Over 1,000 genes linked to severe COVID-19

Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Stanford University in the US have discovered specific genetic signals in people who develop severe coronavirus infection. Age, body mass index and pre-existing health problems are known to...

COVID-19 deaths among elderly may be due to genetic limit on cell division

Your immune system’s ability to combat COVID-19, like any infection, largely depends on its ability to replicate the immune cells effective at destroying the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease. These cloned immune cells...

Lab-grown ‘mini-stomachs’ could shed light on children’s COVID symptoms

A ‘lab-grown model’ of the human stomach, that can be used to study how infections affect the gastrointestinal system, has been developed for the first time. A UCL-led team of international scientists have built on...

Euro biotech: breaking down the barriers to a golden age

Converting cutting-edge research into viable products remains a challenge for the European biotech sector. Jonathan Hay of Delin Ventures investigates how ambition can translate to reality. Europe’s tech sector is going from strength to strength....

The scientific, political and economic implications of COVID-19: an insider’s perspective

It is widely assumed that the life science industry performed well off the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the demand for assays and molecular tools driving unprecedented sales to support global research. This...

How NHS Wales streamlined sterile manufacturing to increase CCU capacity for second COVID-19 wave

Connect 2 Cleanrooms (C2C) expedited the design and build of a temporary medicines unit for NHS Wales’ new Central Intravenous Additive Service (CIVAS). In March during the first COVID-19 surge, the UK Government increased Critical...

Covid-19 transmission chains in the UK traced through time and space with remarkable accuracy...

A team of scientists, led by researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh, has analysed the first wave of the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK and produced the most fine-scaled and comprehensive genomic...

UK Government invests £5m to develop ‘library’ of MRNA vaccines

CPI has received a £5 million investment to support the development of an mRNA ‘vaccine library’ as part of the Government’s vaccine support package announced in the Budget by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak. The vaccine...

COVID-19 TESTING SECTOR DEMAND SET TO CONTINUE AMID VACCINE ROLLOUT

Amid the continued high demand for testing and staggered vaccine rollout, the diagnostics industry, which was valued in 2020 at $17.2bn-$19.8bn, is set to rise further in 2021 The diagnostics sector will continue to see...

Research shows coronavirus can survive on healthcare uniforms for three days

Viruses similar to the strain that causes Covid-19 can survive on clothing and transmit to other surfaces for up to 72 hours, scientists at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have warned. In a study looking...

Molecular ‘cookie cutter’ technique could provide key for COVID drug discovery

University of Birmingham researchers are working to isolate and extract the COVID-19 encounter complex in a form that is stable enough for identification of target sites for future anti-viral drugs. The encounter complex is formed...

BioScience Today Launches Digital Packages to Support Companies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the Bio-Life science industry continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is has become even more vital for companies to sustain their presence during these challenging times. Since the COVID-19 pandemic...

Zotefoams’ ZOTEK® F foam chosen by InsulFab for safe and effective delivery of COVID-19...

High-performance closed cell, crosslinked fluoropolymer foam helps ensure safe and secure transportation of ultra-cold chain vaccine As part of the USA’s Operation Warp Speed (OWS) initiative to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas, USA-based InsulFab...

Work begins on UK system for estimating COVID-19 cases from wastewater

Scientists will develop a standardised UK-wide system for detecting coronavirus in wastewater, in order to provide an early warning of future outbreaks and reduce reliance on costly testing of large populations. The majority of people...

Fishing for answers to the covid conundrum

The eyes of the scientific world have been on a Covid-stricken fishing vessel that seems to have provided the first real evidence outside of a lab that antibodies do indeed protect against reinfection. By...

UK STRIDES INTO INTERNATIONAL ARENA OF VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

As Oxford University and Imperial College London move into poll position in the race to develop an anti-Covid vaccine, the UK’s first dedicated Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is preparing to turn their results into...