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Screenshot SRF
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Specialists work with the rampant corona virus in the high-security laboratory in Mittelhäuser BE.
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Screenshot SRF
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The researchers made the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus visible for an SRF report.
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Screenshot SRF
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After just a few days, synthetic clones of the virus could be produced in the Bern laboratory.
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Screenshot SRF
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The corona samples came to the laboratory under the highest safety precautions.
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Screenshot SRF
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For Christian Griot, Head of Virology and Immunology at the University of Bern, safety is a top priority.
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He was already investigating the pathogen when the majority of the population thought Corona was only a beer brand: Volker Thiel from the University of Bern has been researching corona viruses for years. Since the beginning of February, he has also been dealing with the currently spreading coronavirus Sars-CoV-2.
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A specialized auto courier took Thiel the virus samples under the highest safety precautions from the first infected in Germany to the laboratory in Mittelhaeuser BE. Since then, he and his team have been researching solutions intensively.
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Only security level 4 laboratories are allowed to examine viruses
Due to its many years of experience, the Bern laboratory is predestined for examining the virus. In addition, as one of only 39 laboratories worldwide, it meets the requirements for security level 4.
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“In addition to the corona virus, other viruses are stored in the laboratory,” explains Christian Griot, Head of Virology and Immunology at the University of Bern in a contribution by SRF magazine “Puls”, That is why every detail is taken care of in the buildings. «We have to make sure that nothing gets out. And we also have to ensure the protection of personnel. »
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Breakthrough thanks to synthetic clones
Shortly after the sample package arrived, Thiel and his team had an important success like that SRF magazine «Puls» reports: Thanks to a new method, synthetic clones of the virus can now be generated much faster. These allow researchers, for example, to switch off individual genes in the virus and to study the effect of this loss.
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In this way, they want to identify genes that are essential for the multiplication of the virus and that would therefore represent a promising target for drugs, as Thiel explained in the article.
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The Swiss researchers are in constant communication with the other high-security laboratories in the world that also examine the corona virus. Priorities were also set together for working with the pathogen.
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“It is exciting”
For the production of synthetic clones, researchers in medium-sized houses have received international recognition and a large number of inquiries for virus clones. As Thiel explained, his team currently wants to support studies that are still useful for the current epidemic, such as disinfection studies.
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In the SRF contribution, Thiel says about his work: “It is exciting, but you are also aware of the responsibility. We’re not doing research here for fun. » You want to gain important insights so that you can then help. (Cat / SDA)
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