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

这一快速项目将为SARS-CoV-2抗体和免疫测试开发方法和基础设施，这些方法和基础设施可用于检查与新冠肺炎接触和结果有关的广泛的社会和生物文化过程。来自大型社区样本的结果将被用来提供感染血清流行率的估计信息，以阐明病毒的地理传播，识别更容易感染的个体亚群，并调查暴露后的免疫发展。一种微创的抗体检测方法将促进在社区环境中的应用，并提供可用于缓解未来暴发的病毒传播预测因素的信息。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来促进科学基础设施的建设，并包括关于SARS-CoV-2抗体检测的作用的公共宣传活动。在新冠状病毒19大流行期间，在社区环境中进行战略性检测对于了解真实感染水平、跟踪病毒和预防传播至关重要。对病毒抗体的血清学检测是识别接触过SARS-CoV-2病毒的个人的重要工具，但目前基于诊所的检测方法需要通过静脉穿刺法采集血清样本，当人们被要求呆在家里时，这很难实现。该项目结合了在家中采集血液的便利性和可以在实验室应用的分析严谨，通过使用SARS-CoV-2抗体的血清学测试，只需要一滴血，然后用简单的手指棒在滤纸上收集。调查人员将部署一个基于网络的“非接触”研究平台，以调查芝加哥不同社区新冠肺炎感染率差异的根源。在招募之后，参与者用他们的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。邮寄了一套试剂盒，用于收集手指棒干血斑样本，并将其送回实验室，分析针对SARS-CoV-2受体结合域的IgG抗体。测试结果将与调查回应和以社区为基础的管理数据相结合，以调查个人、家庭和社区层面的暴露预测因素。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。该方案解决了目前抗体检测的一个重要局限性，即检测结合抗体的存在，但不能量化中和抗体的存在，而中和抗体实际上阻止病毒在再次感染时进入宿主组织。然后，该方案将应用于第一个目的是调查预测SARS-CoV-2免疫力发展的因素的样本。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.