Basel research centre supports ETH coronavirus research
The Basel Botnar Research Centre for Child Health is funding five research projects at ETH Zurich dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
At ETH Zurich, research teams from various disciplines are investigating how COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, can be reliably diagnosed and effectively treated. Five of these will now receive financial support from the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH) in Basel. The research centre was established in 2019 by the University of Basel and ETH Zurich and focuses on the health and well-being of children and adolescents.
In light of the global coronavirus pandemic and the challenges to healthcare systems, the BRCCH has launched a new initiative, alongside its research focus on paediatric medicine, that supports short-term and pragmatic approaches to containing COVID-19 (see ETH News 27.03.2020).
As part of its “Fast Track Call for Acute Global Health Challenges (FTC)” initiative, the centre is funding a total of 11 research projects at its four partner institutions. Participants of the BRCCH are the University of Basel including the University Hospital Basel, ETH Zurich, University Children’s Hospital Basel and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.
Support to new approaches
The funding amounts to about CHF 15 million over a period of two and a half years. The funded projects are divided into three focus areas of COVID-19 research: first, diagnostics (five projects); second, the human immune response (three projects); third, medical interventions and disease management (three projects). Five professors will benefit from the funding at ETH Zurich:
Janos Vörös, professor at the ETH Institute for Biomedical Engineering, and his team are developing a quick, mobile test system for COVID-19 based on a biochemical method that can detect substances with antibodies (known as lateral flow assays). The aim is to provide a highly sensitive diagnostic tool for coronavirus infections.
One method currently in use to detect coronavirus infections is the PCR test: a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to test if a sample contains the coronavirus genome. This method is sensitive, but very time-consuming and expensive. This is why Wendelin Stark, Professor of Functional Materials Engineering, and his team are developing a mobile PCR device with which coronavirus tests can be carried out faster and more cost-effectively. This would increase diagnostic capacity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Sai Reddy, Professor of Biomolecular Engineering, and his team are investigating an innovative approach to large-scale monitoring of COVID-19 based on molecular barcoding and deep sequencing. It is expected to be able to test up to 5,000 patient samples simultaneously for the coronavirus. In biology, a molecular barcode is used to determine characteristic DNA sequences in the genome. Deep sequencing can also detect the infrequent cells or microbes that make up only a very small proportion of a sample. Furthermore, the team headed by Reddy will develop a high-throughput platform to detect coronavirus antibodies in the blood serum.
These three projects are being funded as part of the diagnostic focus. Another ETH project belongs to the human immune response focus:
The group headed by Andreas Moor, Professor of Systems Biology, will examine the B cell immunity of persons who have recovered from COVID-19. B cells initiate the formation of antibodies. The researchers wish to identify high-affinity coronavirus antibodies that could be used for treatment.
One ETH project is being funded within the medical interventions and disease management focus:
The team headed by Randall Platt, Professor of Biological Engineering, is using a CRISPR-based screening approach to seek human molecules that are important in coronavirus infections. The researchers can thus identify potential “targets” for treating COVID-19: if they find substances that block these biomolecules, it may be possible to prevent infection.
The four partner institutions of BRCCH will work closely together on all 11 projects: additional ETH researchers will thus participate in projects conducted by the partner institutions.