# Developing and validating serological assays to SARS-COV-2 for highly susceptible animal species

> **NIH FDA U18** · KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $225,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped, positive-sense RNA virus that is known to interact with the angiotensin-
converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor of several species, including humans, cats, dogs, minks, ferrets, deer,
and others. Since its emergence in Wuhan, China in late 2019, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-
19, has been classified as a pandemic, causing havoc on public health and resulting in worldwide lockdowns.
Due to its sudden emergence, as well as its similarity to SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, it is suspected that
SARS-CoV-2 likely had an intermediate animal host. However, the similarities in the ACE2 receptors of
coronaviruses have sparked the question of which animal species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, and
capable of viral transmission. Reverse-zoonosis has been described in a few of these species, indicating that
human-animal interactions can pose two-sided risks for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, it is critical to
produce accurate diagnostic serological tests for animals to understand prevalence of the virus in the animal
population. This project will compare diagnostic results between commercial ELISAs, developed in-house
ELISAs, and serum neutralization assays for SARS-CoV-2, as well as Western blot against other
coronaviruses to rule out cross-reactivity. The outcome of this study will provide insight into the accuracy
(Se/Sp) of commercially available serological tests, newly developed in-house serological techniques, and
collect data on SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in target species, which will include minks, ferrets, white-tailed deer,
domestic dogs and cats, cows, sheep, and goats.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10449884
- **Project number:** 1U18FD007509-01
- **Recipient organization:** KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Roman Pogranichniy
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $225,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-15 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10449884

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10449884, Developing and validating serological assays to SARS-COV-2 for highly susceptible animal species (1U18FD007509-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10449884. Licensed CC0.

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