continue to affect professional cycling? - Cyclingnews.com

Stermina Therapeutics

This is another mRNA vaccine project, based at Shanghai East Hospital of Tongji University. The CEO of Stermina told Chinese state media at the end of January that manufacturing has already begun, and doses could be ready for human testing sometime in March.

Imperial College London

A team of British scientists are currently testing their own DNA-based vaccine in mice at labs in Imperial College London. The researchers are looking for funding partners to advance the candidate into human testing later this year.

Several other companies are also developing protein-based vaccines. These include:

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

One of the worlds leading vaccine manufacturers, GSK is lending its technology to a Chinese firm called Clover Biopharmaceuticals to work on a coronavirus vaccine. Through the partnership, Clover will be producing viral proteins, and GSK will be providing its proprietary effectiveness-boosting compounds, known as adjuvants. Neither company has provided a testing timeline.

Novavax

Novavax got a jump on the competition from its previous work developing vaccines against SARS and MERS. The Maryland-based company announced in February that it had generated several candidates comprised of recombinant protein nanoparticles derived from the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Company representatives said they expect to complete animal testing soon and move to the first phase of human trials by the end of spring 2020.

Altimmune

Unlike its competitors, this Maryland-based company is developing a vaccine that gets sprayed into patients noses, not injected into their arms. Best known for its nasal-spray flu vaccine, Altimmune announced in February that it had completed the design and prototyping of a vaccine against Covid-19 and is now advancing it toward animal testing and manufacturing for human trials.

Vaxart

This Bay Area biotech is the only one so far developing an oral vaccine against Covid-19. In January, the company announced plans to generate candidates based on the published genome of SARS-CoV-2, but no further timelines have been released.

Expres2ion

This Denmark-based biotech firm is leading a European consortium of vaccine developers to tackle Covid-19. It uses insect cells from fruit flies to produce viral antigens. The company aims to test its candidate vaccine in animal models later this year.

Generex Biotechnology

Four companies in China have contracted with Florida-based Generex to develop a vaccine using the companys proprietary immune-activating technology. Company representatives say it could have a candidate ready for human trials as early as June.

Vaxil Bio

This Israeli immunotherapy company normally specializes in cancer. But last month representatives announced they had discovered a combination of proteins they believe will be an effective vaccine against Covid-19. The company plans to start manufacturing doses for initial testing and looking for partners to scale up further if that goes well.

iBio

This Texas-based biotech company uses modified relatives of the tobacco plant to grow viral proteins for vaccines. The company is partnering with a Chinese vaccine maker to put its FastPharming platform to work on a Covid-19 vaccine. Company officials expect to have a candidate ready for animal testing later this summer.

Baylor College of Medicine / New York Blood Center

Peter Hotezs group is pushing for funding to test their SARS vaccine against the Covid-19. He says they already have about 20,000 doses ready to be deployed for clinical trials. These researchers are simultaneously working on developing a new vaccine from scratch, based on the binding receptor domain of the new virus, SARS-Cov-2, but that will take several years to develop.

University of Queensland

A team of Australian researchers, with funding from CEPI, have developed a vaccine candidate they say is ready to move forward into human testing. It relies on a molecular clamp technology invented in the lab of molecular virologist Keith Chappell, which helps stabilize viral proteins so they have the same shape theyd have on the surface of the virus. The group is now intending to ramp up production for clinical trials.

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Is There a Coronavirus Vaccine? Here's Everything You Need to Know - WIRED

Exponential change doesnt come from incremental improvements, according to Michael Gagne, founder and CXO (chief experience officer), ARTeSYN Biosolutions. This truth seems especially relevant in bioprocessing, where companies are frustrated with existing supply chains, which are full of pain points and resistant to being improved link by link. Companies need a comprehensive solution. To eliminate multiple pain points all at once, companies need Bioprocessing 4.0.

Gagne states that the pains driven approach to moving to a facility of the future does away with the biggest obstacle to exponential progress: complacency in supplier selection or product design. End users or original equipment manufacturers, he argues, require a push to reject these inefficiencies and respond with urgency when given a chance to collaborate on something that fits their needs and promises to advance their interests. Suppliers, he continues, should emphasize cooperation with end users, and not competition with their peers, when working toward a pains-driven solution.

Many manufacturers are stuck in trying to simply optimize what they are doing, rather than take the leap and make a paradigm shift to a facility of the future, Gagne continues. The right mindset is the key to really make this transition. That and a deep understanding of the major problems plaguing biomanufacturing today. If traditional facilities are so great, why do they inspire so little confidence among the biomanufacturers who are pioneering cell and gene therapies? Why is the next-generation facilitythe facility of the futurebecoming a standard instead of remaining an anomaly in biomanufacturing? The traditional approach has flaws that have pretty much become a natural part of biomanufacturing, but that need not be so.

Typical flaws, or pain points, are instances of downtime. According to Gagne, downtime can be caused by parts washing, cleaning validation, leakage, high hold-up volumes, kinking in single-use (SU) tubing, and human error. He adds that all these sources of downtime can be eliminated at once, provided biomanufacturers embrace an exponential approach.

We have already seen an exponential approach to the facility of the future design enabling a 10-fold reduction in the cost of setting up and running a bioprocessing facility for a global manufacturer, asserts Gagne. Thats because we didnt try to squeeze more out of the manufacturers existing solutions. Instead, we chose the more challenging route of searching for the most forward-looking single-use technology. Even with the issues accompanying single-use technology, its the far better option.

If you listen to the market and where its headed, anything short of a cutting-edge leap wont suffice, he continues. Confronting the rising wave of cell and gene therapies as a viable clinical option will require a substantial shift in the industrys approach to everything from facilities to hardware to software design. It will push end users to reconsider their reliance on decades-old technology and challenge their perception of how far single-use technology has advanced today and how to make it work for them.

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Response to a 'Pains Driven' Approach to Facilities of the Future - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

A CORONAVIRUS vaccine won't be ready for another year - and will miss the 'first wave' of the bug, Britain's top doctor has warned.

Professor Chris Whitty said it would be "lucky" to get a booster for Covid-19 in 2020, though existing drugs could play a role.

4

And the Chief Medical Officer added that even if we did get a vaccine for the deadly bug it would "not get us out of a hole now."

He said: "I think ... a year would be lucky to get this - so we will not have a vaccine available for the first wave if we have a first wave."

Despite this, Prof Whitty said other existing treatments may work in high-risk groups although they would not be "perfect".

Prof Whitty made the revelation while being grilled by MPs by the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee on Covid-19.

4

Health Secretary Matt Hancock also admitted that a vaccine to treat the deadly bug was months away.

It comes after scientists at a genetic engineering company in Texas last month claimed they had finished developing the first coronavirus vaccine.

However, they admitted it could still be two years before the vaccine is available to use as it now needs to be tested in animal experiments before human trials can begin.

Chinese doctors are also stepping up their efforts to develop a vaccine as soon as possible.

Health chiefs are relying on the summer to mitigate an outbreak in Britain, and hope that Chinese efforts will delay the spread until the weather warms up.

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They hope that coronavirus will behave like flu, which spreads far more slowly during the summer, buying time to develop a vaccine in case it returns next winter.

"Sunlight kills viruses quickly. Sars pretty much died in July and August [2003] and it's quite plausible we'll see that here," Professor Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, said.

"In summer schools are closed and people are also out of doors more. If you're walking around in the sunshine you are much less likely to spread infection than if you're cramped up together to keep warm indoors."

The number of cases of Covid-19 in the UK has surged to 90 today - with three new cases confirmed in Scotland.

4

Health bosses say the best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands with soap and water for the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice.

Happy Birthday takes about 20 seconds to sing twice and is said to be the perfect number to clean your hands to thoroughly.

You should also not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces which you may have touched is also important.

Dr Daniel Atkinson, clinical lead atTreated.com, said: "Hygiene is incredibly important to ward off any viruses.

What to do if you're worried you've got coronavirus

The new coronavirus is continuing to sweep its way across the globe with Britain seeing more cases in people who aren't linked to outbreaks overseas.

Symptoms of Covid-19 can include:

In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus.

But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract, it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.

It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.

The best way to prevent catching any form of coronavirus is to practice good hygiene.

If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by staying home when you are sick and avoiding contact with others.

You should also cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and sneeze then throw it away and wash your hands.

Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces which you may have touched is also important.

Meanwhile, leading symptom-checking provider to the NHSDoctorlinkhas been updated to help identify patients' risk of having coronavirus.

Source: NHS

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"Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly - for at least 20 seconds - and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.

"If you can, avoid contact with sick people and avoid shaking hands with anyone displaying flu-like symptoms."

Globally, there are currently over 96,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 3,000 deaths from the bug worldwide.

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Coronavirus vaccine wont be ready for another year and will miss first wave of bug, top doc warns - The Irish Sun