Digitizing the immune system to fight viruses

Edition: US - Today's top story: Designing antiviral proteins via computer could help halt the next pandemic [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 13 June 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Experts warn we’re not prepared for the next global virus pandemic – whether of flu or Ebola or something we haven’t even seen yet. Vaccinating can help our immune systems fend off infection, but getting an effective vaccine to everyone who needs it is complicated. The University of Washington’s Ian Haydon describes new research that relies on computer modeling to design antiviral proteins that [can shut down deadly viruses]( – without relying on our immune system at all. Studies show that gay teens are at greater risk for poor mental health and substance use. Or do they? Some researchers worry that pranksters are mucking up survey data with goofy fake answers. [A new study from the University of Texas at Austin]( suggests that’s not true – and underscores the need for programs that support at-risk youth. The Trump administration still has hundreds of jobs to fill throughout the executive branch. Two that have received little attention are the president’s yet-to-be-named nominees to the National Labor Relations Board. Employers hoping to prevent workers from forming unions, however, are well aware that once the nominees are in place Republicans will control the board for the first time since 2007. [That could be the death knell for unions](, writes Nicole Hallett, a labor expert at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). Maggie Villiger Senior Editor, Science + Technology Top story Computers may play an important role in preparing us for the next viral outbreak – whether flu or Ebola. UW Institute for Protein Design [Designing antiviral proteins via computer could help halt the next pandemic]( Ian Haydon, University of Washington This antivirus software protects health, not computers. Researchers are beginning to combat deadly infections using computer-generated antiviral proteins – a valuable tool to fight a future pandemic. Health + Medicine - [Are jokesters screwing up our data on gay teenagers?]( Stephen Russell, University of Texas at Austin; Jessica Fish, University of Texas at Austin Surveys can help researchers better understand the lives of teens, but skeptics argue that youth are often dishonest and that the results cannot be trusted. Economy + Business - [Future of unions in balance as Trump prepares to reshape national labor board]( Nicole Hallett, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Thwarted efforts to organize at Yale and a New York nursing home show how a changing of the guard at the National Labor Relations Board could potentially end the labor movement. Politics + Society - [President Macron marches to parliamentary majority in France]( Mabel Berezin, Cornell University France's new En Marche! party is on track to win 400 legislative seats, another victory for the country's young president. - [Is Trump's definition of 'the rule of law' the same as the US Constitution's?]( David Mednicoff, University of Massachusetts Amherst The rule of law can take on different meanings depending whom you ask and where you are – but in the US it pretty much means one thing. Arts + Culture - [The understated affection of fathers]( Kory Floyd, University of Arizona Wives sometimes chide their husbands for being cold or distant toward their sons. But men express their love in subtle ways that deserve to be honored rather than belittled. Ethics + Religion - [Before the digital age, how religious groups increased the numbers in their order]( Bruce T. Morrill, Vanderbilt University A key to the successful growth of Jesuits were handwritten letters – transported through trade ships from India. Environment + Energy - [When politicians cherry-pick data and disregard facts, what should we academics do?]( Andrew J. Hoffman, University of Michigan Scientists typically stay out of public policy debates, but an academic makes the case that they need to push back against politicians who distort research. Education - [Can people 'like me' go to college? Inequality and dreams of higher ed]( Daphna Oyserman, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; Neil Lewis Jr., University of Michigan While most Americans do aspire to higher education, college is not a reality for many. But why is the gap between hopes and reality larger for some? And how can we strive for equity? From our International Editions - [Social media is as harmful as alcohol and drugs for millennials]( Tony Rao, King's College London Baby boomers preferred drugs and alcohol, but the younger generation are ruining their health with social media. - [Dear diary: another day in the life on Mars]( Jonathan Clarke, UNSW One of the best ways to find out the challenges of living on Mars is to simulate living on another planet here on Earth. So what's it like to spend several months living the Martian life? - [How a humble cockroach rewrote the history of New Caledonia]( Philippe Grandcolas, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN) – Sorbonne Universités The theory that New Caledonia was a piece of land that separated from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana was a seductive one. But then a cockroach rose up to challenge it. - [“These religious orders are only adapting what has been a long tradition of making contact with the world.”]( Bruce T. Morrill Vanderbilt University [Read more]( [Bruce T. Morrill] [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. 625 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 USA