American Chemical Society (ACS) news
Millions of people have been tested for the novel coronavirus, most using a kit that relies on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This sensitive method amplifies SARS-CoV-2 RNA from patient swabs so that tiny amounts of the virus can be detected. However, as the pandemic surges, this laboratory workhorse is showing signs of strain. Now, researchers reporting a proof-of-concept study in ACS Nano have developed a poten
You might have heard that COVID-19 vaccine trials are underway in Seattle. What exactly is being tested? How much longer will these tests take? And when can we expect a vaccine against the novel coronavirus? We chat with Benjamin Neuman, Ph.D., one of the world’s experts on coronavirus, and Daniel Wrapp, one of the scientists who mapped the structure of the protein that the coronavirus uses to infect your cells, to help us answer these questions:
CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society specializing in scientific information solutions, is partnering with research and technology organizations worldwide to tackle the complex challenges presented by COVID-19. In support of calls to action from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and innovation leaders around the globe, CAS just released an open access dataset
As scientists scramble to learn more about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, two recent studies of the virus’ genome reached controversial conclusions: namely, that snakes are intermediate hosts of the new virus, and that a key coronavirus protein shares “uncanny similarities” with an HIV-1 protein. Now, a study in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research refutes both ideas and suggests that scaly, anteater-
Environmental Science & Technology
Municipal solid waste is trash — such as plastic, food scraps and lawn clippings — that goes into garbage bins and doesn’t get recycled. Most of this waste is buried in landfills or is incinerated. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have shown that when disposed of in this way, municipal solid waste can be an i