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Recurrent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 spike deletion H69/V70 and its role in the variant of concern lineage B.1.1.7

We report SARS-CoV-2 spike ΔH69/V70 in multiple independent lineages, often occurring after acquisition of the receptor binding motif replacements such as N439K and Y453F known to increase binding affinity to the ACE2 receptor and confer antibody escape. In vitro, we show…

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Recurrent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 spike deletion H69/V70 and its role in the variant of concern lineage B.1.1.7

We report SARS-CoV-2 spike ΔH69/V70 in multiple independent lineages, often occurring after acquisition of the receptor binding motif replacements such as N439K and Y453F known to increase binding affinity to the ACE2 receptor and confer antibody escape. In vitro, we show…

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Evolutionary and ecological drivers shape the emergence and extinction of foot-and-mouth disease virus lineages

Livestock farming across the world is constantly threatened by evolutionary turnover of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strains in endemic systems, the underlying dynamics of which remain to be elucidated. Here, we map the eco-evolutionary landscape of co-circulating…

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An engineered maturation cleavage provides a recombinant mimic of foot-and-mouth disease virus capsid assembly-disassembly

Picornavirus capsids are assembled from 60 copies of a capsid precursor via a pentameric assembly intermediate or ‘pentamer’. Upon completion of virion assembly, a maturation event induces a final cleavage of the capsid precursor to create the capsid protein VP4, which is…

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An Aedes aegypti-derived Ago2 knockout cell line to investigate arbovirus infections

Mosquitoes are known as important vectors of many arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses causing disease in humans. These include dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses. The exogenous small interfering (si)RNA (exo-siRNA) pathway is believed to be the main antiviral defense in…

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Manipulation of the unfolded protein response: A pharmacological strategy against coronavirus infection

Coronavirus infection induces the unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular signalling pathway composed of three branches, triggered by unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) due to high ER load. We have used RNA sequencing and ribosome profiling to…

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Manipulation of the unfolded protein response: A pharmacological strategy against coronavirus infection

Coronavirus infection induces the unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular signalling pathway composed of three branches, triggered by unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) due to high ER load. We have used RNA sequencing and ribosome profiling to…

a vaccine vial on blue background with overlayed text saying 'One health vaccinology, the key to preventing future pandemics?

Pirbright collaboration illuminates path to preventing future pandemics through ‘One Health vaccinology’

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided yet another stark reminder that more than 70 percent of human infectious diseases emerge from animal populations. It has further emphasised the need for a more holistic approach to developing vaccines and treatments that could improve the…

A diagram showing how a yellow tetramer with a green virus segment attached to each of its four arms is able to be recognised by a blue T cell.

Pirbright scientists use ‘molecular magnets’ to discover FMD virus segments that could improve vaccine effectiveness

Recent research from The Pirbright Institute has revealed new parts of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) that stimulate an immune response, which could be used to inform the design of improved vaccines. They also discovered that specific immune cells were present in…

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New Animal Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre to be established at Pirbright

A landmark global health declaration by G7 leaders, which was agreed at the G7 meeting in Carbis Bay, includes a commitment to ensure that the global devastation caused by COVID-19 is never repeated and the creation of a new centre to develop vaccines to prevent zoonotic…