Science News Roundup: Elephant tusk DNA sleuthing reveals ivory trafficking networks; Prior COVID offers less protection vs Omicron; mRNA booster shot efficacy declines within months and more

Previous COVID-19 less protective against Omicron variant Oxford scientists to study effects of COVID variants, shots in pregnancy Oxford University scientists said on Tuesday they would evaluate the effects of new coronavirus variants on pregnant women and newborns, as well as COVID-19 vaccination effects on complications during pregnancy and after birth.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Elephant tusk DNA sleuthing reveals ivory trafficking networks

DNA testing on seized ivory shipments that reveals family ties among African elephants killed for their tusks is helping to identify poaching areas and trafficking networks at the center of an illegal trade that continues to devastate the population of Earth's largest land animal. Researchers said on Monday they conducted DNA tests on 4,320 elephant tusks from 49 ivory seizures, totaling 111 tons in 12 African nations from 2002 to 2019. The results could help crack the transnational criminal organizations behind the trafficking and strengthen prosecutions.

Prior COVID offers less protection vs Omicron; mRNA booster shot efficacy declines within months

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Previous COVID-19 less protective against Omicron variant

Oxford scientists to study effects of COVID variants, shots in pregnancy

Oxford University scientists said on Tuesday they would evaluate the effects of new coronavirus variants on pregnant women and newborns, as well as COVID-19 vaccination effects on complications during pregnancy and after birth. The study comes less than a year after the university found that pregnant women with COVID-19 and their newborn children faced higher risks of complications, such as premature birth and organ failure risk, than was previously known.

Billionaire e-commerce mogul partners with SpaceX for 3 more crewed flights

The billionaire e-commerce mogul who last year led the world's first all-private space crew launched into orbit said on Monday he plans to help bankroll up to three more such missions with SpaceX, independent of NASA's human spaceflight program. Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments Inc, said his new "Polaris" collaboration with fellow billionaire and SpaceX chief Elon Musk could launch its first four-member crew as early as the fourth quarter of this year.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)