A Canadian artificial intelligence platform had detected the novel coronavirus well before it was announced in Wuhan! Although this fact sounds impossible, CNBC had reported the company BlueDot read unusual pneumonia patterns in a Wuhan market and raised an alert. This was on 31st December 2019.
Two years later..
The global effect of this pandemic has surmounted every other pandemic the world has ever experienced. Frontline workers have been fighting against this deadly virus which has been mutating rapidly.
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Although developing COVID-19 vaccines in less than two years and producing millions of doses remains the top innovation, there are several other contributions and innovations that aided us in surviving this pandemic.
Alternative Vaccine Strategy to Avoid Virus Mutation
To complement existing vaccines and encourage long-term cell-mediated T cell immunity, Lund University has proposed a highly efficient alternative vaccine strategy based on a fusion protein containing a version of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, one of the proteins to form the virus’s shell, and antigens that can be recognised by our T cells.
Nanotech Powered COVID-19 Vaccines
Despite the fact that no RNA vaccine has ever been authorized, a biotechnology company specializing in messenger RNA therapeutics in the United States has announced the development of an mRNA-based vaccine candidate (mRNA-1273). In December 2021, the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) approved the vaccine and issued interim policy recommendations for its use as Novavax (NVX-CoV2373)..
Synthetic Biology
Several synthetic biology companies have been working on experimental vaccinations that incorporate synthetic strands of RNA or DNA that code for protein molecules on the virus’s surface.
For instance, Researchers at Distributed Bio began developing ‘pseudo-virion’ versions of the coronavirus infection, which can be evaluated without posing a significant risk, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the US military, in order to quickly uncover antibodies against the infection.
In addition, GenScript provided researchers with a free high-tech test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can assess the amount of the virus in the bloodstream. It has also received urgent demands from collaborators to synthesize the SARS-CoV-2 genes as soon as feasible.
Reading Antibodies To Determine Exposure
Determining how antibodies enable us to maintain COVID-19 immunity is crucial to developing successful therapies and vaccines. Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed diagnostic assays to establish an individual’s exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and degrees of immune response, as well as testing to screen potential antivirals and vaccines for neutralizing antibodies.
Cytokine Storm Mimicking For New Therapeutic Screening
A cytokine storm is an immunological response that promotes hyper-inflammation and lung damage is common in cases of severe COVID-19. Researchers at the University of Huddersfield have created a screening assay that simulates the COVID-19 cytokine storm to test new or repurposed medicines and natural ingredients with fewer adverse effects, potentially reducing this harmful immune response.
Initial ideas in biotech are simple to demonstrate and visualize. The problem is figuring out how to mass-produce a product and, in the instance of COVID-19, get these life-saving vaccines and treatments to people all over the world.
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