![]() Even with coronaviruses that cause common colds, it’s unclear whether humans develop long-term immunity to these viruses or need to continually develop new immunities. Since SARS-CoV-2 is so new, there are many key unknowns related to human immune defenses against it, Daugherty said. “We as a species are always being exposed to viruses,” Daugherty noted. He covered aspects such as how SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses enter the human population and become pandemics how SARS-CoV-2 relates to past and present epidemic viruses in the human population and, based on what scientists have learned from other viruses, what we can expect in terms of long-term immunity and co-existence with SARS-CoV-2. ![]() Matt Daugherty, an assistant professor in the Section of Molecular Biology, studies the evolutionary arms race that pits the immune systems of hosts on one hand and pathogens on the other. It’s part of an amazing open science effort with an unprecedented level of information acquisition and information sharing among researchers.” We can learn about how the biology of the virus is changing and how it may be altering the way it interacts with host cells, and also potentially different ways that we could treat it. “In addition, we are able to look at changes in the sequence in the viral genome and that’s enabling us to track the spread of this virus around the globe…. “Knowing that it has RNA in its genome helps us understand how we test for the presence of coronavirus,” said Troemel. This feature enables these viruses to quickly and effectively take over host cells and rapidly expand. RNA genomes in coronaviruses are positive-sense, which are similar to the cell’s own messenger RNA and allows these viruses to immediately hijack the protein synthesis machinery of host cells. “This is a disease that is spreading very rapidly across the globe, so these faculty are here to share their knowledge regarding the biology of the virus and why this pandemic has brought the world to its knees.”Įmily Troemel, a professor who studies host-pathogen interactions in the Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, kicked off the discussion by describing basic biological aspects of coronaviruses, including how health workers test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and facets scientists have learned about the virus’ genome.Ĭoronaviruses, as Troemel noted, feature RNA-based genomes, unlike most of life on the planet, which feature DNA genomes. “It is estimated that there may be tenfold more asymptomatic carriers of the disease, which means that there could be over seven-and-a-half million carriers worldwide,” said Subramani. RELATED STORYĭissecting COVID-19: Biology Professor Opens Infectious Disease Course to Public Audiences Roundtable moderator Suresh Subramani, distinguished professor emeritus in the Division of Biological Sciences and director of the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, framed the program by highlighting three major areas of concern surrounding the pandemic and how it impacts our daily lives: the rapid spread of the virus over the past three months the ominous morbidity and mortality rates of the disease, which threaten to overwhelm global health care systems and the immense reservoir of carriers of the disease. The program is available here: A Deep Look into the Biology and Evolution of COVID-19. ![]() Probing the biological basis of the novel virus and evolutionary spread of the COVID-19 disease it causes, a panel of UC San Diego biologists gathered for a special roundtable analysis hosted by UCTV. So what makes the new SARS-CoV-2, the virus that has caused a global pandemic, such a society-altering threat? Coronaviruses infect your nose, sinuses and upper throat but often result in nothing more than a common cold (see Know Your Coronaviruses). ![]() Of the hundreds of coronaviruses known to exist, many are relatively harmless. ![]() A Deep Look into the Biology and Evolution of COVID-19 UCTV roundtable explores the biological roots and spread of the global SARS-CoV-2 virus ![]()
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