News

Coronavirus evolving: How mutations arise and new variants emerge

As it spreads throughout the world, the virus that causes Covid-19 has been changing. Scientists are tracking those changes, hoping to stay one step ahead of worrisome strains.
Diana Kwon Maki Naro
By Diana Kwon and Maki Naro
March 7, 2021

Illustrated by Maki Naro

media_virus-mutation-comic-01-1.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-02-1-1.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-03-1-2.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-03-2-3.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-04-text2.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-05-1-4.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-05-2-5.gif
media_virus-mutation-comic-06-1-text3.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-07-1-6.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-08-1-7.gifmedia_virus-mutation-comic-08-2-8.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-09-1-9.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-09-2-10.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-10-1-11.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-10-2-12.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-11-1-13.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-11-2-14.gif
media_virus-mutation-comic-12-1-14.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-13-1-15.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-13-1-15b.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-14-1-16.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-14-2-17.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-15-1-text4.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-16-1-18.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-16-2-19.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-16-3-20.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-17-1-21.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-17-2-21b.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-18-1-text5.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-19-1-22.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-19-2-23.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-19-3-24.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-20-1-25.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-20-2-26.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-21-1-27.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-21-2-28.png
media_virus-mutation-comic-22-1-29.pngmedia_virus-mutation-comic-22-2-30.png
 

This piece was produced in cooperation with the Nib

This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Diana Kwon
Diana Kwon

Diana Kwon is a freelance science journalist based in Berlin, Germany. She primarily covers the life sciences and health, and her work has appeared in Scientific American, The Scientist, Nature, Knowable Magazine and many other publications.

Maki Naro
Maki Naro

Maki Naro  is an award-winning feral cartoonist and science communicator.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Science

Science highlights or most popular articles

How Alixorexton could transform narcolepsy treatment
News

How Alixorexton could transform narcolepsy treatment

Nov. 18, 2025

A new investigational drug, alixorexton, targets the brain’s orexin system to restore wakefulness in people with narcolepsy type 1. Alkermes chemist Brian Raymer shares how molecular modeling turned a lab idea into a promising phase 3 therapy.

Phosphatases and pupils: A dual legacy
Profile

Phosphatases and pupils: A dual legacy

Nov. 13, 2025

Yale professor Anton Bennett explores how protein tyrosine phosphatases shape disease, while building a legacy of mentorship that expands opportunity and fuels discovery in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Extracellular vesicles offer clues to cattle reproduction
Journal News

Extracellular vesicles offer clues to cattle reproduction

Nov. 11, 2025

Extracellular vesicles from pregnant cattle support embryo development better than laboratory models, highlighting their potential to improve reproductive efficiency in bovine embryo cultures. Read more about this recent MCP paper.

Proteomics reveals protein shifts in diabetic eye disease
Journal News

Proteomics reveals protein shifts in diabetic eye disease

Nov. 11, 2025

Using proteomics, researchers identified protein changes in eye fluid that mark diabetic retinopathy progression and may serve as biomarkers for vision-threatening complications. Read more about this recent MCP paper.

Protein modifications drive lung cancer resistance
Journal News

Protein modifications drive lung cancer resistance

Nov. 6, 2025

New assay enriches protein modifications in a single process, enabling detection of key changes in drug-resistant lung cancer cells that may guide future therapies.

How antigen-processing proteins shape immunity
Journal News

How antigen-processing proteins shape immunity

Nov. 6, 2025

Researchers show how components of the antigen processing machinery shape the immunopeptidome, offering insights into immune regulation and cancer biology.