[ad_1]
Oranienburg (MOZ)
Born in Oberhaveler, Jörg Jores has headed the Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology at the University of Bern (Switzerland) for three and a half years, and the group of virologist Volker Thiel has managed to clone the new coronavirus. “This is a great step forward for the development of new active ingredients, including vaccines,” Professor Jores said Tuesday of this newspaper.
These synthetically produced clones are now being used by research groups around the world to analyze corona samples, find antiviral drugs, and develop vaccines as quickly as possible. After publications in specialized publications, “we have been contacted by the largest universities in the world that want these clones,” said the scientist. Also because the method developed in Bern can also be used in the future to combat other highly infectious viruses.
All about the corona virus and its consequences for Brandenburg and Berlin on our Corona blog.
In the high-security laboratory of the Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI) of the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Science BLV in Mittelhäuser and at the Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Bern, researchers were able to reconstruct the coronavirus from synthetic DNA . For this purpose, DNA copies containing parts of the coronavirus genome were introduced into yeast cells and assembled into a complete copy. The researchers were able to use them to produce infectious coronaviruses.
Before working in Bern, Jörg Jores had already investigated animal diseases in Kenya for eleven years and had developed the yeast cell method. In Bern, the researchers “replicated the coronavirus in one week,” said Professor Volker Thiel of the Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI). The researchers used a yeast cell system that was developed in Bern and has now been demonstrated in an epidemic for the first time. “We have optimized this system to be able to clone coronaviruses and other viruses quickly,” adds veterinary bacteriologist Professor Jörg Jores. The virus was also marked with a green tint. “This makes the test easier.” This Bern method allows a rapid reaction to new and rapidly spreading viruses and their properties in real time, that is, even during an outbreak.
The provisional results of the study, in which the World Health Organization (WHO) was also interested, had already been made available for scientific discussion on a so-called prepress server. The definitive results have been published in the journal Nature.
Until now, scientists in Switzerland have supported numerous diagnostic laboratories around the world with synthetic clones, so they can perform more accurate and faster tests on corona samples. In addition, Bern researchers receive numerous inquiries from companies and other researchers to evaluate potential anti-virus agents in the high-security laboratory on the clones. “You don’t have to send any viruses for this. The sequence is easy to recreate,” says Professor Jörg Jores.
In January, epidemiologists at the University of Bern Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) calculated the spread of the coronavirus. The results of the current study were sent to WHO prior to publication and used there to assess the global situation.
Jörg Jöres is 50 years old. He grew up in Neuholland, where he also went to primary school. After his time in high school at Liebenwalde, he graduated from Oranienburger Runge-Gymnasium. He regularly visits his parents, who live in Liebenwalde, and his twin brother Jesco Jores, who lives in Lehnitz and is a chief surgeon in Hennigsdorf. The last time he visited Oberhavel was in January. “Home is home,” says Jöres. When he is visiting and has time, he likes to relax while fishing or hunting with his brother and father. Jörg Jores is married to Anne Fischer (from Alsace) and has two daughters (six and eight years old).
All about the corona virus and its consequences for Brandenburg and Berlin on our Corona blog.
