A facile Q-RT-PCR assay for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 growth in cell culture.

ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has infected millions within just a few months and is continuing to spread around the globe causing immense respiratory disease and mortality. Assays to monitor SARS-CoV-2 growth depend on time-consuming and costly RNA extraction steps, hampering progress in basic research and drug development efforts. Here we developed a facile Q-RT-PCR assay that bypasses viral RNA extraction steps and can monitor SARS-CoV-2 replication kinetics from a small amount of cell culture supernatants. Using this assay, we screened the activities of a number of entry, SARS-CoV-2- and HIV-1-specific inhibitors in a proof of concept study. In line with previous studies which has shown that processi

SUBMITTER: Mugisha CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7325174 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature