The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) pandemic affected more than 180 million people
around the globe, causing more than five million deaths as of January 2022. SARS-CoV-2
(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the new coronavirus, has been
identified as the primary cause of the infection. The number of vaccinated people is
increasing; however, prophylactic drugs are highly demanded to ensure secure social
contact. A number of drug molecules have been repurposed to fight against SARS-CoV-2,
and some of them have been proven to be effective in preventing hospitalization or ICU
admissions. Here, we demonstrated griffithsin (GRFT), a lectin protein, to block the
entry of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, Delta and Omicron, into the Vero E6 cell lines and
IFNAR
–/–
mouse models by attaching to the spike protein of
SARS-CoV-2. Given the current mutation frequency of SARS-CoV-2, we believe that GRFT
protein-based drugs will have a high impact in preventing the transmission of both the
Wuhan strain as well as any other emerging variants, including Delta and Omicron
variants, causing the high-speed spread of COVID-19.
Mechanochemical production of cellulose–metal NP composites requires no capping or reducing agents, and yields antibacterial and catalytically active materials.
SARS-CoV-2 is a human pathogen and the main cause of COVID-19 disease, announced as a
global pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is characterized by severe
conditions, and early diagnosis can make dramatic changes for both personal and public
health. Low-cost, easy-to-use diagnostic capabilities can have a very critical role in
controlling the transmission of the disease. Here, we are reporting a state-of-the-art
diagnostic tool developed with an in vitro synthetic biology approach by employing
engineered de novo riboregulators. Our design coupled with a home-made point-of-care
device can detect and report the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific genes. The presence of
SARS-CoV-2-related genes triggers the translation of sfGFP mRNAs, resulting in a green
fluorescence output. The approach proposed here has the potential of being a game
changer in SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics by providing an easy-to-run, low-cost diagnostic
capability.
Engineered bacterial cells have great promise to solve global problems, yet they are hampered by a lack of convenient strategy for controlled protein release. A wellcontrolled protein translocation through cellular membranes is essential for cell-based protein delivery. Here we have developed a controlled protein release system by programming a bacterial autotransporter system named Ag43. Ag43 protein is engineered by adding a protease digestion site between its translocation and cargo domains. Once it is displayed on the cell surface, we managed to release the cargo proteins in defined conditions by processing environmental signals. The protein release in terms of time and quantity can be controlled through changing the inducer conditions. We thought that the release system can be adopted for complex genetic circuitries due to its simplicity. We implemented the protein release system to develop a cellular device that is able to release proteins in a sequence response to ordered chemical signals. We envision that development of genetically controlled protein release systems will improve the applications of synthetic organisms in cell based therapies, especially for cases with a need for controlled protein release using the cues from the biological environment.
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