Bristol University COVID-19 Emergency Research Group
A new COVID-19 Protein Portal providing UK scientists with free access to protein reagents for critical SARS-CoV-2 research launched on 12th May. The Portal, in response to a Wellcome and UKRI Open Science initiative, is led by a consortium of leading protein production laboratories including the MultiBac expression facility in the University of Bristol’s School of Biochemistry.
Bristol announced as UK consortium partner providing essential reagents for SARS-CoV-2 research
Healthy frontline NHS staff in Bristol will be studied as part of a ground-breaking research project led by infectious disease and immunology specialists from Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the University of Bristol. Researchers will track their symptoms (or lack of), the presence (or absence) of the virus in their mouths and noses and the development (or not) of the protective antibodies in their blood over a three-month period.
Vital coronavirus research to track frontline NHS staff in Bristol
The University of Bristol and spin-out company Imophoron Ltd have announced they are ready to test COVID-19 vaccine candidates in a pre-clinical programme. Following the successful creation of a thermostable vaccine candidate for the chikungunya virus, the bio-engineered protein (known as the ADDOmer©) will also be tested on the coronavirus.
New vaccine platform used to develop COVID-19 candidates
In December 2019, there was just one lab in the country researching coronavirus, which was here in Bristol. Researchers from Bristol’s School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM) have been growing the live human SARS-CoV-2 virus in a controlled lab to investigate what the virus is doing inside monkey and human cells. Doctors David Matthews and Andrew Davidson from the CMM have already published the first UK paper describing the important genetic changes that occur when SARS-COV-2 spreads in the body.
UK genome analysis has important implications for COVID-19 clinical trials
