RAPID: PHYSICS OF CORONAVIRUS SARS-COV-2 SURVIVAL OUTSIDE A HOST AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SEASONAL DEPENDENCE OF COVID-19 OUTBREAKS

目前缺乏关于SARS-Cov-2颗粒在各种环境条件下稳定性的信息。该项目将创造机械的洞察力，这将估计传染性颗粒的持久性，并对预测病毒传播以及告知公众健康至关重要。两名研究生将在这些实验中合作。这项工作将构成这些学生研究生论文的重要组成部分。使用原子力显微镜和全息光镊测量病毒颗粒的结构极限，也将为我们提供适用于其他包膜病毒的病毒包膜稳定性的一般知识。由SARS-CoV-2（2019-nCoV）病毒引起的COVID-19疾病构成了一场急性和新型的公共卫生危机。从拟议的工作中获得的知识将立即为各种环境条件下的病毒生存能力预测提供信息。这些测量还将建立完整和有效的工作流程，用于使用先进的光学捕获和原子力显微镜技术处理SARS-CoV-2颗粒。获得的技术专长将是宝贵的情况下，类似的测量将需要在最高的生物安全环境（BL 4条件）与活病毒粒子。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得的支持，通过评估使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

There is currently a lack of information on SARS-Cov-2 particle stability in varied environmental conditions. This project will create mechanistic insight which will estimate the persistence of infectious particles and is critical for predictions of viral spread as well as informing public health. Two graduate students will collaborate during these experiments. This work will form a substantial part of the graduate thesis for these students. Measurements of structural limits of viral particles using atomic force microscopy and holographic optical tweezers will also inform our general knowledge of the viral envelope stability as applied to other enveloped viruses.The COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) virus poses an acute and novel public health crisis. The knowledge gained from the proposed work will immediately inform the projections of viral survivability under various environmental conditions. The measurements will also establish complete and efficient workflow for handling SARS-CoV-2 particles with advanced optical trapping and atomic force microscopy techniques. The technical expertise gained will be valuable in case similar measurements would be required under the highest bio-safety environments (BL4 condition) with live virions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.