The Advantages of Using Electron Microscopy for Virus Detection
Image Credit: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock.com
Worldwide there are more than 1 x 10
31
viruses, which can potentially spread and result in outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It is hence important to study them and understand the way they replicate in order to prevent their spread. One common technique used to study viruses and their genome is transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is behind the current COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the whole world since the outbreak started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The virus has been spreading rapidly since, leading to many deaths and severe consequences on the economies of countries worldwide.
A few weeks ago, from April 5-12, we celebrated International Dark Sky Week, to raise awareness of the negative effects of light pollution and dark sky defenders connect to protect the night sky. Light pollution is caused by improper lighting fixtures resulting in invasive light glow that fades the stars and reduces the average person’s ability to view the Milky Way.
International Dark Sky Week was created in 2003, by a then-high school student, Jennifer Barlow from Virginia, and has grown to an annual worldwide event. The event is held during the New Moon, when skies are at their darkest and stars are more visible. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to turn off their lights and enjoy the beauty of the night sky.
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Corona Borealis is one of the smallest constellations in the heavens. (Creators.com illustration)
I always know that springtime has arrived by the stars I see during the early evening hours. One of my favorites is the small but quite beautiful constellation Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.
The Northern Crown isn’t one of the brighter star groupings, so you’d be better off searching for this one from a dark-sky location when there’s no moon in the sky. You can find it easily by locating one brighter star first.
After dark this week, look midway up in the eastern sky and you’ll see a glistening, yellowish-orange star named Arcturus. You can find it by following the “arc” of the Big Dipper’s handle outward, away from its bowl. Arcturus is the fourth brightest star in the heavens and is also the most brilliant of all Northern Hemisphere stars.
This coming April we have the Lyrid meteor shower, which will peak on the nights 21st / 22nd and 22nd / 23rd. A meteor shower is named after the constellation from where the meteors appear to come from. In this case the constellation of Lyra the Lyre. A meteor shower is formed from the dust trail left by a comet as it travels around the Sun. A comet is essentially a dirt snowball travelling through space. When the Earth passes through these dust streams we see lots of meteors. These dust grains can hit the atmosphere with speeds of anywhere between 20 and 50 miles per second.