Accurate detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases is paramount to appropriate treatment and better outcomes. Despite tremendous efforts to advance new diagnostic techniques, there are still critical gaps in the healthcare system in quickly diagnosing and responding to infectious diseases. Current diagnostic technologies identify pathogens by detecting...

Although the world has returned to a state of relative normalcy, SARS-CoV-2 infections continue to persist worldwide, and immune evasive variants continue to emerge. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are often first in line therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infections, but most have lost utility against the Omicron variant and its subvariants. One mAb cocktail, Evusheld,...

T cell immunity is a fundamental component of the immune response to infections, cancer, and autoimmunity and is strongly impacted by polymorphisms in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) protein sequences. In particular, allelic MHC-I protein variants have been shown to influence patient outcomes to various viral infections, including SARS-CoV. While...

Cannabinoid acids are a class of natural compounds that are commonly isolated from the plant C. sativa, which, when decarboxylated, produce the most widely known and used cannabinoids. Both naturally extracted as well as synthetically produced cannabinoids have therapeutic potential, as evidenced by FDA approval of a synthetic formulation of THC and...

­Vaccines are an essential tool in preventing and controlling many diseases. Most approved vaccines are inactivated or live attenuated type, however, alternative platforms like mRNA and virus-like particles (VLPs) are being increasingly explored and approved because they generate potent immune responses with great safety profiles. VLPs are particularly...

­Recent infectious diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2, have caused massive and widespread global health and economic problems. One of the most effective tools in the early stages of a disease outbreak is testing and isolation of the infected. However, it takes time to develop a new diagnostic, particularly with novel pathogens. By the time a new test...

­As we make our way through the third year of the global pandemic, one thing is abundantly clear, COVID testing is just as important now as it was in the beginning. But not all testing is created equal. PCR is highly sensitive; however, it requires well-trained personnel and expensive equipment, prohibiting home use and limiting use in areas with...

­Background Although chlorine remains one of the most widely used water disinfectants throughout the world, the toxicity of the chemical itself and of its by-products poses significant health risks. Non-chemical disinfectants such as ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has been an attractive alternative and is gaining acceptance in both large-scale and...

­SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, has spread globally into a full-blown pandemic, resulting in over 4 million deaths worldwide. With new and more contagious variants circulating, identification, surveillance, isolation and research are still vital to minimize spread and improve containment. Serology tests for detecting SARS-CoV-2...

Because genetic information is used in pathogen detection, human genotyping, determining and detecting mutations which cause disease and for monitoring and treatment of infectious diseases, it is imperative that new methods for detecting nucleic acids are developed that are rapid, inexpensive and easy to implement. PCR-based methods for detecting nucleic...