Combining genetic and experimental data into models about the influenza virus can help predict more accurately which strains will be most common during the next winter, says a study published recently in eLife.
The models could make the design of flu vaccines more accurate, providing fuller protection against a virus that causes around half a million deaths each year globally.
Vaccines are the best protection we have against the flu. But the virus changes its appearance to our immune system every year, requiring researchers to update the vaccine to match. Since a new vaccine takes almost a year to make, flu researchers must predict which flu viruses look the most like the viruses of the future.
The gold-standard ways of studying influenza involve laboratory experiments looking at a key molecule that coats the virus called haemagglutinin. But these methods are labour-intensive and take a long time. Researchers have focused instead on using computers to predict how the flu virus will evolve from the genetic sequence of haemagglutinin alone, but these data only give part of the picture.
“The influenza research community has long recognised the importance of taking into account physical characteristics of the flu virus, such as how haemagglutinin changes over time, as well as genetic information,” explains lead author John Huddleston, a PhD student in the Bedford Lab at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Molecular and Cell Biology Program at the University of Washington, Seattle, US. “We wanted to see whether combining genetic sequence-only models of influenza evolution with other high-quality experimental measurements could improve the forecasting of the new strains of flu that will emerge one year down the line.”
Huddleston and the team looked at different components of virus ‘fitness’ — that is, how likely the virus is to thrive and continue to evolve.
tvN’s “Record of Youth” has released new stills of Park Seo Joon from his special appearance in the drama!
“Record of Youth” is a drama about young people who struggle for their dreams and their love amidst the harsh realities of the modeling industry. Park Bo Gum stars as Sa Hye Joon, an aspiring actor and model, Park So Dam stars as Ahn Jung Ha, an aspiring makeup artist, and Byun Woo Seok stars as Won Hae Hyo, a model who wants to make a name for himself without relying on his family.
Sa Hye Joon, who had been working steadily toward his dream of becoming an actor, finally got his big break when he was offered a role in the medical drama “Gateway,” much to the displeasure of his former agency’s CEO Lee Tae Su (Lee Chang Hoon). Amidst his busy schedule, Sa Hye Joon still found time to kindle his romance with Ahn Jung Ha, but viewers are curious about whether or not the couple will be able to continue their relationship as they face the new reality of Sa Hye Joon’s fame.
In the new stills, Sa Hye Joon looks dashing at the photo wall for the 2019 Drama Awards. Another still features Sa Hye Joon’s acting senior and top star Song Min Su (Park Seo Joon), who flashes a charming smile toward the cameras. During the ceremony, Won Hae Hyo and Park Do Ha (Kim Gun Woo) also anxiously await the announcement for the Best Actor award. Curiosity is mounting over who will receive the award, as well as whether or not Song Min Su will be able to hand over a trophy to Sa Hye Joon, with whom he has a special connection.
Previously, Sa Hye Joon expressed his desire to take a role
tvN’s “Record of Youth” released new stills of Seo Hyun Jin from her special appearance in the show!
The drama is about young people who struggle for their dreams and their love amidst the harsh realities of the modeling industry. Park Bo Gum stars as Sa Hye Joon, an aspiring actor and model, Park So Dam stars as Ahn Jung Ha, an aspiring makeup artist, and Byun Woo Seok stars as Won Hae Hyo, a model who wants to make a name for himself without relying on his family.
In the previous episode, Sa Hye Joon’s drama casting opportunity fell apart due to a scheme by his past agency’s CEO Lee Tae Su (Lee Chang Hoon). Although he didn’t show his disappointment to his manager Lee Min Jae (Shin Dong Mi), Sa Hye Joon was shocked nonetheless and had a difficult time.
The new stills reveal that Sa Hye Joon has been cast in a different drama. In the photos, Sa Hye Joon is wearing a medical gown on a film set. Despite being a rookie actor, he showcases everything he has in front of his co-star and top actress Lee Hyun Soo (Seo Hyun Jin). Lee Hyun Soo also watches Sa Hye Joon with interest, and Sa Hye Joon has bright eyes after talking with her, appearing to have come to some realization from her advice.
The upcoming episode will depict Sa Hye Joon getting a step closer to becoming a super star. In a recent preview, Lee Min Jae had delivered Sa Hye Joon news that there was a role available for an actor with modeling experience, so viewers are curious to find out what interesting events will await Sa Hye Joon with this new project.
Another preview shows Sa Hye Joon filming for a medical drama