Aalto Bio Reagents, Dublin, Ireland, has launched a new line of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) proteins for diagnostic test manufacturers, vaccine developers, and researchers. The S protein is the focus of numerous therapeutic and vaccine design efforts for covid-19.
The S protein of SARS-CoV-2 is located on the surface of the viral particle and comprises two functional units, S1 and S2. The N-terminal S1 subunit is responsible for virus–receptor binding; the C-terminal S2 subunit mediates virus–cell membrane fusion. When used solely or in combination with Aalto’s insect-derived nucleocapsid protein (N), the S1-S2 chimeric glycoprotein has demonstrated excellent reactivity in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
Philip Noone, Aalto Bio Reagents.
“Patients continue to be screened for the virus by PCR on the frontline,” says Philip Noone, chief executive officer of Aalto Bio Reagents. “However there is an important need for serological tests as well to detect all those mild or even asymptomatic cases that may otherwise be missed.
“Having diagnostic tests that can work in different healthcare settings will be the critical next step in battling this virus,” adds Noone. “Crucial to their development is the selection of high-quality, raw materials used to design them. Our new S1, S2 glycoproteins and S1-S2 chimeric proteins, in addition to our E. coli-derived N protein launched in February, have been rapidly developed to meet this urgent need.”
For more information, visit Aalto Bio Reagents.
