Virus Ecology Unit - COVID-19 response

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The research program of the Virus Ecology Section (VES) is focused at understanding the drivers of virus emergence. Upon the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in 2019, the research we swiftly pivoted to SARS-CoV-2. We were the first was to establish ACE2 as the SARS-CoV-2 receptor and rapidly developed a non-human primate model of COVID-19. We performed the pre-clinical efficacy study of ChadOx1 COVID19 required to begin human trials and continued this work with showing the advantages of ChadOx1 COVID19 (now AZD1222) when administered intranasally. To understand environmental stability and transmission we were the first to establish SARS-CoV-2 aerosol and surface and have continued these studies by developing in vivo models to understand the impact of airborne and fomite exposure on disease severity and transmission efficiency. To link this with the ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and understanding the emergence of Variants of Concern we studied prolonged infectious SARS-CoV-2 shedding and evolutionary turnover in an immunocompromised patient. As the pandemic continues and variants emerge, we are focusing our research efforts toward understanding the differences in transmission, infectivity, and pathogenesis between the original and new strains. Our studies are focused at understanding protection from re-infection and vaccination, showing prior aerosol infection with the B.1.351 variant protects hamsters from disease, but not from reinfection Our continued efforts focus on fundamental aspects of SARS-CoV-2 emergence that drive evolution, reinfection and disease spread.