The Scan

Imperial College London researchers are shifting away from testing a COVID-19 vaccine to focus on combating newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, the Independent says.

A new analysis suggests the B.1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2 could be deadlier than previous ones, according to the Guardian.

NPR reports Merck is halting the development of its two candidate SARS-CoV-2 vaccines following disappointing Phase 1 results.

According to NBC News, new SARS-CoV-2 variants are making it harder for researchers to model the course of the pandemic.

The New York Times reports that experts say President Joe Biden's goal of vaccinating 1 million people a day in the US in the next 100 days is too low a bar.

Anthony Fauci also informed the World Health Organization executive board that the US would be joining the COVAX initiative, according to CNBC.

A new preprint suggests some SARS-CoV-2 variants could affect the effectiveness of current vaccines, the Associated Press reports.

The New York Times reports that Cedars-Sinai researchers have uncovered a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 in Southern California.

In Nucleic Acids Research this week: pan-cancer atlas focus on miRNA biogenesis mutations, methylation analysis of pig skeletal muscles, and more.

Nature News writes that scientists are trying to figure out how to name the new strains of SARS-CoV-2 that are emerging.

In PNAS this week: epistasis affecting cystic fibrosis, Tiger rattlesnake genome gives venom insight, and more.

The publisher of the Science family of journals will allow some authors to place peer-reviewed versions of their papers into publicly accessible repositories.