Tools for COVID-19 Research
Researchers around the world are working earnestly to study SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. This concerted effort is critical to rapidly generate the knowledge needed to mitigate the effects of this global emergency, as well as to produce the data to support new diagnostic tools, treatments, and vaccines.
Having the right tools and support is essential for accelerating scientific discovery for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. As Scientists Helping Scientists, STEMCELL Technologies is here to help with relevant products, resources, and support.
Products for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 Research
Studying Respiratory Virus Infection with PneumaCult™
Air-liquid-interface (ALI) culture of primary airway epithelial cells is a uniquely suited model system for the study of respiratory infections in vitro. Learn about the features that make ALI cultures a physiologically relevant model system, and see how researchers are using this system for infection studies of the novel coronavirus and other respiratory viruses. Achieving physiologically relevant ALI airway cultures requires a culture media system that is optimized for differentiation, such as PneumaCult™.
Learn More >Products for Pulmonary Research
Rat [Wethington et al. (2019)],
Ferret [Yan et al. (2017)],
Mouse [Tata et al.(2013)],
Pig [Dale et al. (2019)],
Rhesus Macaque [Engler et al.(2019)]
Coronavirus Research Using PneumaCult™
- Sungnak et al. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 entry factors are highly expressed in nasal epithelial cells together with innate immune genes. Nat Med 26: 681–87.
- Lukassen S et al. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are primarily expressed in bronchial transient secretory cells. EMBO J. Epub ahead of print, DOI: 10.15252/embj.20105114.
- Zhu N et al. (2020) A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China. N Engl J Med. 2020 Feb 20;382(8):727–33
- See recent news related to this publication >
- Lu R et al. (2020) Genomic characterisation and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding. Lancet 395(10224): 565–74.
- Menachery VD et al. (2020) Trypsin treatment unlocks barrier for zoonotic bat coronavirus infection. J Virol 94(5): e01774–19.
- Widagdo W et al. (2019) Species-specific colocalization of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus attachment and entry receptors. J Virol 93(16): e00107–19.
- Shirato K et al. (2018) Wild-type human coronaviruses prefer cell-surface TMPRSS2 to endosomal cathepsins for cell entry. Virology 517: 9–15.
Studying Immune Response to Viral Infections
Access to the right cell populations is critical for studying the immune response to infections by viruses such as the novel coronavirus. This is true whether you are using pre-isolated immune cells or performing your own cell isolations from blood products. Working with a reliable, flexible supplier of human primary cells* can make all the difference to securing the cells you need. Choosing robust, efficient technologies can also help you progress faster, such as using EasySep™ column-free technology to obtain highly purified cells in as little as 8 minutes.
Contact us at info@stemcell.com to discuss custom COVID-19-related cell isolation kits.
*Certain products are only available in select territories. Please contact your local Sales representative or the Product & Scientific Support team at techsupport@stemcell.com for further information.
Viral Research Using EasySep™
- Westerhuis B et al. (2020) Specific memory B cell response in humans upon infection with highly pathogenic H7N7 avian influenza virus. Sci Rep 10(1): 3152.
- Gilchuk P et al. (2020) Analysis of a therapeutic antibody cocktail reveals determinants for cooperative and broad ebolavirus neutralization. Immunity 52(2): 388–403.e12.
- Kräutler NJ et al. (2020) Quantitative and qualitative analysis of humoral immunity reveals continued and personalized evolution in chronic viral infection. Cell Rep 30(4): 997–1012.e6.
- Marcken M et al. (2019) TLR7 and TLR8 activate distinct pathways in monocytes during RNA virus infection. Sci Sig 29: 12(605).
Processing Samples for SARS-CoV-2 Research
Recovering viruses or viral components directly from infected cells can provide important insight into the viral pathogenic process. The following products can help you safely transport infected biological specimens and ensure that sample processing supports high-quality results.
- See recent news about the use of this product in COVID-19 vaccine research >
Coronavirus Research Using EasySep™ Dead Cell Removal Kit & OptiPrep™
- Xu H et al. (2020) High expression of ACE2 receptor of 2019-nCoV on the epithelial cells of oral mucosa. Int J Oral Sci 12(1).
- De Wit et al. (2013) The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) does not replicate in syrian hamsters. PLoS One 8(7): e69127.
- Kuo L et al. (2016) Analyses of coronavirus assembly interactions with interspecies membrane and nucleocapsid protein chimeras. J Virol 90(9) 4357–4368.
Investigating the Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Infection
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play integral roles in a diverse array of biological processes, including viral infection. EasySep™ column-free immunomagnetic isolation kits are an efficient way to isolate EVs from human plasma/serum and cell-conditioned medium. EVs isolated with EasySep™ are suitable for downstream analysis and characterization by Western blot, mass spectrometry, qPCR, and small micro RNAseq.
Studying Intestinal Viral Infections with IntestiCult™
While SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets and affects the respiratory system, various other coronavirus species are known to infect the intestinal epithelium of both humans and zoonotic vectors. Intestinal organoids and organoid-derived monolayers exhibit characteristics that closely mimic the in vivo intestinal epithelium, making them valuable model systems for intestinal viral infection. IntestiCult™ medium maintains the tissue-resident stem cell populations, enabling rapid expansion and long-term maintenance of intestinal organoid cultures.
Coronavirus Research Using IntestiCult™
- Li L et al. (2019) Porcine intestinal enteroids: a new model for studying enteric coronavirus porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection and the host innate response. J Virol 93(5): e01682–18.
- Li L et al. (2019) IFN-lambda 3 mediates antiviral protection against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus by inducing a distinct antiviral transcript profile in porcine intestinal epithelia. Front Immunol 10(2394).
Kidney Organoids for SARS-CoV-2 Research
COVID-19 disease is characterized by multi-organ failure, indicating possible viral infection across a variety of tissues. Kidney organoids, which have been shown to express the coronavirus receptor, ACE2, can serve as an organ-specific model for studying the systemic impacts of COVID-19. Learn about how researchers are using kidney organoids for infection studies of SARS-CoV-2. Culturing kidney organoids relies upon a robust system for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells, such as STEMdiff™.
Learn More >Generating Hybridomas with the ClonaCell™ System
Novel pathogens often require rapid development of new antibodies. Efficient development of monoclonal hybridoma lines can be achieved using semi-solid cloning with the ClonaCell™system, by condensing selection and cloning processes into a single step.
Anti-Coronavirus Monoclonal Antibody Development Using ClonaCell™-HY
- Berry JD et al. (2004) Development and characterisation of neutralising monoclonal antibody to the SARS-coronavirus. J Virol Methods 120(1): 87–96.
- Nieto-Torres JL et al. (2011) Subcellular location and topology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus envelope protein. Virology 415(2): 69–82.
- Lip KM et al. (2006)Monoclonal antibodies targeting the HR2 domain and the region immediately upstream of the HR2 of the S protein neutralize in vitro infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. J Virol 80(2) 941-50. J Virol 90(9) 4357–4368.
Support for Pausing Your Research
Freezing and Storage Products
If you are preparing to pause your research, choose reliable freezing and storage media to cryopreserve your cells and save on time and resources when you return to the lab.
Click here for more information and data on our suite of freezing and storage media.
Contract Assay Services
Our Contract Assay Services group may also be able to support generating critical experimental results to meet project milestones. Please contact us to explore whether contract research would be a good option to support your goals.
Related Resources
Digital Resources for Your Research
Explore virtual support and resources to stay productive and connected with your field.
Studying Viral Infection with ALI Cultures
Learn what makes ALI cultures a physiologically relevant model system and explore how researchers are using them to study viruses, including the novel coronavirus.