SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Mutations

As viruses create more of themselves within a host, they are prone to copying errors. These mutations or recombinations are single point changes in the virus’ genetic code. This blog will be about the different mutations of SARS-CoV-2 we have been seeing recently.

The Effect of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Lasts At Least 4 Months

N Engl J Med reported the durability of immunity response of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, mRNA-1273 (Moderna). The data was from 34 healthy adults with two vaccine injections. They have performed RBD binding assay and antibody neutralization assay, which revealed that there was no significant change in both RBD binding ability and neutralized inhibitory effect of antibodies over time. The results suggest that the effect of vaccination can last at least 4 months. (Widge et al., 2021)

Cell Paper: Genome-wide CRISPR Screens Reveal Host Factors Critical for SARS-CoV-2 Infection

COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is a major public heatlh threat with more than 1,200,000 deaths worldwide. The first stage in the coronavirus life cycle is viral entry where the viral spike protein will bind to a specific cell surface receptor. The spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2, as well as SARS-CoV-1 and NL63 use angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor for binding. An antibody for this ACE2 protein has been produced by ProSci Inc. (Catalog No. 3217) that has been shown to function in immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence experiments in human samples, and western blot experiments in human, mouse, and rat samples.

This blog is about SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein cleavage analysis for viral infections in comparison to other coronavirus and infectious diseases.

Learn about novel coronavirus SARS-COV-2, the emergence of COVID-19, and biotech industrys' reaction to this global health issue.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been transformative in enabling the immune system, specifically T-cells, to target and eliminate cancerous cells. While there has been much progress in understanding the interaction between T-cells, tumors, and the mechanism of action of checkpoint inhibitors, there are still many remaining basic research questions. Answering these questions requires reliable reagents, specifically antibodies. This blog reviews the importance of checkpoint inhibitors in cancer therapy and describes some best practices for choosing the right immuno-oncology antibody for your research needs. 

August 2017: The Antibody Update

In the August Antibody Update, you can expect to find news of Zika virus herd immunity, the novel technique used to map the 3D structure of chromatin inside the nucleus, and the new way Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) can be detected early using CD4+ and CD8+ T cell blood concentration. Learn more at ProSci.

How to Detect Single Domain Antibodies

Scientists interested in single domain antibodies tend to know that they do not have constant domains. This leads to them asking; how do you go about detecting single domain antibodies? Find out here with ProSci!

May 2017: The Antibody Update

In the May Antibody Update, you can expect to find news of an enzyme inhibitor that increases the efficacy of anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy, the generation of induced pluripotent blood stem cells, and the rapid employment of the latest Ebola vaccine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Learn more at ProSci.

Why are antibodies produced in the body?

Antibodies are produced in the body to serve 3 major purposes in the immune system: neutralization, opsonization, and compliment protein activation. Each of these functions helps to protect the body from potentially harmful pathogens. Learn more at ProSci Inc.