Articles by Buffaloed

How a nondescript box has been saving lives during the pandemic – and revealing the power of grassroots innovation A do-it-yourself air purifier in use in a classroom. Douglas Hannah, CC BY-ND Douglas Hannah, Boston University One afternoon, a dozen Arizona State...

How can scientists update coronavirus vaccines for omicron? A microbiologist answers 5 questions about how Moderna and Pfizer could rapidly adjust mRNA vaccines Some vaccines use mRNA to make copies of the triangular red spike proteins to induce immunity. Juan Gaertner/Science Photo...

A mix-and-match approach to COVID-19 vaccines could provide logistical and immunological benefits One of this and one of that might be a good strategy to coronavirus vaccination. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Maureen Ferran, Rochester Institute of Technology...

The next pandemic is already happening – targeted disease surveillance can help prevent it Sustained surveillance for disease outbreaks at global hot spots may be the key to preventing the next pandemic. MR.Cole_Photographer/Getty Images Maureen Miller, Columbia University...

US-backed vaccine patent waiver: pros and cons explained Farasat Bokhari, University of East Anglia The Biden administration has now agreed to back a proposal to suspend intellectual property protection for COVID vaccines. This is a break from US government’s long-held position on strong...

Why an antidepressant could be used to treat COVID-19 Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB/Shutterstock Colin Davidson, University of Central Lancashire A commonly used drug called fluvoxamine was recently tested as a treatment for COVID-19 in the United States. The 152 patients enrolled in...

SARS-CoV-2 infection can block pain, opening up unexpected new possibilities for research into pain relief medication The spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 interferes with pain perception. SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images Rajesh Khanna, University of Arizona...

These dogs are trained to sniff out the coronavirus. Most have a 100% success rate Shutterstock Susan Hazel and Anne-Lise Chaber What does a pandemic smell like? If dogs could talk, they might be able to tell us. We’re part of an international research team, led by Dominique...

How do you stay safe now that states are reopening? An expert explains how to assess risk when reconnecting with friends and family People shop at the re-opening of the Farmer’s Market in Manhattan Beach, Calif. on May 12, 2020. Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images...

What needs to go right to get a coronavirus vaccine in 12-18 months A coronavirus vaccine is coming, but when? Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment via Getty Images Marcos E. García-Ojeda, University of California, Merced I, like many Americans, miss the pre-pandemic world of...

Can an intelligence test forecast which quarterback draft prospects will have NFL success? Former University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. AP Photo/Vasha Hunt Joshua D. Pitts, Kennesaw State University...

Coronavirus drifts through the air in microscopic droplets – here's the science of infectious aerosols From your lungs into the air around you, aerosols carry coronavirus. Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images Shelly Miller, University of Colorado Boulder...

The coronavirus genome is like a shipping label that lets epidemiologists track where it's been The steady rate of genetic changes lets researchers recreate how a virus has travelled. nextstrain.org, CC BY Bert Ely, University of South Carolina and Taylor Carter...

Terrorists, militants and criminal gangs join the fight against the coronavirus Members of an arm of Hezbollah spray disinfectant in a Beirut neighborhood to fight the spread of the coronavirus. AP Photo/Bilal Hussein Jori Breslawski, University of Maryland The favelas of...

Coronavirus: are people with blood group A really at higher risk of catching COVID-19? angellodeco/Shutterstock Sakthivel Vaiyapuri, University of Reading A recent study from China, which has not been peer reviewed yet, suggests a link between having blood group A and a...

How coronavirus threatens the seasonal farmworkers at the heart of the American food supply A farmworker picks lemons at an orchard in Mesa, California. Brent Stirton/Getty Images Michael Haedicke, Drake University Many Americans may find bare grocery store shelves the most...

Should we wear masks or not? An expert sorts through the confusion The guidance on masks appears to be shifting, but social distancing is still the key step people can take. Muhammad Fayyaz Rub/Shutterstock.com Thomas Perls, Boston University As a professor at Boston...

Coronavirus: A new type of vaccine using RNA could help defeat COVID-19 This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round blue objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. NIAID-RML Sanjay Mishra, Vanderbilt University and Robert Carnahan...