COVID-19

Researchers have developed a fast, cheap, and quantitative antibody test to allow us to understand how COVID-19 affects our immune response.

by Sam Berry In 1918, a new influenza (flu) strain infected nearly a third of the world’s population, leaving tens of millions dead. At the time, relatively little was known about this strain, later called the Spanish Flu—why it was so dangerous, how…

by Noel Jacksonfigures by Daniel Utter Have you ever wondered how scientists study human tissue in the lab? They do so with the help of authentic human cells. Normal cells in the human body have a finite number of replications, which limits their…

by Sydney Shermanfigures by Daniel Utter If you’ve ever received a vaccine or been prescribed a medication, then you have benefited from the contribution of animals to research. Humans have looked to animals to help combat diseases since at…

Why is it that some people get really sick from COVID-19, and others don’t? The answer may lie in a weakened innate immune response.

Catherine (Xiaoxiao) Ding is a second-year Applied Math Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, where she is studying  programmable materials. Daniel Utter is a 5th year Ph.D. student in Organismic and…

Pregnancy test but for viruses? Mini droplet-based diagnostics tests combined with CRISPR may offer a way forward for fast, mass-testing of not just SARS-CoV-2, but hundreds of other viruses as the same time.

by Apurva Govande figures by Tal Scully COVID-19, the disease caused by the newly discovered virus SARS-CoV-2, is a national emergency. We need a vaccine to prevent severe outcomes of disease, to successfully combat future outbreaks of this virus,…

by Kayla Davisfigures by Jovana Andrejevic With COVID-19 cases showing up across much of the United States, many people are increasingly curious if they have contracted the disease. Although the COVID-19 infection rate continues to rise, tests are…