Genetic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in renal dialysis units - a high risk community-hospital interface

OBJECTIVES: Patients requiring haemodialysis are at increased risk of serious illness with SARS-CoV-2 infection. To improve the understanding of transmission risks in six Scottish renal dialysis units, we utilised the rapid whole-genome sequencing data generated by the COG-UK consortium. METHODS: We combined geographical, temporal and genomic sequence data from the community and hospital to estimate the probability of infection originating from within the dialysis unit, the hospital or the community using Bayesian statistical modelling and compared these results to the details of epidemiological investigations. RESULTS: Of 671 patients, 60 (8.9%) became infected with SARS-CoV-2, of whom 16 (27%) died. Within-unit and community transmission were both evident and an instance of transmission from the wider hospital setting was also demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Near-real-time SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data can facilitate tailored infection prevention and control measures, which can be targeted at reducing risk in these settings

Synthesis, characterization, ion-binding properties, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer behavior of rhenium(I) complexes containing a coumarin-appended 2,2′-Bipyridine

A series of luminescent rhenium(I) complexes of 2,2'-bipyridine appended with a coumarin fluorophore has been successfully synthesized and characterized. Their photophysical behavior, ion-binding properties, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) behavior from the coumarin donor to the rhenium(I) bipyridyl acceptor were studied. The FRET efficiencies were found to vary upon addition of various metal ions with different sizes due to conformational changes. Their stability constants have been determined by both UV-visible and luminescence spectrophotometric methods. ©2009 American Chemical Society.link_to_subscribed_fulltex