First time I get the cover of a magazine and it's in @Nature! Had this idea to illustrate the diversity captured by the MX Biobank across Mexico and brilliant designer @mauguz33 brought it to life inspired by indigenous Huichol art from near my home town. https://t.co/OHeBg9ZRzu
“Ten years ago I was kicked out and forced to retire.”
Our new medicine laureate Katalin Karikó (@kkariko) told us how much it means to be awarded the Nobel Prize after a scientific career that has been full of challenges.
Ten years ago, Karikó was still doing all her experiments by hand but today she has been awarded the medicine prize for her research on mRNA, which led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Listen now:
I wanted to provide assessment of spike amino-acid mutations in new highly mutated 2nd generation BA.2 SARS-CoV-2 variant
This is analysis for those (like me) scientifically interested in SARS2 evolution
(Anyone else is completely within reason to ignore this variant right now)
Today's featured speaker is Annabel Romero (@opuntiavisual) from SFL Scientific!
She will discuss how to map biomolecules using artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches.
Join us in Oaxaca next October at #SMBPlant2023
Structure Predictors: Use ModelCIF for Computed Structure Models.
ModelCIF is an extension of PDBx/mmCIF data representation
Details at https://t.co/6E55T6yjxD
If Twitter dies and I actually have to go back to journal TOCs and pubmed searches for finding about about interesting publications I’m gonna be pissed.
We have published a new paper! Congratulations to Chengcheng Fan et al. on characterizing monoclonal antibodies elicited by a mosaic-8 RBD-nanoparticle vaccine, which demonstrated cross-reactive binding, neutralization, and targeted desired epitopes. https://t.co/OiIxws9XKQ
Since Omicron emerged a year ago, there are 5 main positions in Spike that have been acquiring changes that seem to be of consequence.
R346, K444, L452, N460, and F486
So while it’s possible updated boosters aren’t as good as magical world in which primary immunity is always to circulating variant, they seem better than real-world alternative of waiting for an infection to start updating immunity to new strain.
This study on response to Omicron after #SARSCoV2 vaccination provides some optimism re “original antigenic sin” https://t.co/WJZ4debdUj
TLDR: although response to Omicron dominated by preexisting B-cells, antibodies from these cells better at 6 months than 1 month.
🧵 below.
In new work, we formulate a biophysical model of viral escape from polyclonal antibodies, & develop software to apply model to deep mutational scanning data to understand antigenic effects of combinations of mutations: https://t.co/6DS5PLqpJp
I explain in 🧵 below.
This is a very interesting study. @yunlong_cao's 🧵 and paper itself explain key findings well, but I want to to highlight what I find most interesting aspects.
9⃣ Finally, my broader view: studies like this are scientifically important & guide how we understand #SARSCoV2.
They should not be interpreted as "PANIC!"
Virus is evolving, people will get (re-)infected, & intelligent vax strategies can ameliorate but not eliminate burden.