Characterizing SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern
Conference Year
January 2022
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the ongoing pandemic, has mutated from the wildtype into different lineages that are labeled by the CDC as Variants of Concern and Variants Being Monitored. One of the traits that makes SARS-CoV-2 so transmissible is the furin cleavage site between the S1 and S2 subunit of the spike (S) glycoprotein that allows for effective entrance into cells. This is an ongoing study on the characterization of the difference in the amount of S cleavage compared to full length S in SARS-CoV-2 variants using western blots in order to help predict virulence in future variants.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Emily Bruce
Graduate Student Mentors
Hannah Despres
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Madaline Schmidt
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Program/Major
Molecular Genetics
Primary Research Category
Biological Sciences
Characterizing SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the ongoing pandemic, has mutated from the wildtype into different lineages that are labeled by the CDC as Variants of Concern and Variants Being Monitored. One of the traits that makes SARS-CoV-2 so transmissible is the furin cleavage site between the S1 and S2 subunit of the spike (S) glycoprotein that allows for effective entrance into cells. This is an ongoing study on the characterization of the difference in the amount of S cleavage compared to full length S in SARS-CoV-2 variants using western blots in order to help predict virulence in future variants.