Genetic sleuthing to track the coronavirus

+ The immune system and COVID-19, urban coyotes Edition: US - Today's top story: The coronavirus genome is like a shipping label that lets epidemiologists track where it's been [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 29 April 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note Scientists from around the world have turned their attention to the coronavirus, including molecular geneticists who are trying to draw a picture of its [family tree]( to better understand how it has spread – and may in the future. What about its transmission in the air? An aerosol expert digs into [what the emerging research says](. Also this week, an archaeologist shares his research to more accurately date [indigenous people’s history in North America]( and a scientific attempt to find out if shouting at [urban coyotes actually deters them](. I welcome your comments or questions on this weekly science and research newsletter; you can just reply to this email. Martin La Monica Deputy Editor The steady rate of genetic changes lets researchers recreate how a virus has travelled. nextstrain.org [The coronavirus genome is like a shipping label that lets epidemiologists track where it’s been]( Bert Ely, University of South Carolina; Taylor Carter, University of South Carolina Every time the virus copies itself it makes mistakes, creating a trail that researchers can use to build a family tree with information about where it's traveled, and when. From your lungs into the air around you, aerosols carry coronavirus. Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images [Coronavirus drifts through the air in microscopic droplets – here’s the science of infectious aerosols]( Shelly Miller, University of Colorado Boulder Aerosols are the tiny particles of liquid and material that float around in our environment. When they come from an infected person, they may be a significant source of coronavirus transmission. A sedated coyote about to be released with a tracking collar in greater Los Angeles. Niamh Quinn [Scientist at work: Trapping urban coyotes to see if they can be ‘hazed’ away from human neighborhoods]( Niamh M. Quinn, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Biologists capture and collar coyotes in urban Los Angeles in order to study the effectiveness of 'hazing' as a wildlife management tool. Other good finds - [Archaeologists have a lot of dates wrong for North American indigenous history – but we’re using new techniques to get it right]( - [What does ‘survival of the fittest’ mean in the coronavirus pandemic? Look to the immune system]( - [A smart second skin gets all the power it needs from sweat]( [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111