MIT researchers translated the Covid-19 virus into music to offer a new perspective

MIT researchers translated the Covid-19 virus into music to offer a new perspective

Researchers and scientist all over the world are trying to figure out the new found virus. Now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are looking at the virus with a new perspective, they are hearing it in musical form.

Markus Buehler, material scientist and professor of engineering at MIT, translated the structure of the coronavirus protein into a musical composition.

Using machine learning and AI technology Buehler and his team were able to calculate the vibrational spectrum and make that audible, creating overlapping melodies that would create a composition or audible representation of the protein.

Buehler said, “When we translate the protein into sound and music, we basically follow the sequence by which these proteins are constructed, you can imagine this being a piano with 20 keys. Each key has a unique sound, but this sound isn’t a sound that comes from a string or a drum membrane or a trumpet. It’s a sound that actually comes from the real vibrations off of chemical building blocks”.

The researchers claim that it is easier to hear abnormalities in the structure of a protein rather than scrutinizing data and looking at it under a microscope at the nano-level.

COVID-19: Key nose cells identified as likely entry points of virus

COVID-19: Key nose cells identified as likely entry points of virus

London: Scientists have identified two specific cell types in the nose as likely initial infection points for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The researchers, including those from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK and University Medical Centre Groningen in the Netherlands, discovered that goblet and ciliated cells in the nose have high levels of the entry proteins that the COVID-19 virus uses to get into our cells.

The identification of these cells could help explain the high transmission rate of COVID-19, they said. The finding, published in the journal Nature Medicine, shows that cells in the eye and some other organs also contain the viral-entry proteins.

The study also predicts how a key entry protein is regulated with other immune system genes and reveals potential targets for the development of treatments to reduce transmission. While it is known that the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, known as SARS-CoV-2, uses a similar mechanism to infect our cells as a related coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS epidemic, the exact cell types involved in the nose had not previously been pinpointed, the researchers said.

To discover which cells could be involved in COVID-19 transmission, they analysed datasets of single cell RNA sequencing, from more than 20 different tissues of non-infected people. These included cells from the lung, nasal cavity, eye, gut, heart, kidney and liver.

Covid-19: Tips to prevent the spread of virus at workplace

Covid-19: Tips to prevent the spread of virus at workplace

Amid Covid-19 several MNCs and firms have adapted to work from home plans for assuring sound health of their employees. But a few organizations are still functioning as usual with a few restrictions.

Well, if your organization is one of them, then here are a few tips for employees and management to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Regular cleaning and disinfecting

It is better to regularly clean washrooms, reception and conference rooms are used by all. Cleaning staff must be advised to clean these areas 2-3 times a day.

Do not shake hands

Avoid shaking hands with your coworkers instead just do a Namaste. It also advised to wear gloves while in office.

Frequent hand wash

Always wash your hands at intervals to reduce the germs that surface on it. You can also use a sanitizer with appropriate amount of alcohol.

Avoid using biometric sensors.

Biometric sensors are used in the offices to register the entry/exit of employees during the office hours. For now, its usage can be dismissed, and manual entry of employees could be done.

Cover your mouth with a tissue or handkerchief while sneezing

If you are ill with cold and cough, carry a handkerchief always with you. In case of a tissue, immediately dispose it in a dustbin after use.

Postpone events and conferences

Social gatherings like events and conferences can be put on hold or organized over a video call to avoid the spread of virus.