# RNA viruses of pandemic potential - viral infectivity

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · 2024 · $213,501

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: Emily Bruce, PhD, Research Project Leader (RPL)
RNA viruses are the cause of major current and future pandemics, with few antivirals and the potential to severely
strain global healthcare systems. In the past year, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-
CoV-2), a positive strand RNA virus that is the causative agent of COVID-19, has caused acute disruption on a
global scale. While the most recent influenza pandemic (2009) had a relatively low mortality rate, the emergence
of a novel influenza strain with higher mortality would place the global healthcare system under immense
pressure, and remains a constant threat. In the case of SARS-CoV-2 (and likely any future coronavirus or
influenza pandemic), an unparalleled demand for viral diagnostic testing resulted in global shortages of many of
the required reagents. RNA extraction in particular represents a choke point, not only due to shortages of the
required reagents, but also due to the cost of the extraction process, the labor, and time required to perform it.
While recent Emergency Use Authorizations have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for
commercial extraction-free diagnostic tests, these are proprietary systems; protocols that work with the open-
source RT-qPCR assay developed by the WHO are needed.
The goal of this study is to investigate factors that correlate with and/or influence viral infectivity of SARS-CoV-
2 and influenza, using clinical samples and classical virology techniques to examine what makes the particular
virus, or a particular patient, infectious.
An extension of a previously funded pilot project aimed at developing a streamlined SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic
test, we will expand our examination to include clinical influenza samples. Additionally, we will probe a number
of factors including sgRNA, negative strand RNA and SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads that considered together may be
able predict the presence of infectious virus, and potentially differentiate those individuals who are simply PCR-
positive from those who truly pose a risk of viral transmission. Since this work will generate a panel of clinical
isolates for both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza with a range of infectivities, we will also investigate a variety of
factors including RNA packaging, particle to PFU ratio, temperature stability, particle morphology and specific
genetic mutations, all of which may affect viral infectivity at the molecular level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10894873
- **Project number:** 5P20GM125498-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Emily A. Bruce
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $213,501
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10894873

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10894873, RNA viruses of pandemic potential - viral infectivity (5P20GM125498-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10894873. Licensed CC0.

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