What is synthetic biology’s role in combating COVID-19?

I am stating here four roles /applications of synthetic biology ,which can help in combating COVID-19:

1. The recently identified novel human coronavirus, referred as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (CoV-2) is the causative agent of the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. After the report of first case of the CoV-infection in December 2019, it has spread all over the globe. To slow down the spread of COVID-19, many countries have introduced lockdown measures. However, these measures will not be enough to eradicate the coronavirus pandemic from the world and there is an urgent requirement for some medical intervention to control the spread of infection either in the form of a vaccine or other therapeutic options such as small molecule or therapeutic antibodies. One of the approaches is to look for neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) for CoV-2 either from recovering patient samples or from synthetic antibody library sources. The antibodies can work via two different mechanisms i.e. by direct neutralization of target viral antigen and also by indirect effector mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), wherein, antibody binds to infected cells and potentially clear the viral reservoirs.
2. To make an effective vaccine more quickly against never-before-seen, fast-spreading viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, researchers at Vanderbilt and elsewhere are using alternate approaches. In one approach, instead of proteins, a new generation of vaccines, called mRNA vaccines, will carry the molecular instructions to make the protein. Instead of the standard vaccines where viral proteins are used to immunize, an mRNA vaccine provides a synthetic mRNA of the virus, which the host body then uses to produce the viral proteins itself. The biggest advantage of the mRNA vaccines is that they can bypass the hassle of producing pure viral proteins, sometimes saving months or years to standardize and ramp up the mass production.The mRNA vaccines basically mimic the natural infection of the virus, but they contain only a short synthetic version of the viral mRNA which encodes only the antigen protein. Since the mRNA used in vaccination cannot become part of the person’s chromosomes, they are safe to use. Such mRNA vaccines would also be safer than the weakened viral or protein-based vaccines because they do not carry the risk of the injected virus becoming active, or a protein contamination.
3. The 2019-nCoV is difficult to detect during the first two weeks after infection. Infected individuals may not be aware of their contagiousness, thus putting others at risk of contracting the virus. There are cases reported that people can be infectious without showing symptoms. A fast and reliable detection method is needed to help researchers better understand the biology of the disease and potentially guide future diagnostics and treatment. Global Companies provide a high-tech test for the coronavirus. The test is based on a qRT-PCR detection assay, which uses precise DNA strands to accurately detect and measure the amount of an infectious agent like coronavirus in the bloodstream, for example. the development of vaccines and antibodies is urgently needed too. To speed up the detection and therapeutic research of this novel coronavirus, GenScript synthesized the genes that can be used as positive control for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR, genes encoding the surface glycoprotein and nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, and Homo sapiens angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for vaccine and antibody development.

4. Crispr-from editing genes to diagnosing diseases

   Crispr (Cluster Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is used to identify highly specific genetic sequences. It’s the perfect tool for diagnosing Covid-19 by the presence of the novel coronavirus, which is discernible by its specific RNA sequence. The Crispr system is adapted from the bacterial immune system and is best known for its ability to edit genes. Typically, Crispr uses a piece of guide RNA as a “WANTED” poster to seek out a target gene of interest, which is then snipped by its enzymatic partner, the Cas9 “molecular scissors.”

   The incredible precision of Crispr has revolutionized gene editing. That same specificity also makes it a powerful tool for diagnostics, which is vital in fighting pandemics. Guide RNA strands serve as scouts for a specific sequence of genetic material. When the guide meets the virus, the enzymatic scissors are activated and chop up a reporter-probe-quencher sequence, generating a fluorescent signal that shows the presence of the virus.

   
   

References

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-a-new-type-of-vaccine-using-rna-could-help-defeat-covid-19-133217

https://www.jbc.org/cgi/doi/10.1074/jbc.AC120.014918

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2020/02/05/seven-synthetic-biology-companies-in-the-fight-against-coronavirus/#2d20465b16ef

https://synbiobeta.com/a-20-minute-covid-19-test-using-crispr-gene-editing-technology-coming-soon-to-your-doctors-office-supermarket-and-workplace/