Super-potent Human Antibodies protect against COVID-19 in Animal Tests

A human antibody (blue) attaches to the receptor binding domain (red) on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. (Model courtesy of the Burton lab.)

Scientists isolate powerful coronavirus-neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 patients and successfully test in animals. A team led by Scripps Research has discovered antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease, when tested in animals and human cell cultures.

The research, published today in Science, offers a paradigm of swift reaction to an emergent and deadly viral pandemic, and sets the stage for clinical trials and additional tests of the antibodies, which are now being produced as potential treatments and preventives for COVID-19.

“The discover...

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Artificial Synapse that works with Living Cells created

A 2017 photo of Alberto Salleo, associate professor of materials science and engineering, and graduate student Scott Keene characterizing the electrochemical properties of a previous artificial synapse design. Their latest artificial synapse is a biohybrid device that integrates with living cells. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

Researchers have created a device that can integrate and interact with neuron-like cells. This could be an early step to an artificial synapse for use in brain-computer interfaces. In 2017, Stanford University researchers presented a new device that mimics the brain’s efficient and low-energy neural learning process...

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New Light shed on Intelligent Life existing across the Galaxy

Is there anyone out there? This is an age-old question that researchers have now shed new light on with a study that calculates there could be more than 30 intelligent civilizations throughout our Galaxy. This is an enormous advance over previous estimates which spanned from zero to billions.

One of the biggest and longest-standing questions in the history of human thought is whether there are other intelligent life forms within our Universe. Obtaining good estimates of the number of possible extraterrestrial civilizations has however been very challenging.

A new study led by the University of Nottingham and published today in The Astrophysical Journal has taken a new approach to this problem...

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Scientists apply ‘Twistronics’ to Light Propagation and make a Breakthrough Discovery

illustrated rendering of light propagation across two layers of molybdenum trioxide
A bilayer of molybdenum trioxide supports highly unusual light propagation along straight paths when the two layers are rotated with respect to each other at the photonic magic angle. (credit: ASRC)


Promising pathway for leapfrog advancement in imaging, optical-computing technologies, biosensing and more. A research team led by scientists at the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY (CUNY ASRC), in collaboration with National University of Singapore, University of Texas at Austin and Monash University, has employed “twistronics” concepts (the science of layering and twisting two-dimensional materials to control their electrical properties) to manipulate the flow of light in extreme ways...

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