scientist have created man-made clones of the novel coronavirus SARS - CoV-2 , the extremely infectious virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic , within the space of just one week .
The man-made clone ofSARS - CoV-2were created at the mellow - security lab at the University of Bern ’s Institute of Virology and Immunology in Switzerland . By recreating the little - understood computer virus , the researchers hope to offer other researchers the chance to find newfangled methods to fight the on-going disease outbreak . For case , the clones can be used as a tool to grow symptomatic tests , antiviral treatment , and vaccines .
virus are effectively just genetic material , either DNA or RNA , enwrap in a protein plate . In the case of SARS - CoV-2,genome sequencing has shownthat its “ genetical computer code ” is made up of a single - filament RNA corpuscle of about 30,000 root word hold in 15 genes . Just for context of use , thehuman genomeis in the form of a double helix of DNA molecules made of around 6.4 billion basesand about 25,000 genes .
describe in the journalNaturethis calendar week , scientists used the “ design ” of the genome sequence to construct most of SARS - CoV-2 ’s genetic material from synthetical DNA . The genetic material was then reassembled and introduced into Brewer ’s barm cells ( genus Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) , creating a synthetical edition of SARS - CoV-2 that tight resemble the real deal . However , the researchers did keep an eye on some difference in replication .
Some virus can be clone using a method acting imply the bacteriaEscherichia coli , but coronaviruses can establish tricky to clone using this proficiency . So , the researchers looked to a pre - existent method using yeast cells antecedently developed at the University of Bern , known as translation - associated recombination .
" We replicated the virus within the space of a calendar week , " Professor Volker Thiel , an organic geochemist at the University of Bern ’s Institute of Virology and Immunology , enjoin in astatement .
" Our model organisation using barm cell shows that it is ideally suited for reconstructing coronaviruses and other viruses , " he tot .
The speedy nature of this method acting could allow wellness confidence , pharmaceutical party , and research labs to gain memory access to clinical samples without the motivation for delight viral samples from elsewhere , which is often consider risky and can take a reasonable amount of time . While there is no word yet on how or when these freshly develop synthetic clones will be used , the University of Bern say in theirpress releasethat the research " attracted the interest of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) " after it was publish on the pre - print servermedRxivback in February 2020 .
