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According to a study published in the journal Science, the new coronavirus has mutated well, but could cause it to disappear. This American study confirms that SARS-CoV-2 mutated when it arrived in Europe in February. This strain, which has been dubbed D614G, is transmitted and replicated much faster than the Wuhan strain. This is what the results of several experiments show in vivo is ex vivo, in human cells and hamsters, with the original virus and the mutated version. There are two positives to this study. First: While the virus is more effective at infecting hosts, it does not cause more serious disease, at least in hamsters. Second: What made this virus more efficient is the mutation of the surface protein, the Spike protein, which allows SARS-CoV-2 to enter our cells. But according to the researchers, this mutation in the spike protein potentially leaves the virus more vulnerable to neutralization by antibodies and thus makes it more susceptible to vaccines. In other words, perhaps the strength of the new coronavirus is its Achilles heel.
Covid-19 vaccine: the war of press releases
After the Pfizer and BioNTech laboratory, Morderna today announced an even more effective vaccine. Again, no studies have been published, nothing has been validated by the scientific community, so we can only be vigilant. This American laboratory tested a messenger RNA vaccine in a Phase 3 (last step before authorization) clinical trial in over 30,000 people in the United States. According to the press release, this vaccine is nearly 95% effective – that’s more than Pfizer and BioNTech’s 90%. This vaccine would protect severe cases and can be stored in “a classic refrigerator”, unlike the competing vaccine which must be frozen at -70 ° C, which is a real logistical headache, so we look forward to publication. of a study.
Green light for ESA’s Ariel mission
The European Space Agency has just adopted the Ariel mission to study the atmosphere of exoplanets. After last year’s CHEOPS telescope, after the PLATO probe scheduled for 2026, here is ESA’s third mission dedicated to exoplanets. Ariel is a space telescope equipped with two instruments: the AIRS infrared spectrometer, which will be designed by CEA, CNES and CNRS, and the FGS, a low-resolution spectrograph, partly designed by NASA. Ariel’s goal will be to probe the atmosphere of about 1,000 planets, super-Earths and gas giants. Essentially “hot” and luminous planets, to measure the composition and structure of these atmospheres. Launch with an Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled for 2029.
Taming love at first sight
And finally according to a study published in Nature Communications, it would be possible to direct the path of the lightning. In small-scale laboratory simulations, an international team has achieved encouraging results. Simply put, lightning is an electrical current that bridges the gap between a positively charged point on the ground and a negatively charged point in a storm cloud. Their system uses a laser beam that reflects the same process as lightning. Their laser beam sets a point to guide electrical discharges. They also used graphene microparticles as a charge mediator. This is only in the experimental stage, but according to the authors, this system could prevent many forest fires due to thunderstorms.
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