The Role Of The Biotechnology In The Current Pandemic Of Covid-19

Electron microscopy was used to reveal the morphology of the coronavirus. Samples from infected patients where inoculated onto Vero cells. RNA was extracted from the virus replication cell culture medium, RNA amplified with primer for full–length gene analysis. Phylogenetic tree analysis reveals that SARS-COV2 is related to SAR-COV (2003) and bats coronavirus. Bioinformatics tool has played a vital role in the data publication online in short space of time to enable scientists to access around the world, mutation of the virus as its spread as well analysis of protein structure and function. Diagnostic tests used to diagnose COVID-19 are RT-PCR based on detecting the genetic material of the pathogen and antibody (serology) test is use to determine COVID-19 immunity. Existing antiviral drugs are being repurposed for covid-19 with biotechnology permits efficient computational modeling to determine which existing small molecular drugs could block SARS-COV2. New vaccine developments employ biotechnology innovation such as the development of mRNA and DNA vaccine. Biotechnology is accelerating the potential vaccine using strains of coronavirus DNA to express proteins to generate vaccine. DNA and RNA vaccine are scalable and cheap to mass produce.

Conclusion

Biotechnology has made it possible for quicker respond to the pandemic. Scientist around the world are working and sharing data to find solution with the application of bioinformatics tool. Diagnostic test are powerful tools to containment COVID-19. Drug development is a complex process and its outcome is uncertain, it takes long to produce vaccine. Therefore the approach of using existing drugs can yield results faster with the application of advancement in biotechnology.