News: Molecular Biosciences

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Department of Molecular Biosciences

Our Immune Systems Blanket the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein with Antibodies

Most antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the blood target areas of the viral spike protein outside the receptor binding domain, or RBD

A spike protein from the virus SARS-CoV-2 with antibodies attached

Department of Molecular Biosciences

Hepatitis C Drugs Boost Remdesivir’s Antiviral Activity Against COVID-19

Four drugs used to treat hepatitis C render remdesivir 10 times better at inhibiting the coronavirus in cell cultures.

A hand holds a pill against a backdrop of other medical interventions such as shots and IV bags

Department of Molecular Biosciences

Human Trials Begin for a Low-Cost COVID-19 Vaccine to Extend Global Access

A COVID-19 vaccine in human trials in Vietnam, Thailand and Brazil, holds promise for affordable vaccine manufacturing in countries currently dependent on imported vaccines.

A masked person holds a glass vial of vaccine

UT News

Accurately Editing Genes in Living Cells Means Grappling with Knots in DNA

Gene editing inside living cells could become more effective and accurate after researchers unveiled how inner workings can help or hinder the process.

A man in a lab coat and goggles watches from the background as a woman in lab coat and goggles handles a pipette at a lab bench

Department of Molecular Biosciences

Finkelstein Receives Welch Foundation’s Norman Hackerman Award

The Welch Foundation announced that Ilya J. Finkelstein who has been researching the coronavirus and the gene-editing tool CRISPR, will receive the 2021 Norman Hackerman Award...

Portrait of a man

Research

Four Natural Sciences Faculty Receive Sloan Research Fellowships

​Carlos Baiz, Caroline Morley, Andrew Potter and Urbain Weyemi are among the 128 scholars from across the country selected by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to receive the 2021 Sloan...

Headshots of four scientists

Research

Undergraduate Research Aims to Harness the Power of Mealworms to Degrade Plastic

Undergraduates at the UT Austin Inventors Program are exploring how mealworms, and the microbes in their guts, can naturally degrade household plastics.

Meal worms and plastic

Department of Molecular Biosciences

Scientists Discover How Remdesivir Works to Inhibit Coronavirus

For the first time, scientists identified a critical mechanism that remdesivir uses against SARS-CoV-2 and unearthed information that drug companies can use to develop new...

A pair of gloved hands holds a vial of clear liquid

Announcements

The College Welcomed New Faculty in 2020

See the new faces at the College of Natural Sciences.

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