Early data obtained from Thermo Fisher Scientific’s new NGS Research Panel suggests that the coronavirus is genetically stable, which could increase the effectiveness of vaccines in development, according to scientists
CARLSBAD, California, March 25, 2020 / PRNewswire / – Two Italian research teams working in the field of infectious diseases have further analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 genome using local samples and are able to use the first data to demonstrate a level of genetic variability that suggests that the genome of the rapidly spreading virus is stable. The results, which were generated using a new Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) research assay from Thermo Fisher Scientific, increase the likelihood that future coronavirus vaccines will be more effective and could help the global scientific community, epidemiology and distribution better understood by COVID-19.
The two independent research teams from the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS) in Rome and the Forensic Department of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health (DSBSP) at Ancona University Hospital sequenced several samples and identified the presence of gene variants when compared to the reference genome of the original Wuhan corona virus. Viruses that mutate rapidly over short periods of time make it difficult to develop vaccines that effectively protect people from infection. The small number of variants in the samples two months after the virus was first sequenced China , suggests that SARS-CoV-2, which is estimated to have infected more than 64,000 people in Italy and 380,000 people worldwide, is a relatively slowly mutating agent. Both teams in Italy did the sequencing work with Thermo Fisher’s new Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel, which offers a 24-hour end-to-end workflow.
“The ability to rapidly examine multiple samples and accurately decipher key changes in the virus’s genetic code will prove critical to the global scientific community to be one step ahead of SARS-CoV-2 and to develop strategies that can ultimately be used to contain the pandemic, “says Dr. Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, Head of the virology department at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani, which was the first research center in Europe to generate sequencing data for the entire genome of the coronavirus on Thermo Fishers Ion Torrent NGS platform. “Viral genomes are dynamic, and this preliminary data needs to be further analyzed to determine the biological importance of the gene variants and to examine the evolutionary pathway of the coronavirus.”
professor Stefano Menzo, Head of Virology at Ancona University Hospital, explains: “With other viruses, we would have expected dozens of new mutations after so many patient infection cycles. Our first data show that it is a very stable virus with only five new variants. A virus with a stable genome is more promising for vaccine development because it shows that the effectiveness of vaccines could be more consistent, possibly over many years “.
Scientists are now planning to further analyze the data using Thermo Fisher’s new Ion SARS-CoV-2 analysis solution * for annotating variants and assembling consensus sequences to determine the impact on disease severity Type of To better understand transmission and phylogenetic studies. The Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel is a targeted NGS solution that analyzes the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome. It provides an efficient, high-throughput end-to-end workflow for monitoring genomic evolution, which is critical in a rapidly developing pandemic. The panel is optimized for the Ion GeneStudio S5 systems. *
Panel optimization for Genexus System is already underway
In order to further accelerate the NGS analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and to meet the growing customer demand Thermo Fisher started to optimize its Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel for the Ion Torrent Genexus System November 2019 The company’s latest sequencing platform, which has been introduced, automates the entire targeted NGS workflow and can deliver sample evaluations economically in just 14 hours. The optimization and validation of the research panel on the Genexus system is currently carried out in collaboration with customers of Thermo Fisher instead of.
“Thermo Fisher’s immediate response, first to develop a diagnostic PCR SARS-CoV-2 test and now to develop a next generation sequencing research solution that helps researchers investigate the coronavirus, is the core of our mission,” says Peter Silvester, Senior Vice President and President of Life Sciences Solutions at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We share the increased concern of the world community during this unprecedented public health crisis, and we continue to maximize our efforts to provide our laboratory partners, infectious disease researchers and vaccine developers with the most modern tools to support their extremely important work.”
Information about Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world’s leading science partner with sales of over $ 25 billion. We enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We support our customers in accelerating life science research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving diagnostics and therapies for patients, and increasing productivity in their laboratories. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues offers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, convenience shopping and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. Further information can be found at www.thermofisher.com.
* For research purposes only. Not suitable as a diagnostic procedure.
** Identification as IVD or IVD for use in emergencies / special access differs from region to region.
Mauricio Minotta
Thermo Fisher Scientific
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Jen Heady
Greenough Communications
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