The virus of the month: Influenza
Influenza kills hundreds of thousands annually and has the potential to cause pandemics, making it a major public health concern. The influenza viruses that infect humans are classified as either A, B or C types based on host tropism and the severity of the disease....
The viral system of the month: Virus-like Particles
Virus-like particles: life as a shell Virus-like particles (VLPs) are non-infectious nanostructures made of viral structural proteins, and thereby mimicking the outer conformation of the virus of interest. VLPs might resemble a working virus, but don’t be fooled:...
Timeless TCID50: One solution to many viruses
This month we cover an old classic, the Tissue Culture Infectious Dose 50 assay, or TCID50. The TCID50 assay is used to quantify viral titres by determining the concentration at which 50% of the infected cells display cytopathic effect (CPE). As long as the virus of...
A small-molecule that mimicks anti-flu antibodies
A small-molecule that mimicks anti-flu antibodies Flu is a serious health problem: what are we doing about it? Flu makes millions of people ill and kills hundreds of thousands every year. At the moment, seasonal flu vaccines are the best available defence against...Page 6 of 8