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A12 SCIENCE
Saturday 9 January 2021
Study suggests Pfizer vaccine works against virus variant

By LAURAN NEERGAARD protein that both variants
AP Medical Writer share, called N501Y, that is
New research suggests Pfiz- believed responsible for the
er's COVID-19 vaccine can easier transmission. Pfizer
protect against a mutation and researchers from the
found in the two more- University of Texas Medical
contagious variants of Branch in Galveston con-
the coronavirus that have ducted laboratory tests to
erupted in Britain and South see if that mutation could
Africa. thwart the vaccine.
The study was preliminary They used blood samples
and did not look at the two from 20 people who re-
other major vaccines being ceived the vaccine, made
used in the West — Mod- by Pfizer and its German
erna's and AstraZeneca's. partner BioNTech, during
But it was reassuring, given a large trial of the shots.
questions of whether the Antibodies from those re-
virus could mutate to de- cipients fended off the vi-
feat the shots on which the rus in lab dishes, according
world has pinned its hopes. to the study, posted late
"There's no reason to think Thursday on an online site
the vaccines won't work for researchers.
just as well on these strains," The findings have not yet
said Dr. Frederic Bushman Syringes containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine sit in a tray in a vaccination room at been reviewed by outside
of the University of Pennsyl- St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. experts, a key step for med-
vania, who tracks how the Associated Press ical research.
virus mutates. But "it was a very reassuring
The mutated version cir- Bushman, who wasn't in- antibodies against multiple demic, it is still an important finding that at least this mu-
culating in Britain has also volved with the Pfizer study, spots on the spike protein area of study because the tation, which was one of
been detected in the U.S. cautioned that it tested just that coats the virus. coronavirus, like all viruses, the ones people are most
and numerous other coun- one vaccine against one "A mutation will change constantly evolves. This concerned about, does
tries. worrisome mutation. But the one little place, but it's not study marks just the begin- not seem to be a problem"
That and the variant seen Moderna and AstraZeneca going to disrupt binding to ning of continual monitor- for the vaccine, said Pfizer
in South Africa are causing vaccines are undergoing all of them," Bushman ex- ing to make sure that all the chief scientific officer Dr.
global concern because similar testing, and he said plained. vaccines being rolled out Philip Dormitzer.
they appear to spread he expects similar findings. While scientists did not ex- around the world continue Viruses constantly under-
more easily — although That's because all the vac- pect that a single mutation to work. go minor changes as they
how much more isn't yet cines so far are prompting would completely upend The study looked at one spread from person to per-
known. recipients' bodies to make efforts to stop the pan- modification to the spike son. q

One-third of America’s rivers have changed color since 1984

cal Research Letters. Some blooms that cause oxygen images over 35 years, fo-
river segments became loss and can produce tox- cusing on rivers and reser-
more red. ins. voirs. The study found much
Only about 5% of U.S. river The chief causes of color of the shift to greener rivers
mileage is considered blue changes are farm fertil- happened in the North and
— a color often equated izer run-off, dams, efforts to West, while the yellowing
with pristine waters by the fight soil erosion and man- occurred more in the East
general public. About two- made climate change, and around the Mississippi
thirds of American rivers are which increases water tem- River. It also found some riv-
yellow, which signals they perature and rain-related ers change colors naturally
have lots of soil in them. run-off, the study authors with the seasons.
But 28% of the rivers are said. “We change our riv- Outside experts praised the
green, which often indi- ers a lot. A lot of that has study, saying while hard-to-
cates they are choked with to do with human activ- understand measurements
algae. And researchers ity,” said study co-author have shown problems with
found 2% of U.S. rivers over Tamlin Pavelsky, a professor American rivers, this illus-
In this Thursday, July 12, 2018 file photo, an algae bloom ap-
pears on the Caloosahatchee River at the W.P. Franklin Lock the years shifted from dom- of global hydrology at the trates the situation simply.
and Dam in Alva, Fla. inantly yellow to distinctly University of North Carolina. The study “is super cool and
Associated Press green. For example, Pavelsky said, a bit mind-blowing (yet
“If things are becoming the green at times in the intuitive),” Martin Doyle,
By SETH BORENSTEIN have noticeably shifted more green, that’s a prob- Ohio River indicates a bad head of water programs
America’s rivers are chang- color in satellite images lem,” said study lead author algae problem from farm at Duke University, wrote
ing color — and people are since 1984. That includes John Gardner, a University runoff while rivers that are in an email. “It shows how
behind many of the shifts, a 11,629 miles (18,715 kilome- of Pittsburgh geology and getting less yellow demon- most every aspect of our
new study said. ters) that became greener, environmental sciences strate the success of regu- planet is being affected
One-third of the tens of or went toward the violet professor. Although some lations to prevent soil ero- by humans, now including
thousands of mile-long (two end of the color spectrum, green tint to rivers can be sion. the basic color of our wa-
kilometer-long) river seg- according to a study in this normal, Gardener said, it The study looked at more ter. That’s pretty profound if
ments in the United States week’s journal Geographi- often means large algae than 230,000 NASA satellite you think about it.”q