To meet the global demand for COVID-19 spike protein needed for antibody test kits, University of Victoria plant biologist Peter Constabel has turned to an unexpected source: a relative of the tobacco plant.
Nicotiana benthamiana has an unusual and fascinating superpower: the ability to quickly produce virus proteins. Constabel is teaming up with UVic biochemist Alisdair Boraston, as well as bioLytical Laboratories and ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (Canada) to apply this power to solve the shortage of COVID-19 spike protein needed for antibody testing.
Antibody tests, also known as serology tests, can detect if a person’s body has already responded to an infection such as COVID-19. This allows an individual to know if they have had a past infection and allows health officials and governments to track and control the spread of the disease. Given the large number of asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, antibody tests are an essential tool in the fight against the disease. However, the large-scale production of these tests is both costly and time-consuming, reliant on production of spike protein using animal cell cultures in laboratories.
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Image via University of Victoria.