How to Study Virus Variants in the Lab?

Viruses are intriguing biological entities that are borderline between inanimate and living matter but tracing their origin remains as an important challenge for evolutionary biology. Even knowing COVID-19 virus variants in the laboratory before they emerge in nature can prevent major public health challenging pandemic conditions.

New technology developed by the University of Queensland, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Monash University, and Queensland Health reported in journal Nature Communications to manipulate viruses synthetically allowing rapid analysis and mapping of new potential virus variants will be ideal to use during a global pandemic such as COVID-19.

"This technique should give us the ability to answer questions about whether potential virus variants are susceptible to a particular drug or vaccine, even before they emerge in nature," Professor Khromykh said.

This massive experiment mimics the mutations pop up in viruses due to natural selection in a strictly controlled and highly regulated biosecurity laboratory environment with safety using UQ-developed process that copies fragment from the viral genetic material to assemble the functional viral genome in a test tube.

This allows to develop virus variants rapidly and assess their potential to evade antiviral treatments and vaccine-induced immunity even this can be used during COVID-19 challenging pandemic situation.



Source-Medindia