Research Themes

5.Virological Research on the Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Research Overview

Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019, waves of infections driven by emerging variants have continued to recur. Utilizing a biosafety level (BSL) 3 laboratory, we are addressing the following virological challenges:

  1. Evaluation of the Inactivation Effect of New Disinfectants on SARS-CoV-2
    We assess the inactivation effect of candidate disinfectants on SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.
  2. Research on the Pathological Analysis of SARS-CoV-2
    We estimate vaccine efficacy by tracking the levels of neutralizing antibodies in the serum of vaccinated individuals. In addition, we study the pathology of SARS-CoV-2 by evaluating the virus's replication capacity in various cell types.

Key Research Achievements

    1. Yokoyama T, Nishimura T, Uwamino Y, Kosaki K, Furusaki K, Onishi R, Onodera T, Haritani M, Sugiura K, Kirisawa R, Hasegawa N. (2021) Virucidal Effect of the Mesoscopic Structure of CAC-717 on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2. Microorganisms, 9: 2096.
    2. UwaminoY, Yokoyama T, Nishimura T, Sato Y, Wakui M, Kosaki K, Hasegawa N, Murata M. (2022) The effect of the E484K mutation of SARS-CoV-2 on the neutralising activity of antibodies from BNT162b2 vaccinated individuals. Vaccine, 40:1928-1931.

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