A ratiometric ER calcium sensor for quantitative comparisons across cell types and subcellular regions.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important regulator of in cells and dysregulation of ER calcium homeostasis can lead to numerous pathologies. Understanding how various pharmacological and genetic perturbations of ER homeostasis impacts cellular physiology would likely be facilitated by more quantitative measurements of ER levels that allow easier comparisons across conditions. Here, we developed a ratiometric version of our original ER-GCaMP probe that allows for more quantitative comparisons of the concentration of in the ER across cell types and sub-cellular compartments.

Optimized Red-Absorbing Dyes for Imaging and Sensing.

Rhodamine dyes are excellent scaffolds for developing a broad range of fluorescent probes. A key property of rhodamines is their equilibrium between a colorless lactone and fluorescent zwitterion. Tuning the lactone-zwitterion equilibrium constant () can optimize dye properties for specific biological applications.

Treatment of COVID-19 Patients with Two Units of Convalescent Plasma in a Resource-Constrained State.

Importance: Many therapies are used to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, including convalescent plasma. The clinical utility of using 2 units of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 hospitalized patients is not fully understood.

Objective: Many therapies are used to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, including convalescent plasma.

Transmission from vaccinated individuals in a large SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant outbreak.

An outbreak of over 1,000 COVID-19 cases in Provincetown, Massachusetts (MA), in July 2021-the first large outbreak mostly in vaccinated individuals in the US-prompted a comprehensive public health response, motivating changes to national masking recommendations and raising questions about infection and transmission among vaccinated individuals. To address these questions, we combined viral genomic and epidemiological data from 467 individuals, including 40% of outbreak-associated cases. The Delta variant accounted for 99% of cases in this dataset; it was introduced from at least 40 sources, but 83% of cases derived from a single source, likely through transmission across multiple settings over a short time rather than a single event.

Evidence of transmission from fully vaccinated individuals in a large outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Multiple summer events, including large indoor gatherings, in Provincetown, Massachusetts (MA), in July 2021 contributed to an outbreak of over one thousand COVID-19 cases among residents and visitors. Most cases were fully vaccinated, many of whom were also symptomatic, prompting a comprehensive public health response, motivating changes to national masking recommendations, and raising questions about infection and transmission among vaccinated individuals. To characterize the outbreak and the viral population underlying it, we combined genomic and epidemiological data from 467 individuals, including 40% of known outbreak-associated cases.