Sheep and bacteria are helping in the fight against coronavirus – here's how
Paul Davies, Medical Research Council Unit Manager, University of Dundee
The Conversation April 1, 2020, 5:45 AM CDT
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SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, works by infecting the respiratory system. If it gets into the lungs, it causes an immune reaction, which can lead to pneumonia and even death. At the University of Dundee, we have identified 28 proteins created by SARS-CoV-2 that produce an immune response in the body. These proteins are vital research tools for developing diagnostics and in helping to understand how the virus infects and attacks us.
Viruses are encoded by genetic information called RNA, which serves as a blueprint for how they are put together. The “program” contains information on how to replicate and how to infect and attack their host. As scientists, we can learn this genetic code and use it to fight the virus.
The first step is to take the genetic sequence of the virus, convert it to DNA (a double strand, rather than a single strand) and then copy it using a technique known as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The process amplifies the genetic material many millions of times. This sequence is then used to program bacteria to make the proteins that make up the virus, enabling scientists to harvest and prepare them in large amounts.
These proteins will then be introduced into sheep on a local farm. The sheep then start to produce antibodies against the viral proteins and these can be harvested from the sheep every few weeks. (The sheep enjoy a long and happy life in the fields on the farm and are not troubled greatly by the process.) The antibodies are then brought back to the laboratories in Dundee and prepared for their various uses. The final product will be sent to labs around the world to be used in the fight against COVID-19.
There are around 20 researchers involved in the work. Each researcher is specialised in the particular process used in the antibody production process, from the molecular biologists cloning of the genetic sequence, protein scientists to manufacture the components, farm workers taking care of our sheep and technicians preparing the antibodies when harvested from the sheep.
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