WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) recently transferred a number of historical artifacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the National Museum of Health and Medicine and is scheduled to exhibit military medical innovations to the public, Apr. 26.

A new Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine study found virtual group singing can be an effective tool for promoting well-being and social connection during isolation. The study assessed the feasibility of virtual group singing for adults over 55 — including those with neurocognitive disorders like dementia — during the COVID-19 pandemic when older adults were experiencing health declines due to isolation. The next step in the research will be a nationwide trial funded by the National Institutes of Health Music Dementia Research Network. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on global health. The momentous effort of researchers around the globe resulted in not only the successful development of multiple vaccines but also a vast accumulation of COVID-19 patient-derived next-generation sequencing data. Despite the availability of efficacious vaccines, COVID-19 persists, and our knowledge of host transcriptomics is still vague.

Researchers have developed a light-induced DNA detection method that enables rapid, PCR-free genetic analysis. Their technique offers ultra-sensitive mutation detection in just five minutes, reducing costs and simplifying testing. The method has significant potential in healthcare, environmental conservation, and personal health monitoring.

In a Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Jeremie Poschmann of Université de Nantes discusses his pioneering research into the circulating immune system using multi-omics profiling. His work explores how immune history shapes individual responses to infection and psychiatric disorders.

A vaccine under development at the University at Buffalo has demonstrated complete protection in mice against a deadly variant of the virus that causes bird flu. The work, detailed in a study published April 17 in the journal Cell Biomaterials, focuses on the H5N1 variant known as 2.3.4.4b, which has caused widespread outbreaks in wild birds and poultry and other mammals. The vaccine is step toward more potent, versatile and easy-to-produce vaccines that public health officials believe will be needed to counteract evolving bird flu strains that grow resistant to existing vaccines.