Keeping Up with the New SARS-CoV-2 Variant Nomenclature
If you’ve been struggling to make sense of SARS-CoV-2 variant nomenclature, you’re not alone. Due to the existence of multiple genomic sequence databases, various naming systems are in use for the rapidly growing range of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern/interest. In a...
Making Sense of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Mutations
Through much of 2020, SARS-CoV-2 accumulated mutations at a steady, yet unspectacular rate. However, as global cases approached 100 million by the end of the year, multiple variants began to emerge. Exhibiting more considerable genomic changes, some variants have...
D614G: Putting the Mutation in Perspective
Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, scientists have speculated about the risks of mutation and what this could mean for therapeutics and vaccines. In this blog, we explore the nature viral mutation, what is known about the D614G mutant of SARS-CoV-2, and introduce our...
The Endemic Coronaviruses and What They Might Tell us About COVID-19
While less-well known than some of their counterparts, the 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1 human coronaviruses are a significant cause of respiratory disease worldwide. The evolutionary histories and host associations of the endemic coronaviruses also provide important...