Screening antiviral drugs against the envelope (E) protein of SARS-CoV-2
Aligned with our mission to advance the understanding and impact of microbiology, the Society reached out to our community of microbiologists to share their experiences in responding to SARS-CoV-2. We aim to showcase the perspective of scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic and the variety of roles adopted to mitigate the global crisis.
This case study was written by Dr Gemma Swinscoe, who transitioned from being a PhD student to a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in mid-2020. The study focusses on Gemma’s research investigating the envelope (E) protein from SARS-CoV-2, the challenges that she faced during the first 18 months of the pandemic and her thoughts on the influence that the pandemic has had on microbiology.
I passed my PhD viva on 3 March 2020, as the country hung in limbo over the possibility of a lockdown. The pandemic changed the world in so many ways, while my life was changing for the first time in over ten-years. I always wanted to move into postdoctoral research after my PhD and imagined that most find the transition from student to postdoc challenging. I never imagined that I would be going through this transition in the middle of a global pandemic. I haven’t even had a graduation ceremony for my PhD.
I was offered the opportunity to work on the envelope (E) protein from SARS-CoV-2 in Dr Stephen Griffin’s lab at the University of Leeds, shortly before the first lockdown. The project aimed to screen over 1,000 FDA-approved/generic drugs against the ion channel activity of the E protein. I’d previously worked on a protein ion channel from BK polyomavirus and had expertise in the in vitro assay that we used to screen the drug library. We needed (and still need) antivirals against SARS-CoV-2, so it’s very exciting to be involved in this research. Working with these proteins is challenging at times, but it was very rewarding to be one of the first to complete a screen of this scale on a viroporin. We are currently validating many exciting lead compounds from this screen, with the hope that we can prove their usefulness as SARS-CoV-2 antivirals.
I started this postdoc position in July 2020, in a lab all to myself as the rest of my new colleagues were on furlough. In the last eighteen months, I have been trained to work in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facility – something I never thought I would do; struggled with a low supply of critical consumables/reagents as the pandemic brought the world to a standstill; and supervised two PhD students, who I have watched overcome the hurdles of doing a PhD whilst the COVID-19 restrictions continue. I’m very grateful that I was given the opportunity to challenge myself during this project.
I’d like to think that this pandemic has highlighted the importance of microbiology. Though, from a researcher’s perspective, and my own, it’s difficult sometimes to feel appreciated with how science is portrayed to the public. It would be nice to say that a pandemic will never happen again, but we can never be certain of what unknowns will emerge in the future. An appreciation of microbiology will always be important, so that we are better prepared for next time. I think working together as a scientific community and a society will be critical to ensure that a greater general understanding of microbiology and trust in scientists is achieved.
About the author
Dr Gemma Swinscoe is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Dr Stephen Griffin’s lab at the University of Leeds. Her work mainly focusses on repurposing existing commercial drugs to target viroporins.
