Sunday, May 5, 2024

Q.: Where Will The Next Trans-Species (Mammal to Human) Virus Appear? And... When?


CU Prof. Sawyer has gained a global reputation as a leader in trans-species viral migrations -- having landed contracts from federal governmental agencies, to consult on how to prevent and better respond to pandemics, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

She will kick off a series -- in the coming months, here -- highlighting Colorado science efforts in various fields of biology. Do go read it all -- she's seen quite a bit, and has much to share with the world at large (or, at least the people of the world who still believe in actual. . . science):

. . .H1N1, which originated in waterfowl, killed more than 50 million during the influenza epidemic of 1918. SARS-CoV-2, believed to have originated in bats, continues to drive the COVID-19 pandemic. In all, about 300 viruses are known at present -- to be capable of sickening humans. It is lost to history just how many of these resulted from animal viruses that jumped to humans. But in recent decades, many more have.

What will be the next one?

That’s the question that keeps CU Boulder virologist Sara Sawyer up at night.

“There are estimated to be as many as 1 million viruses circulating in animals out there,” said Sawyer, a professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology. “Which ones should we be preparing for next? That’s what I want to know. . . .”

Sawyer has spent the last 14 years gathering hundreds of samples from primate, rodent, bat and other mammalian species to better understand what evolution has taught them about how to live with viruses. Her hunt has taken her from endangered lemur preserves to homes for retired celebrity chimps (including Michael Jackson’s famed Bubbles). . . .

“There are lots of examples in nature of evolutionary winners — organisms that have figured out how to be resistant,” said Sawyer. “If we can better understand what their immune systems are doing, we may be able to come up with solutions we never thought of before. . . .”


Now you know. Another fine buffalo, in the biological / pandemic sciences.

On to the "revenge of the sixth", in the morning. Sleep well -- grin.



नमस्ते

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