R&D Systems is Helping Scientists Discover Answers about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

COVID-19 Topics

To see the complete list of products we have for researching SARS-CoV-2, download our new Tools to Support Coronavirus Research brochure.

Additionally, read our new ACE-2: The Receptor for SARS-CoV-2 article to see how our products are being used in current SARS-CoV-2 research.

SARS-CoV-2 Detection

Serological Analysis

Serological analysis detects antibody responses initiated by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Because SARS-CoV-2 is a new human infectious agent, strain specific antibodies are not commonly present in the population. The R&D Systems and Novus Biologicals brands offer a range of secondary antibodies that can be used to develop ELISAs for the detection of serum IgG and IgM antibodies. Exosome Diagnostics, the clinical diagnostic laboratory service of Bio-Techne, can partner with major health care systems, researchers, and providers to develop and perform SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic qPCR testing, SARS-CoV serology assays, and RNA profiling to monitor drug treatment and disease-associated responses. The ProteinSimple brand provides a SARS-CoV-2 multi-antigen serology assay for Simple Western­™ that delivers quantitative characterization of serum or plasma human IgG antibodies reactive against recombinant Nucleocapsid protein (N), S1 receptor binding domain protein (RBD), S1 subunit full length, S2 subunit full length, and Spike (S1+S2) viral antigens within one 3-hour run.

• R&D Systems^™ secondary antibodies for IgG and IgM ELISA development.
• Novus Biologicals^™ secondary antibodies for IgG and IgM ELISA development.
• Exosome Diagnostics for viral diagnostics and pathogenesis research.
• ProteinSimple^™ SARS-CoV-2 multi-antigen serology module for characterization of human immune response to SARS-CoV-2 antigens.
• R&D Systems, in partnership with Kantaro Biosciences, now offers the COVID-SeroIndex, a quantitative ELISA for objective measurement of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies.
• R&D Systems^™ secondary antibodies for IgG and IgM ELISA development.
• Exosome Diagnostics for viral diagnostics and pathogenesis research.
• B Cell ELISpot Serological Assays for SARS-CoV-2 Research.

Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Host Tissues Using RNAscope^™

RNAscope assays enable researchers to study SARS-CoV-2 infections in host tissues by fluorescent in situ hybridization (ISH). Use the RNAscope probes for the SARS-CoV-2 genome (see below) or design your own probes for examining different regions of interest. Visit the ACD website to learn more about RNAscope for COVID-19 research.

Products for Monitoring the Cytokine Storm Resulting from SARS-CoV-2 Infection

It has been reported that severe and critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 often have elevated inflammatory factors and that analysis of these inflammatory factors may be used to monitor disease progression and trends, evaluate prognosis, and guide therapy. Bio-Techne is the leader in this field and our immunoassays can be trusted to deliver reliable results the first time and every time.

Simple Plex^™ Assays – Biological Phenotyping in Real-Time

When researching an acute and deadly disease, speed and data quality are key. Simple Plex assays are highly sensitive, reproducible and completely automated immunoassays that will transform your research possibilities. With our new COVID-19 Cytokine Analysis Panel and Ella COVID-19 Package, you will have everything you need to get your experiment started straight away.

Visit the ProteinSimple website to learn more about the Ella COVID-19 Package and request a quote.

Additional Bio-Techne Immunoassay Platforms for Monitoring the Cytokine Storm

In addition to Simple Plex Assays, Bio-Techne offers a range of immunoassay platforms for monitoring cytokine responses, such as CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1α, CXCL10/IP-10, G-CSF, IL-1β/IL-1F2, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8/CXCL8, IL-10, and TNF-α, following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Learn more about the solutions we offer for profiling the cytokine storm.

• R&D Systems^™ Luminex^® Assays and Luminex High Performance Assays for detecting antiviral cytokines, evaluating the cytokine storm, or T cell activation.
• R&D Systems^™ Quantikine^® ELISAs for quantifying cytokines involved in the cytokine storm.
• R&D Systems^™ DuoSet^® ELISA Development Systems for developing a sandwich immunoassay for accurately measuring analytes in your sample.
• ProteinSimple^™ Simple Western^™ Assays for the automatic separation and detection of cytokine proteins.
• R&D Systems^™ Proteome Profiler^™ Arrays for the qualitative analysis of up to 119 proteins in a single sample.

Tools for Developing Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Therapies

Tocriscreen^™ Compound Libraries

Tocris offers Tocriscreen Compound Libraries, which are collections of compounds that can be used in screening assays to help identify compounds that target SARS-CoV-2. They also offer a Tocriscreen library of 190 FDA-approved compounds for determining possible drug repurposing. Visit the Tocris website to learn more about their products for COVID-19 compound repurposing.

Platforms for Vaccine Development and Production

From early stage research to vaccine release, Bio-Techne’s ProteinSimple^™ platforms can be used throughout the vaccine development process.

TcBuster^™, the transposon gene-editing system from Bio-Techne’s B-MoGen brand, can accelerate the development and production of stable cell lines for vaccine production.

Products for Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Organoid Research

• Several research projects have been initiated to investigate the use of MSCs as a treatment option for the adverse effects caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Bio-Techne’s R&D Systems brand offers workflow solutions for MSC research.
• Lung organoids simulate the pulmonary environment, providing a more accurate evaluation of drug efficacy. Visit our Organoid Resource page on the R&D Systems website to view all of the reagents and technical resources we have to help researchers build consistent lung organoid cultures.

Products for Investigating the SARS-CoV-2 Viral Life Cycle

The quickly expanding research on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is continually uncovering proteins involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection including the Spike (S) protein, ACE-2 and TMPRSS2. Bio-Techne offers a variety of reagents to investigate the mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle.

• R&D Systems^™ recombinant proteins, antibodies, and enzyme substrates for investigating the molecules involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection including ACE-2, Cathepsin B, Cathepsin L, DPPIV/CD26, and Furin.
• Novus Biologicals^™ antibodies and ELISAs for detecting virus and host cell proteins involved in viral infection such as the S Protein and TMPRSS2. View all of Novus Biologicals tools for COVID-19 research.
• Tocris^™ small molecules, such as Camostat mesylate and E 64d, for uncovering the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• R&D Systems^™ cell culture products allows researchers to develop and maintain healthy, consistent cell cultures for cultivating animal viruses.
• R&D Systems^™ VersaClone cDNA clones for Spike, Nucleocapsid, 3CL Protease, plus many NSP ORFs. In addition, find VersaClones for ACE-2, TMPRSS2, and more.
• ProteinSimple^™ Simple Western automated western blotting assays for ACE-2, TMPRSS2 and other key viral antigens plus a SARS-CoV-2 multi-antigen serology module for characterizing human immune response to SARS-CoV-2 antigens.

About SARS-CoV-2

In late December 2019, a new virulent virus emerged in the Wuhan, Hubei province, China that produced a potentially fatal atypical pneumonia, eventually called COVID-19. It was the third time in the last two decades that an outbreak of a highly infectious agent presented a global threat. Identification and sequencing of the virus responsible for this outbreak determined that it was a novel coronavirus (CoV), which was termed SARS-CoV-2.

Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 showed that it is ~80% identical to SARS-CoV, the CoV responsible for the SARS pandemic in 2002.^1,2 Studies have also shown that it also utilizes the same cell surface receptor as SARS-CoV to gain entry into the host cell, which is Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE-2). Additionally, the viral spike (S) protein, which binds to ACE-2, needs to be primed by cellular serine proteases such as TMPRSS2.^1,3 This preliminary identification and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 was key for the development of detection assays. It will also help hasten the efforts to develop antiviral therapies. However, much still needs to be learned about this virus, its infection and transmission, and the magnitude of COVID-19. As a leading brand in the life sciences industry, Bio-Techne develops resources to support CoV research, including for SARS-CoV-2 detection, cytokine monitoring, and drug discovery, in order to help the scientific community understand the mechanisms of infection and develop effective treatments. Also, if you need something for SARS-CoV-2 research, but can't find it, or if you need to outsource the production of proteins, antibodies, or immunoassays, contact our Custom Services to find out how we can help you.

Publications*

Hoffmann, M. et al. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 cell entry depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and is blocked by a clinically proven protease inhibitor. Cell 181:1.

• Goat Anti-Human ACE-2 Antigen Alonal Antibody (R&D Systems, Catalog # AF933)

Monteil, V. et al. (2020) Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infections in engineered human tissues using clinical-grade soluble human ACE2. Cell [Epub ahead of print].

• Sheep Anti-Human Nephrin Antigen Affinity-Purified Polyclonal Antibody (R&D Systems, Catalog # AF4269)

Ou, X. et al. (2020) Characterization of spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 on virus entry and its immune cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV. Nature Comm. 11:1620.

• Goat Anti-Human ACE-2 Antigen Affinity-Purified Polyclonal Antibody (R&D Systems, Catalog # AF933)

Tai, W. et al. (2020) Characterization of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of 2019 novel coronavirus: implication for development of RBD protein as a viral attachment inhibitor and vaccine. Cell. Mol. Immunol. [Epub ahead of print].

• Recombinant Human ACE-2 Protein (R&D Systems, Catalog # 933-ZN)
• Recombinant Human DPPIV/CD26 (High Purity Dimer) Protein (R&D Systems, Catalog # 9168-SE)
• Goat Anti-Human ACE-2 Antigen Affinity-Purified Polyclonal Antibody (R&D Systems, Catalog # AF933)
• Goat Anti-Human DPPIV/CD26 Antigen Affinity-Purified Polyclonal Antibody (R&D Systems, Catalog # AF1180)

Larsen, C.P. et al. (2020) Collapsing glomerulopathy in a patient with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Kidney, Int. Rep. [Epub ahead of print].

• SARS-CoV-2 and PPIB RNAscope (ACD)

Chu, H. et al. (2020) Comparative tropism, replication kinetics, and cell damage profiling of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV with implications for clinical manifestations, transmissibility, and laboratory studies of COVID-19: an observational study. Lancet Microbe. S2666-5247(20)30004-5.

• Recombinant Human ACE-2 Protein (R&D Systems, Catalog # 933-ZN)

Zhang, Y.M. and H. Zhang (2020) Genetic roadmap for kidney involvement of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 15:1044.

• Mouse Anti-Human ACE-2 Monoclonal Antibody (R&D Systems, Catalog # MAB933)

*This is a list of peer-reviewed COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 studies that have used Bio-Techne products and have been accepted for publication.

Related Information

• ACE-2: The Receptor for SARS-CoV-2
• New Coronavirus Brochure
• Infectious Diseases
• SARS-CoV-2 Multi-Antigen Serology Module

Featured Content