Scientists from Comenius University's (UK) Science Park are working to uncover the complete genetic information of the new coronavirus in Slovakia, university spokesperson Lenka Miller stated on Tuesday, adding that they've already analysed the first samples from Slovak patients and that information on genomes has already been included in the GISAID international database.
Scientists of the Institute of Virology at the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) have managed to isolate the first SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid samples from patients in Slovakia. The new coronavirus is composed of RNA and a sheath consisting of proteins, and a lipid sheath very similar to human cell membranes. Miller explained that samples of purified nucleic acid, not RNA but DNA, which were sent to the laboratory of molecular biologists for further research, were no longer infectious. Such a sample dissolved in water is absolutely harmless and can be further processed by scientists, she said.
"We'd like to sequence many more isolated samples from various sites of infection and map out the whole of Slovakia in this way," said Tomas Szemes of the university's Faculty of Natural Sciences. In cooperation with their peers from Italy, France and Germany, they'd like to focus on discovering the relationship between the differences in the genomes and in the attachment sites of the virus, which vary according to groups of population. This research has the potential to allow medicines to be developed. "Knowledge of genomes can help us to control the spread of infection and trace the disease," explained Szemes.
At a time when Slovakia is experiencing a lack of staff and equipment, dozens of experts from the Faculty of Science of Comenius University offer a helping hand. "We have the expertise of biochemists, geneticists, molecular biologists, and virologists with a wealth of experience in the test method," said Peter Fedor, Dean of the Faculty of Science.
