Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

PA

Bats’ genes can help them fight off coronaviruses, study suggests

The study analysed how bats are able to survive coronaviruses, as well as their ability to use echolocation.

GENES THAT ALLOW bats to fight off deadly diseases such as coronaviruses have been uncovered by a team of global scientists, according to a study.

Researchers generated and analysed six highly accurate genomes, which start to uncover bats’ ability as mammals to fly, survive fatal infections and navigate complete darkness using sound – known as echolocation.

The global scientists’ consortium, known as Bat1K, believes these genetic materials could be used as tools to identify the solutions evolved in bats and could be harnessed to alleviate human ageing and disease.

Dr Michael Hiller, senior author of the study, of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, said: “Our genome scans revealed changes in hearing genes that may contribute to echolocation, which bats use to hunt and navigate in complete darkness.

Furthermore, we found expansions of anti-viral genes, unique selection on immune genes and loss of genes involved in inflammation in bats.

“These changes may contribute to bats’ exceptional immunity and points to their tolerance of coronaviruses.”

Scientists discovered “fossilised viruses” in the DNA, which they believe is evidence of surviving past viral infections.

They say this shows bat genomes contain a higher diversity than other species, providing a record of historical tolerance to viral infection.

The team used new technologies to sequence the bats’ DNA to gather the genomes.

New methods were then developed to assemble these pieces into the correct order and to identify the genes present.

Senior author Dr Sonja Vernes, Bat1K co-founding director and UK Research and Innovation Fellow at St Andrews University, said: “These are the first reference-quality genomes for bats.

“Having such complete and well-annotated genomes allowed us unprecedented insight into the genetic and evolutionary abilities seen in bats.”

The study can be found in the Nature journal.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

View 24 comments
Close
24 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Al
    Favourite Al
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 4:16 PM

    I Love Dublin.

    66
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Old Gabby Johnson
    Favourite Old Gabby Johnson
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 6:30 PM

    Its a kip.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Integra-Ted
    Favourite Integra-Ted
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 6:33 PM

    Don’t let the door hit you on the way out of Dublin so!

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute john
    Favourite john
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 4:22 PM

    Stunningly lyrical piece..very entertaining…

    50
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cosmo Kramer
    Favourite Cosmo Kramer
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 4:14 PM

    While Dublin has some brilliant People living in it and is very pretty it has turned into a dump.. The City Centre is full of junkies, drunks and gangs of young lads running riot. Beatings and stabbings are nearly a nightly occurrence and there’s not a Guard in sight.. Open drug dealings and drug taking can be seen all over the city centre..

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Al
    Favourite Al
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 4:18 PM

    Slight exaggeration. You always get one….

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Harry Sheils
    Favourite Harry Sheils
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 4:58 PM

    Got goosebumps listening to that. Fantastic.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Vicko Aguilar
    Favourite Vicko Aguilar
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 5:49 PM

    Beautiful! I ❤️ Dublin

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Johnny
    Favourite Johnny
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 5:08 PM

    Dublin in a Cultural Jewel of Europe….not many cities have produced the amount Dublin has…U2 Bram Stoker Yeats Shaw Lynott Geldoff O’Hara and on and on the list goes….it took me a while but I love the city…not perfect but us Irish are far from perfect…

    About the controversy in Limerick City of Culture 2014…why feel the need to mention over and over again it when it was completely over amplified across the entire media infrastructure at the time…it was the 1st significant investment in culture in a City whose reputation had been destroyed by media…and it was the first city to expose political interference in Culture and how it is funded!!!

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute joeythelad
    Favourite joeythelad
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 4:51 PM

    I have been to a lot of European cities and I can tell you , you seldom seen junkies injecting openly on the streets ,mothers and fathers going around with kids in prams strung out , dirt and dog pooh and chewing gum littering the streets ,muggings, pickpockets, shoplifting , loads of stabbings and the frequent murder and theres much more I can add ,but that’s what Dublin is and that’s what I call a dump

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute danielplainview
    Favourite danielplainview
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 6:22 PM

    You’re what I call a dope

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ana Nonymous
    Favourite Ana Nonymous
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 8:32 PM

    Have to agree with what you have to say beautiful piece though!

    3
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmaid O'Fionnachta
    Favourite Diarmaid O'Fionnachta
    Report
    Nov 4th 2015, 1:30 AM

    Joey you;d wanna go to Rome. Very sketchy, much more so than Dublin!

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean @114
    Favourite Sean @114
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 9:27 PM

    Like every city it has it’s problems but the pros far outway the cons……. The view across Dublin bay from Howth head, the Phoenix Park, shielded by beautiful mountains, great night life, welcoming people, culturally diverse, Croke Park, Guinness Brewery, great museums and gallerys, fantastic georgian areas, beautiful canals etc etc. Does it have drug and crime problems? Absolutely. It needs to be dealt with urgently by those elected to do so. Is everyone full of top o the mornin to you and cead mile failte? No the natives are by and large welcoming and witty but like any city we have our troubles and strifes. Overall though it’s a smashing city, with great characters, lots of variety and is a pretty hip place to live. I’m proud to tell people that I am Irish and I am from Dublin.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute joeythelad
    Favourite joeythelad
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 7:02 PM

    If people cant see what I say when they go into town they must be blind

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Qwerty
    Favourite Qwerty
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 8:42 PM

    Remove beggers, bucket shakers and buskers. Then it would be much nicer.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Catherine Mc
    Favourite Catherine Mc
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 9:24 PM

    This it wouldn’t be Dublin !

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Qwerty
    Favourite Qwerty
    Report
    Nov 3rd 2015, 9:33 PM

    It would still be Dublin. Just without the harassment on the streets. It’s important to get rid of buskers and street performers too. It’s just begging via proxy. People should be forced to walk on the left on Grafton Street. Very annoying when you just need to get from A to B and Grafton Street is an obstacle course. Ban chewing gum all around the country too.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rathminder
    Favourite Rathminder
    Report
    Nov 4th 2015, 7:54 AM

    The audio was brilliant. Did the video need to begin with such dismal city scenes? Dublin is a city of golden light and great beauty as well as grey and dismal streets.

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds