SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant infection elicits potent lineage-specific and cross-reactive antibodies

SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant of concern (VOC) resists neutralization by major classes of antibodies from COVID-19 patients and vaccinated individuals. Here, serum of Beta-infected patients revealed reduced cross-neutralization of wildtype virus. From these patients, we isolated Beta-specific and cross-reactive receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibodies. The Beta-specificity results from recruitment of VOC-specific clonotypes and accommodation of mutations present in Beta and Omicron into a major antibody class that is normally sensitive to these mutations. The Beta-elicited cross-reactive antibodies share genetic and structural features with wildtype-elicited antibodies, including a public VH1-58 clonotype targeting the RBD ridge. These findings advance our understanding of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 shaped by antigenic drift with implications for design of next-generation vaccines and therapeutics

Atomic force microscopy for surface imaging and characterization of supported nanostructures

This chapter presents an overview of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) principles followed by details on AFM instrumentation. In particular, the frequency modulation method of the non-contact AFM (NC-AFM) used in ultra-high vacuum conditions is explained in detail. Then, applications of NC-AFM for an atomic-scale range characterization of semiconductor and isolator surfaces as well as supported nanostructures are introduced

Non-Standard Errors

In statistics, samples are drawn from a population in a data-generating process (DGP). Standard errors measure the uncertainty in sample estimates of population parameters. In science, evidence is generated to test hypotheses in an evidence-generating process (EGP). We claim that EGP variation across researchers adds uncertainty: non-standard errors. To study them, we let 164 teams test six hypotheses on the same sample. We find that non-standard errors are sizeable, on par with standard errors. Their size (i) co-varies only weakly with team merits, reproducibility, or peer rating, (ii) declines significantly after peer-feedback, and (iii) is underestimated by participants