Bacterial responses to plasma may forecast mild vs severe COVID-19
Researchers have discovered that E. coli bacteria can be used to analyze human plasma samples to predict the severity of COVID-19 cases. By measuring the growth patterns of the bacteria in response to plasma, scientists can distinguish between mild and severe disease trajectories.
Why it matters
This innovative use of biological information processing offers a potential new diagnostic tool that could improve patient triage and treatment outcomes.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Add as preferred source Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Systems (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2026.101654 Information processing using living organisms is an important area of biotechnology that has already been explored in previous studies .
A research team coordinated by INRAE and involving Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, Université Grenoble Alpes and the CEA made use of the bacterium's natural capabilities without altering it genetically. Using plasma samples from patients with COVID-19, the scientists were able to distinguish patients likely to develop a mild form of the disease from those at risk of progressing to a severe form. The research is published in the journal Cell Systems .
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