Coronavirus: A snippet from our infectious disease product range

In our societies where global travel has become the norm, the large scale transmission of infectious diseases is becoming of ever increasing concern. In order to effectively manage these outbreaks, it is important to understand these diseases in order to develop diagnostic tests and treatments. Often these diseases pass to Human from another animal vector, mutating to allow human to human transmission.

In the case of the novel Coronovirus temporarily named 2019-nCoV first reported in Wuhan China at the end of December 2019, the source of infection is unknown so it is imperative that we gain a fuller understanding of the strain. In order to prevent global spread of this virus, infection prevention and control via quarantine and diagnostic testing is essential.

Publication of the genome sequence of the new coronavirus by Chinese scientists shows that 2019-nCoV appears to be a group 2B coronavirus, putting it in the same family as the SARS virus, which caused a major outbreak in 2003. This new virus shares 89% similar to SARS-related bat coronavirus.

As the nucleocapsid (N) protein is highly conserved across coronavirus families cross-reactivity between 2019-nCoV and SARS N proteins (90% homologous) should allow commercially available antibodies and antigens to SARS N protein to be used for diagnostic testing for Wuhan nCoV.

As part of our comprehensive Infectious disease portfolio, Biorbyt is able to offer a range of primary antibodies and antigens to Coronavirus, validated for use in applications from ELISA and Western Blot to Lateral flow and Immuno Precipitation. The SARS antigens and polyclonal antibodies listed below should also allow serological testing for the new 2019-nCov virus.

A selection of our Coronavirus research products