Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
A loopy signature- Tracing HIV-1 strains that imprint broadly neutralising antibody responses
According to the WHO, almost a million people die each year of HIV-related causes across the world. Although numbers are falling, most experts agree that a vaccination against HIV will be required to stop the pandemic once and for all. The Holy Grail is a vaccine that induces broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), which inhibit the majority of circulating HIV strains. Thus far, all efforts to develop such a vaccine have failed. In a recent study we show that the genome of the infecting virus strongly determines how our body immune defences respond to it. Some HIV strains even seem to be able to induce broadly neutralizing antibody responses across individuals - exactly what is needed to develop a successful vaccine
The real soil microbiomes and their roles in vegetation transformation as uncovered in the Cerrado
Soil organisms, particularly members of the soil microbiome, regulate plant performance and control plant communities. In our study, we show that the microbiome complexity increases from early successional to climax vegetation. We also found an enrichment of animal parasites and plant pathogens in early successional compared to later successional vegetation. Together, our results suggest that soil organisms, particularly plant pathogens, facilitate plant succession, while the most complex microbiomes keep plant communities in climax vegetation stable. Therefore, our results point at the importance of soil microorganisms for plant vegetation dynamics and stability.
