Setting up a global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system requires an understanding of how virus isolation and propagation practices, use of animal or human sera, and different neutralisation assay platforms influence assessment of SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity. In this study, with the contribution of 15 independent laboratories across all WHO regions, we carried out a controlled analysis of neutralisation assay platforms using the first WHO International Standard for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (source: NIBSC). Live virus isolates (source: WHO BioHub or individual labs) or spike plasmids (individual labs) for pseudovirus production were used to perform neutralisation assays using the same serum panels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of network analysis as a tool has increased exponentially as more clinical researchers see the benefits of network data for modeling of infectious disease transmission or translational activities in a variety of areas, including patient-caregiving teams, provider networks, patient-support networks, and adoption of health behaviors or treatments, to name a few. Yet, relational data such as network data carry a higher risk of deductive disclosure. Cases of reidentification have occurred and this is expected to become more common as computational ability increases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFYoung sexual and gender minority (SGM) people assigned male at birth who use substances are at elevated risk of HIV acquisition. This brief report leverages a large cohort of SGM people assigned male at birth to estimate substance use homophily (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConventional thin section electron microscopy of viral pathogens, such as the pandemic SARS-CoV-2, can provide structural information on the virus particle phenotype and its evolution. We recorded about 900 transmission electron microscopy images of different SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha (B.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe central complex (CX) plays a key role in many higher-order functions of the insect brain including navigation and activity regulation. Genetic tools for manipulating individual cell types, and knowledge of what neurotransmitters and neuromodulators they express, will be required to gain mechanistic understanding of how these functions are implemented. We generated and characterized split-GAL4 driver lines that express in individual or small subsets of about half of CX cell types.
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