Bioinformatics pipeline unveils genetic variability to synthetic vaccine design for Indian SARS-CoV-2 genomes.

In the worrisome scenarios of various waves of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a comprehensive bioinformatics pipeline is essential to analyse the virus genomes in order to understand its evolution, thereby identifying mutations as signature SNPs, conserved regions and subsequently to design epitope based synthetic vaccine. We have thus performed multiple sequence alignment of 4996 Indian SARS-CoV-2 genomes as a case study using MAFFT followed by phylogenetic analysis using Nextstrain to identify virus clades. Furthermore, based on the entropy of each genomic coordinate of the aligned sequences, conserved regions are identified.

Phylogenetic analysis of 17271 Indian SARS-CoV-2 genomes to identify temporal and spatial hotspot mutations.

The second wave of SARS-CoV-2 has hit India hard and though the vaccination drive has started, moderate number of COVID affected patients is still present in the country, thereby leading to the analysis of the evolving virus strains. In this regard, multiple sequence alignment of 17271 Indian SARS-CoV-2 sequences is performed using MAFFT followed by their phylogenetic analysis using Nextstrain. Subsequently, mutation points as SNPs are identified by Nextstrain.

Hotspot Mutations in SARS-CoV-2.

Since its emergence in Wuhan, China, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread very rapidly around the world, resulting in a global pandemic. Though the vaccination process has started, the number of COVID-affected patients is still quite large. Hence, an analysis of hotspot mutations of the different evolving virus strains needs to be carried out.

Characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 clades based on signature SNPs unveils continuous evolution.

Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China more than a year ago, it has spread across the world in a very short span of time. Although, different forms of vaccines are being rolled out for vaccination programs around the globe, the mutation of the virus is still a cause of concern among the research communities. Hence, it is important to study the constantly evolving virus and its strains in order to provide a much more stable form of cure.

Genome-wide analysis of 10664 SARS-CoV-2 genomes to identify virus strains in 73 countries based on single nucleotide polymorphism.

Since the onslaught of SARS-CoV-2, the research community has been searching for a vaccine to fight against this virus. However, during this period, the virus has mutated to adapt to the different environmental conditions in the world and made the task of vaccine design more challenging. In this situation, the identification of virus strains is very much timely and important task.

An indole alkaloid from a tribal folklore inhibits immediate early event in HSV-2 infected cells with therapeutic efficacy in vaginally infected mice.

Herpes genitalis, caused by HSV-2, is an incurable genital ulcerative disease transmitted by sexual intercourse. The virus establishes life-long latency in sacral root ganglia and reported to have synergistic relationship with HIV-1 transmission. Till date no effective vaccine is available, while the existing therapy frequently yielded drug resistance, toxicity and treatment failure.