RAPID: Next phase serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 for biocultural research

该RAPID项目将开发用于SARS-CoV-2抗体和免疫检测的方法和基础设施，这些方法和基础设施可用于检查与COVID-19暴露和结果相关的广泛社会和生物文化过程。来自大型社区样本的结果将用于估计感染的血清阳性率，以阐明病毒的地理传播，确定更容易感染的个体亚群，并调查接触后的免疫发展情况。一种微创抗体检测方法将促进在社区环境中的应用，并提供关于病毒传播预测因素的信息，可用于减轻未来的疫情。该项目还将通过为研究生和博士后研究人员提供培训机会，为科学基础设施做出贡献，并包括关于SARS-CoV-2抗体检测作用的公众宣传活动。在COVID - 19大流行期间，在社区环境中进行战略性检测对于了解感染的真实水平、跟踪病毒和预防传播至关重要。针对该病毒的抗体进行血清学检测是识别接触过SARS-CoV-2的个体的重要工具，但目前基于临床的检测方法需要通过静脉穿刺收集血清样本，这在要求人们呆在家里的情况下很难实施。该项目将家庭采血的便利性与实验室分析的严谨性结合起来，通过使用SARS-CoV-2 IgG抗体血清学测试，仅需一滴血，在简单的手指棒之后用滤纸采集。研究人员将部署一个基于网络的“无接触”研究平台，调查芝加哥各社区COVID-19感染率差异的根源。招募结束后，参与者用智能手机或电脑导航到主页，在那里获得同意，并以电子方式进行调查。邮寄一套试剂盒，用于收集手指棒干燥的血斑样本，将其送回实验室，分析针对SARS-CoV-2受体结合域的IgG抗体。测试结果将与调查答复和基于社区的行政数据相结合，以调查个人、家庭和社区水平的暴露预测因素。第二个目标是开发和验证用于干血斑样本的替代病毒中和方案。该方案解决了当前抗体测试的一个重要限制，即检测结合抗体的存在，但不能量化在再次感染时实际阻止病毒进入宿主组织的中和抗体的存在。然后，该方案将应用于来自第一个目标的样本，以调查预测SARS-CoV-2免疫发展的因素。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This RAPID project will develop methods and infrastructure for SARS-CoV-2 antibody and immunity testing that can be operationalized to examine a wide range of social and biocultural processes as they relate to COVID-19 exposure and outcomes. Results from a large community-based sample will be used to inform estimates of the seroprevalence of infection in order to illuminate the geographic spread of the virus, identify subgroups of individuals more susceptible to infection, and investigate the development of immunity following exposure. A minimally-invasive approach to antibody testing will facilitate application in community-based settings and provide information on the predictors of viral transmission that can be used to mitigate future outbreaks. The project will also contribute to the infrastructure of science through training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and includes public outreach activities on the role of antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2. During the COVID 19 pandemic, strategic testing in community-based settings is critical for understanding the true level of infection, tracking the virus, and for preventing transmission. Serological testing for antibodies against the virus is an important tool for identifying individuals who have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, but current clinic-based testing approaches require serum samples collected via venipuncture, which is difficult to implement when people are being asked to stay at home. This project combines the convenience of blood collection in the home with the analytic rigor that can be applied in the laboratory by using a serological test for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies that requires only a single drop of blood, collected on filter paper following a simple finger stick. The investigators will deploy a web-based, “no-contact” research platform to investigate the origins of differences in COVID-19 infection rates across neighborhoods in Chicago. Following recruitment, participants navigate to a home page with their smart phone or computer where consent is obtained and a survey is administered electronically. A kit is mailed for the collection of a finger stick dried blood spot sample, which is returned to the lab and analyzed for IgG antibodies against the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. Test results will be combined with survey responses and neighborhood-based administrative data to investigate the individual-, household-, and community-level predictors of exposure. The second aim is to develop and validate a surrogate virus neutralization protocol for use with dried blood spot samples. This protocol addresses an important limitation of current antibody tests which detect the presence of binding antibodies, but cannot quantify the presence of the neutralizing antibodies that actually prevent the virus from entering host tissues upon re-infection. The protocol will then be applied to samples from the first aim to investigate the factors that predict the development of immunity to SARS-CoV-2.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.