In an advance that will help scientists track coronavirus variants in wild and domesticated animals, researchers report they can now detect exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in any animal species. Most coronavirus antibody tests require specialized chemical reagents to detect host antibody responses against the virus in each species tested, impeding research across species. 

Science storytelling organization The Story Collider develops “true, personal stories about science” as part of their mission to reveal the vibrant role that science plays in all of our lives through the power of storytelling. Two IGB members will be featured on the December 16th episode of the Story Collider weekly podcast, which will be titled “Flora: Stories from the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.”

Tiny nets woven from DNA strands can ensnare the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, lighting up the virus for a fast-yet-sensitive diagnostic test – and also impeding the virus from infecting cells, opening a new possible route to antiviral treatment, according to a new study.

A team led by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tracked the rise and fall of SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva and nasal cavities of people newly infected with the virus. The study was the first to follow acute COVID-19 infections over time through repeated sampling and to compare results from different testing methodologies.

The findings are reported in the journal Nature Microbiology.

A point-of-care COVID-19 test developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can now detect and differentiate the alpha variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from earlier strains in saliva samples.

As health and research institutions continue to rapidly develop new methodologies for detecting SARS-CoV-2, researchers have found themselves at both forefronts of discovery and featured on the cover of the Journal of the American Chemical Society with their paper "Label-free Digital Detection of Intact Virions by Enhanced Scattering Microscopy."

The COVID-19 pandemic has gone on much longer than many predicted in its earliest months. The world has closely watched its progression, with infection rates measured out on graphs in large waves that sometimes taper to extended plateaus, rather than disappearing as traditional epidemiological models would have suggested they should. Meanwhile, scientists have been working to better understand the factors governing the wave and plateau dynamics of the spread of COVID-19, to be able to better forecast future outbreaks in this pandemic and future epidemics.

New analyses from University of Illinois researchers show that, underneath all the variants and waves, COVID-19 has been cycling seasonally across the globe for nearly two years.

More significantly, the researchers identify a molecular culprit for the virus’s seasonal nature. The finding could help predict future mutations and potentially pave the way for new therapeutics or vaccines.

Vaccine passports strike the right balance between letting life go on for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 while still being realistic about the ongoing public health crisis in the U.S., said Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law at Illinois and bioethics expert.