Investigating Human Host Factors Involved in Coronavirus Infection in the Search for Antivirals

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans and has resulted in a global pandemic since March 2020. Viruses are small pathogens that need to find, bind and enter host cells to replicate and assemble new virus particles that are then released to infect neighbouring cells or other hosts. This project aims to find parts of the human cell (known as host factors) that are involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection. I will continue research from a large experiment which will identify host factors that either help or hinder the virus. We can then use drugs to either inhibit that which helps the virus (pro-viral factors), or promote that which fights the virus (anti-viral factors) to develop antiviral therapies for the treatment of COVID-19. Drugs with potential antiviral activity in cell models may then be moved to preclinical mouse models to test if they work against SARS-CoV-2 infection and are safe. I will also assess if any drug targets are translatable to other coronavirus infections. Finding drugs that act against a broad range of coronaviruses may be important in the event of a new, infectious coronavirus outbreak in future.