September Update: Help Stop TB

[Alez]

September Update: Help Stop TB
16 Sep 2020

Summary

The Help Stop TB researchers will soon have an additional team member to help with data analysis for a couple of months.

What are mycolic acids, and why is studying them important to the fight against tuberculosis? Both questions are answered in the video above.

Background

The Help Stop TB project was created to study the sheath of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, in order to help scientists look for better treatments.

In 2018, approximately 10 million people contracted tuberculosis, and 1.5 million people died. And in a recent publication, the World Health Organization stated, "Between 2020 and 2025 an additional 1.4 million TB deaths could be registered as direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Student rotation

In addition to the new team member who was introduced in the last project update, the researchers will have an additional student to help with data analysis for a couple of months, beginning in October.

Current status of work units

In progress: 41 batches (4,100 work units )
Completed: 23,574 batches
34 batches in the last 30 days
Average of 1.1 batches per day

Note: For this particular project, the researchers often need to analyze the batches we send back to them before they can build more work units. This can sometimes lead to an intermittent work unit supply.



Click here to learn more about World Community Grid's monthly project updates.