Mice for virologists
Mice susceptible to COVID-19 were born in Novosibirsk
The staff of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS created the first transgenic mice in Russia susceptible to the new coronavirus. Animals can be used to test vaccines and antiviral drugs, to study how the virus enters cells, and by what mechanisms it has a negative effect on the body.
The project started in April. Scientists have introduced into the genome of unicellular embryos of an ordinary laboratory mouse a human gene responsible for the entry of coronavirus into the cell (it is involved in the blood pressure regulation system). As a result, it was possible to obtain six mice susceptible to COVID-19.
"The animals were born about three to four weeks ago. Soon they will begin to multiply and become the basis of the line, which we will continue to increase and transfer to other organizations in order to speed up research on coronavirus," says Nariman Rashitovich Battulin, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Developmental Genetics of the FITZ ICiG SB RAS, Candidate of Biological Sciences.
As the researchers note, the modification of mouse genomes is a very delicate and capricious procedure. It is influenced by many factors, even such non-obvious ones as changes in the weather (how the subjects reproduce depended on it) or the vibrations of the building. "The devices used to manipulate mouse cells are so sensitive to vibrations that they reflect the influence of the route on Academician Lavrentiev Avenue. I had to urgently rent an anti–vibration table from a neighboring institute," said Oleg Leonidovich Serov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Ontogenesis of the FITZ ICiG SB RAS. In addition, there were difficulties with the technical part: firstly, because of the quarantine, scientists simply did not have access to the workplace for some time. Secondly, consumables that are used in the study (pipettes, test tubes) are now in short supply, since they are also used in tests for coronavirus.
The project was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research. In addition to the FIT ICiG SB RAS, the State Scientific Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector" also participates in it. As soon as the transgenic mice grow up and give offspring, some of the animals will be transferred there. "We are ready for any contacts. There is interest from researchers from Germany, with whom we cooperate, agreements with the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology SB RAS. They have recently created inactivating viral antibodies there, and our animals are needed to test them," says Nariman Battulin. FITZ ICiG SB RAS plans to be able to sell mice susceptible to COVID-19 as early as September.
Along with the described experiment, there is another one in parallel – popular science. In the show "A Little bit about Science", scientists shoot and post a mini-series on YouTube, where they tell step by step, from idea to implementation, how the research is progressing. Three episodes have already been released. For example, the latter shows in detail how an employee of the institute performs a microsurgical operation by inserting a gene that provides susceptibility to coronavirus into an embryo.
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