The study of the airborne longevity 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 is written by Henry Oswin, a PhD candidate from Professor Jonathan Reid’s research group at the University of Bristol. He discusses how his project to develop and optimise an instrument to study the airborne longevity of E. coli rapidly adapted to study SARS-CoV-2. He details the technical challenges, as well as his own personal hurdles, that lead to significant progress in understanding the airborne longevity of the virus.
How did you respond to the SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic?
From March–September 2020, we developed and optimised an instrument for the study of the airborne longevity of SARS-CoV-2. Our initial work focused on verifying the range of environmental conditions accessible within the instrument and optimising a set of protocols suitable for working with the instrument in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab. We used mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 during this initial testing and development stage. From September 2020 onwards we began using the instrument to study SARS-CoV-2. Our work focused on characterising the short-term response of the virus to the aerosol microenvironment and attempting to explore which specific aspects of being airborne were having the most significant impact on the virus.
Was this response related to your work prior to the outbreak?
Yes, we had been developing and working with other versions of the instrument before the pandemic. However, our previous work was less applicable to real world disease, as it mainly focused on studying the airborne longevity of E. coli.
What were some of the challenges that you faced during this time?
We did not initially have any virology experience, access to a BSL-3 laboratory, or an instrument safe to use for BSL-3 work. These all initially seemed like impossible obstacles to overcome. Fortunately, a team of collaborators from a range of backgrounds was assembled for us with the help of the University of Bristol’s COVID-19 Emergency Research Group (UNCOVER). Some of our collaborators renovated an old BSL-3 lab for us to use, and several virologists helped us develop and optimise protocols for applying our methodology to a category 3 virus.
Work with the virus in high containment could be very slow and tedious and many of our initial experiments with SARS-CoV-2 failed. Particularly challenging was levitating enough virus to make statistically significant measurements. Difficulty in growing the virus to high titres and the small size of the droplets we worked with often meant we would be levitating only 1–3 individual viruses at a time. This meant we were initially having to do lots of repeat measurements to get statistically significant data. Fortunately, this issue was largely resolved by the start of 2021, which allowed us to begin making more significant progress on the project.
How did your experience throughout the response aid in your development?
Prior to this project I’d primarily worked in bacteriology, so I had to learn a lot of new skills in a relatively short period of time. Several collaborating virologists trained me in cell culture, virology, and BSL-3 practice. I’ve also met and presented my work to researchers from a much broader range of backgrounds than I would have, had I remained focused on bacteriology.
What can we learn about the importance of microbiology from the COVID-19 pandemic?
I feel that the pandemic has demonstrated the need for improved science communication in microbiology-related fields. Scientific research has helped us to discover and refine new strategies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. However, many of these strategies require the willing participation of the general population, which can be hampered by ignorance and misinformation. New methods are needed to disseminate scientific findings to the general public in a clear and trustworthy manner.
How did the Microbiology Society play a role in your response?
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference Online 2021 was a very valuable experience for me. I was able to present to a large group of microbiologists and their questions after my talk helped to give me ideas for future directions of the project. Attending talks by other researchers at the conference was useful as it gave me a broader insight into SARS-CoV-2 work being done and the major knowledge gaps at the time.
References
- Oswin, H. P., Haddrell, A. E., Otero Fernandez, M., Cogan, T. A., Mann, J. F. S., Morley, C. H., Hill, D. J., Davidson, A. J., Finn, A. H. R., Thomas, R. J., & Reid, J. P. Measuring stability of virus in aerosols under varying environmental conditions. Aerosol Science and Technology, 2021; 55(12), 1315-1320.
- Fernandez, M. O., Thomas, R. J., Oswin, H., Haddrell, A. E., & Reid, J. P. Transformative approach to investigate the microphysical factors influencing airborne transmission of pathogens. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2020, 86(23), [e01543-20].
About the Author
Henry Oswin is a PhD candidate from Professor Jonathan Reid’s research group at the University of Bristol. His research focuses on the development and optimisation of a device to study the airborne longevity of bacteria and viruses.
