Wednesday, May 19, 2021

A comprehensive map of the SARS-CoV-2 genome

SARS-CoV-2 is probably without doubt one of the best analyzed viruses of all time!

When will humanity finally return to normalcy! We have effective vaccinations, 1.5 billion doses are already administered world wide. Plus, the virus is fairly harmless compared to other pathogens of the past and present. Just a quick reminder: "Over one million people die from malaria each year, mostly children under five years of age, with 90 per cent of malaria cases occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. ... An estimated 300-600 million people suffer from malaria each year. " (Source)

"... Now, after performing an extensive comparative genomics study, MIT researchers have generated what they describe as the most accurate and complete gene annotation of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. In their study, which appears today in Nature Communications, they confirmed several protein-coding genes and found that a few others that had been suggested as genes do not code for any proteins. ...
The research team also analyzed nearly 2,000 mutations that have arisen in different SARS-CoV-2 isolates since it began infecting humans, allowing them to rate how important those mutations may be in changing the virus’ ability to evade the immune system or become more infectious. ...
The SARS-CoV-2 genome consists of nearly 30,000 RNA bases. Scientists have identified several regions known to encode protein-coding genes, based on their similarity to protein-coding genes found in related viruses. ..."

A comprehensive map of the SARS-CoV-2 genome | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT researchers have determined the virus’ protein-coding gene set and analyzed new mutations’ likelihood of helping the virus adapt.

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