据国际遗传工程和生物技术中心（ICGEB）3月18日的消息称，该中心的分子病毒学实验室组长亚历山德罗·马塞洛与意大利当地的一个工作组一起，对新冠肺炎病毒进行了全基因组测序。
3月1日，意大利东北部弗留利-威尼斯朱利亚大区发现并确认了第一批新冠肺炎病例。当地迅速成立工作组，对该地区流行的新冠肺炎病毒进行分离和测序。该工作组成员包括迪利雅斯特诊断参考中心负责人和迪利雅斯特科学园区的基因组测序平台负责人亚历山德罗·马塞洛。
ICGEB将感染者的阳性拭子接种在细胞上，最初从4个样本中检测出有病毒存活。之后对所有样本的病毒RNA基因组进行快速全基因组测序。得益于迪利雅斯特的发达的科技水平，基因测序的结果很快就出来了。
这一举措迅速获得了两项重要成果:在对病毒分离株进行全基因组测序后，可以了解大流行期间病毒的遗传进化，并跟踪该地区病毒的起源；可用的病毒分离株能够使病情诊断、抗病毒药物和疫苗的研究有效进行。ICGEB用于致病性病毒操作的生物安全三级实验室，具有特殊的工程设计和控制功能，使研究人员可安全地处理包括冠状病毒在内的已知或可能存在的人类病原体。该实验室的初步工作将集中于对新冠肺炎病毒进行分子检测和血清学检测。这项工作对于新冠肺炎确诊人群是至关重要的。
这些成果将免费提供给ICGEB的其他研究人员，以便候选抗病毒药物可在新冠肺炎病毒上进行测试，帮助研究人员充分研究能够中和这种病毒的免疫反应，这是治愈新冠肺炎的第一步。人们才刚刚开始了解新冠肺炎这种全新的疾病，所以为了解开复杂的宿主细胞对感染的反应，并确定关键的弱点，需要对其进行进一步研究。
弗留利·威尼斯·朱利亚地区主席马西莫·费德里加和负责卫生的副总统里卡多·里恰尔迪对这些结果表示高度赞赏。
ICGEB总干事劳伦斯·班克斯表示，迪利雅斯特的当地科学专家小组，包括亚历山德罗·马塞洛和他的实验室所做的工作和取得的成果堪称典范。他们迅速和勇敢的行动，使得监测和诊断工具得到改进，并且他们改进了预防和治疗战略，这代表了科学合作可以最有力的解决影响全球的紧迫问题。
为了表示对国际社会的支持，中国医药城（CMC）的张小兵书记将协同位于北京的中国生物技术发展中心(ICGEB的附属中心)向迪利雅斯特提供医疗设备。张小兵表示：如今，在世界范围内战胜新冠肺炎是我们共同的目标。CMC将与ICGEB携手共克时艰。
（来源：国际遗传工程和生物技术中心 栏目主持人：房琳琳；整编：余昊原）
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been isolated and the full genome sequenced at ICGEB Trieste – Italy
Alessandro Marcello, Group Leader, Molecular Virology laboratory, together with a task force team established by the Region, has reached a first, major goal in the battle against coronavirus.
In the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in North-Eastern Italy, the first cases of COVID-19 where identified on 1 March 2020. A task force to isolate and sequence the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating in the Region was swiftly formed to include Alessandro Marcello, together with the Heads of the diagnostic reference centre in Trieste and the Genome sequencing platform, AREA Science Park of Trieste.
Positive swabs from infected individuals were seeded on cells at ICGEB, and the virus was rescued initially from four samples. Rapid full genome sequencing of the viral RNA genomes was then obtained for all samples. This result was obtained in such a short time thanks to the network of scientific excellence present in the city of Trieste.
Two important results were achieved: first, full-genome sequencing of viral isolates is required to understand the genetic evolution of the virus during the pandemic and to track the origin of the viruses that reached the Region.
Second, the availability of viral isolates allows research on diagnostic, antivirals and vaccines to take place effectively. The biosafety level 3 laboratories for pathogenic virus manipulation at the ICGEB has special engineering and containment features that allow investigators to work safely with known or possible human pathogens, including coronavirus. Initial work focuses on the setup of molecular and serological assays for COVID-19. This work is essential to identify infected individuals and those who had already experienced the infection.
These tools will be made freely available to other researchers of the ICGEB constituency. Candidate antiviral drugs can now be tested on the virus, which is the first step towards a cure, and the immunological response capable of neutralising the virus can be fully studied. COVID-19 is a completely new disease that we are only starting to understand. Research is necessary to unravel the complex host cell response to infection and to identify key vulnerabilities.
The President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Massimo Fedriga, and the Deputy President responsible for Health, Riccardo Ricciardi both expressed their keen appreciation on these results.
Lawrence Banks, ICGEB Director-General has stated that the work and the results obtained by the team of local scientific experts in Trieste, including Alessandro Marcello and his laboratory, are exemplary. They reflect a swift and courageous action that should lead toward the development of improved surveillance and diagnostic tools to respond to the current crisis and to lead to improved strategies for prevention and treatment. This represents the best that scientific collaboration can strive to achieve to address urgent issues affecting the entire planet, and building solidarity and hope.
In a show of international support, Mr. Zhang Xiaobing, President of China Medical City (CMC), Taizhou, China, together with the China National Center for Biotechnology Development, CNCBD, Beijing, ICGEB’s Affiliated Centre, are sending medical equipment to Trieste. In January 2020, the cooperation agreement for the ICGEB China Regional Research Center was signed in Taizhou to deepen cooperation and exchanges in many fields. “At this moment”, President Xiaobing says “overcoming COVID-19 outbreaks worldwide is a shared goal. The CMC stands together with ICGEB.”
ICGEB stands together with Trieste, with the Region, with Italy, and with all countries in facing this health crisis.
Press contact: Suzanne Kerbavcic
Head, Communications, Public Information & Outreach, ICGEB
kerbav@icgeb.org
Tel: +39-3405971692
