The Scan

In Science this week: researchers recover near-complete smallpox virus genomes from Viking Age-individuals, and more.

The US Commerce Department has placed two BGI Group subsidiaries on a list of entities it suspects of human rights violations, allegations the company denies, Reuters reports.

In Nature this week: high-quality reference genomes for six bat species, machine-learning approach to identify cell types responding to perturbations in single-cell data, and more.

According to the New York Times, a group led by former CDC Director Thomas Frieden has issued guidelines for what coronavirus data states should report.

In Genome Biology this week: software tools to spot methylation patterns, proteome-wide association study approach, and more.

Genetic factors may serve as potential modifiers of COVID-19 risk and severity, and point the way to new therapies, according to Scientific American.

The New York Times reports two additional investigational vaccines appear to generate an immune response against SARS-CoV-2.

The Guardian reports that a letter criticizing President Donald Trump's dismissal of science has garnered more signatures during the pandemic.

UK, US, and Canadian intelligence agencies say Russian-backed hackers are targeting COVID-19 research, NPR reports.

The Los Angeles Times reports on a peptide that may treat huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening disease.

The impact of an ancient earthquake can be seen in New Zealand kelp genomes, the New York Times reports.

An opinion piece appearing in Scientific American cautions that a balance between speed and accuracy is needed in releasing COVID-19 results.