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As part of scientific research to monitor animal viruses and viral reservoirs globally, scientists from The Pirbright Institute, the University of Cambridge, the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, the University of York and the National Museums of Kenya are publishing new findings in Nature.
For coronaviruses to infect human cells, the spike protein on the virus needs to interact with receptors on a human cell. Previously, the receptors that have been identified come from studies of betacoronaviruses (which include the Covid virus, SARS-CoV-2) and we don’t know as much about alphacoronaviruses.
Now scientists have used a computational approach using a public database of known viral spike genetic sequences and a library of coronavirus receptors found in human cells, and lab work (but without using whole live viruses in the lab), to see whether there is the suggestion that any spike proteins from alphacoronaviruses from bats in Kenya have the ability to get into human cells via cell receptors.
Most of the spikes they looked at didn’t show any ability to bind to known receptors, but scientists spotted one viral spike protein from the heart-nosed bat in Kenya that might have the ability to bind to a receptor found in the human lung. There is as yet no sign that the virus (which is not a new virus) has infected any people in Kenya, but this study is part of work to monitor the world for potential future zoonotic spill over events before they might happen.
Journalists dialled in to this press briefing to hear from authors of the paper and to ask their questions.
Speakers included:
Dr Dalan Bailey, Group Leader in Viral Glycoproteins, The Pirbright Institute
Prof Stephen Graham, Professor of Virus: Host Interactions, University of Cambridge
Dr James Nyagwange, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya
This Briefing was accompanied by an SMC Roundup of comments.