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COVID Vaccine Boosters: the Most Important Questions

COVID Vaccine Boosters: the Most Important Questions

Concerns over waning immunity and SARS-CoV-2 variants have convinced some countries to deploy extra vaccine doses - but it's not clear to scientists whether most people need them.

After Trump, US Researchers Urge Biden to Block Political Meddling in Science

After Trump, US Researchers Urge Biden to Block Political Meddling in Science

White House science office is expected to deliver a review of US scientific-integrity policies next month.

Dashboard Will Track Hiring and Promotion Criteria

Dashboard Will Track Hiring and Promotion Criteria

International coalition aims to identify how universities use impact factors and related metrics.

How the Coronavirus Infects Cells - and Why Delta is So Dangerous

How the Coronavirus Infects Cells - and Why Delta is So Dangerous

Scientists are unpicking the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and how the virus uses tricks to evade detection.

Proposed NIH Windfall Raises Hopes - and Fears

Proposed NIH Windfall Raises Hopes - and Fears

Large increases to the budget of the US National Institutes of Health can spur wide investment, but also increase competition among junior researchers.

The Lack of People of Colour in Science Images Must Be Fixed

The Lack of People of Colour in Science Images Must Be Fixed

Archives, libraries, photo agencies and publishers need to do better to reflect science's true past and present.

COVID Vaccines Have Higher Approval in Less-Affluent Countries

COVID Vaccines Have Higher Approval in Less-Affluent Countries

Surveys show that people in ten low- and middle-income nations are generally more eager to receive the COVID-19 jab than people in two wealthier nations where vaccine is plentiful.

COVID and Mass Sport Events: Early Studies Yield Limited Insights

COVID and Mass Sport Events: Early Studies Yield Limited Insights

UK allowed mass gatherings and attempted to study them but the early results provide limited data on viral transmission.

Richard C. Lewontin (1929-2021), Pioneer of Molecular Evolution

Richard C. Lewontin (1929-2021), Pioneer of Molecular Evolution

Lewontin was a groundbreaking geneticist, best known for bringing molecular tools into evolutionary biology and for his advocacy against the use of science to rationalize structural inequity.

Tracking Chernobyl's Effects on Wildlife

Tracking Chernobyl's Effects on Wildlife

Evolutionary ecologist Germán Orizaola Pereda analyses how species have been affected, 35 years after the world's worst nuclear accident.

Don't Focus on English at the Expense of Your Science

Don't Focus on English at the Expense of Your Science

A language barrier can be a challenge, but there are better ways to spend your resources, says Zhanna Anikina.

Reduced Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Delta to Antibody Neutralization

Reduced Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Delta to Antibody Neutralization

The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 lineage was identified in October 2020 in India1-5. It has since then become dominant in some indian regions and UK and further spread to many countries6. The lineage includes three main subtypes (B1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3), harbouring diverse Spike mutations in the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) which may increase their immune evasion potential. B.1.617.2, also termed variant Delta, is believed to spread faster than other variants. Here, we isolated an infectious Delta strain from a traveller returning from India. We examined its sensitivity to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and to antibodies present in sera from COVID-19 convalescent individuals or vaccine recipients, in comparison to other viral strains. Variant Delta was resistant to neutralization by some anti-NTD and anti-RBD mAbs including Bamlanivimab, which were impaired in binding to the Spike. Sera from convalescent patients collected up to 12 months post symptoms were 4 fold less potent against variant Delta, relative to variant Alpha (B.1.1.7). Sera from individuals having received one dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines barely inhibited variant Delta. Administration of two doses generated a neutralizing response in 95% of individuals, with titers 3 to 5 fold lower against Delta than Alpha. Thus, variant Delta spread is associated with an escape to antibodies targeting non-RBD and RBD Spike epitopes.