Publications by authors named "M J Borucki"
Unlabelled: Plaque assay is the gold standard for the quantification of viable cytopathic viruses like Zika virus (ZIKV). Some strains of ZIKV produce plaques that are very difficult to accurately visualize and count on the commonly used Vero cell line. From data generated in our lab, we became curious if Vero/TMPRSS2 cells may be a better alternative; therefore, we compared the plaque forming units of two strains of ZIKV on Vero/TMPRSS2 cells to those produced by Vero cells.
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- Viral populations in natural infections can vary widely genetically, affecting their ability to evade immune responses, yet most potency tests use a uniform viral strain, which may not reflect real-world scenarios.
- Researchers explored whether genetically diverse recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike virus stocks could better represent circulating viruses by conducting passage experiments under selective pressures.
- Their findings showed that viral stocks passaged with selection pressure rapidly acquired mutations that helped them escape neutralization by monoclonal antibodies, suggesting that using genetically diverse stocks provides more accurate insights in antibody assessment assays.
Introduction: Plasmacytoma is a rare plasma-cell neoplasm, which includes bone and extramedullary types. While most cases occur in the head and neck, our report presents an unusual case of extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) in the penis, emphasizing the diverse locations of this condition.
Case Presentation: An 88-year-old man, post-hydrocelectomy, presented with a palpable penile mass causing urinary symptoms.
Genetic analysis of intra-host viral populations provides unique insight into pre-emergent mutations that may contribute to the genotype of future variants. Clinical samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 collected in California during the first months of the pandemic were sequenced to define the dynamics of mutation emergence as the virus became established in the state. Deep sequencing of 90 nasopharyngeal samples showed that many mutations associated with the establishment of SARS-CoV-2 globally were present at varying frequencies in a majority of the samples, even those collected as the virus was first detected in the US.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a popular tool for the early indication of community spread of infectious diseases. WBE emerged as an effective tool during the COVID-19 pandemic and has provided meaningful information to minimize the spread of infection. Here, we present a combination of analyses using the correlation of viral gene copies with clinical cases, sequencing of wastewater-derived RNA for the viral mutants, and correlative analyses of the viral gene copies with the bacterial biomarkers.
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