Most cells in your body come with two genetic libraries; one in the nucleus, and the other inside structures called mitochondria - also known as the 'powerhouses of the cell'. Until now, we've only had a way to make changes to one. A combined effort by several research teams in the US has led to a process that could one day allow us to modify the instructions making up the cell's 'other' genome, and potentially treat a range of conditions that affect how we power our bodies. The molecular foundation of this revolutionary gene editing tool is a toxin called DddA, secreted by the bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia to sabotage other microbes when competition over resources turns serious. Researchers from the University of Washington have had an interest in the toxin's talents for a while, finding it converts a nucleic acid base called cytosine into a different one commonly found in RNA, called uracil. It's far from the first time researchers have looked to ...
. Mere months into the pandemic, some 115 coronavirus vaccines have been put into development worldwide. France's Pasteur Institute is working on using a modified measles vaccine to "trick" the body into producing antibodies against the novel coronavirus. In March, Norway's Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations approved an initial grant of US$4.9 million to fund the institute's preclinical research. It's one of eight vaccine candidates CEPI is backing, though only two or three projects will be funded all the way through to the regulation and approval stage. CEPI estimates it will cost US$2 billion to develop a COVID-19 vaccine that can be produced in sufficient quantities to immunize billions in record time. But virologist Frédéric Tangy, head of the institute's vaccine innovation lab, says immunization is the only real solution to the pandemic. He compares measures like social-distancing and self-isolation to putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound...