1. A Field Guide to Sars-CoV-2
Talk for
Yolo County Community of Practice
February 9, 2022
Jonathan A. Eisen
@phylogenomics
University of California, Davis
2. A Field Guide to Sars-CoV-2
Talk for
Yolo County Community of Practice
February 9, 2022
Jonathan A. Eisen
@phylogenomics
University of California, Davis
39. ! Phylogenetic catalog of types of organism
! Functional diversity
! Biogeography (space and time)
! Niche and in situ function
! Means for identification
• Provides a guide to interpret normal states and
abnormalities
! Emerging pathogens
! Enzyme Discovery
! Microbial Forensics
! Climate Change
! Antimicrobial resistance
! Genetic manipulation
! Bioweopons release
! Vaccine design
40. We Need A Field Guide to the Microbes
MICROBES
41. Components of a Field Guide
• What should be included
! Phylogenetic catalog of types of organism
! Functional diversity
! Biogeography (space and time)
! Niche and in situ function
! Means for identification
• Provides a guide to interpret normal states and
abnormalities
! Emerging pathogens
! Enzyme Discovery
! Microbial Forensics
! Climate Change
! Antimicrobial resistance
! Genetic manipulation
! Bioweopons release
! Vaccine design
43. Challenge I: Small, Hard to Study in Field
• Microscope picture
• Microbes are small
• But diversity and numbers
are very high
• Appearance not a good
indicator of type or function
• Field observations of limited
value
47. Challenge V: Microscale Localization
Jessica L. Mark Welch, Blair J. Rossetti, Christopher W. Rieken, Floyd E. Dewhirst, and Gary G. Borisy
PNAS February 9, 2016. 113 (6) E791-E800; published ahead of print January 25, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1522149113
Jessica L. Mark Welch, Blair J. Rossetti, Christopher W. Rieken, Floyd E.
Dewhirst, and Gary G. Borisy
PNAS February 9, 2016. 113 (6) E791-E800; published ahead of print January 25, 2016. https://
doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1522149113
60. Family Tree of Novel Virus
NEW
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
61. Family Tree of Novel Virus
NEW
What Does
This Tell Us?
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
62. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS
MERS
NEW
What Does
This Tell Us?
I. Related
human
pathogens
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
63. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS
MERS
NEW
BATS
BATS
What Does
This Tell Us?
II. Related
animal
pathogens
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
65. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS
MERS
NEW
BATS
BATS
What Does
This Tell Us?
III.
Classi
fi
cation
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
72. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS-CoV
MERS-CoV
SARS-CoV2
BATS
BATS
What Does
This Tell Us?
IIIb. Names
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
73. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS-CoV
MERS-CoV
SARS-CoV2
BATS
BATS
What Does
This Tell Us?
IV. Predict
Biology
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
74. SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus
https://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/covid/index.html
75. SARS-CoV-2 is a Coronavirus
https://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/covid/index.html
77. Coronaviruses cause colds & respiratory infections
https://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/covid/index.html
78. Predicting SARS-CoV-2 Virus Biology
• It is useful to know that SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to the
viruses that cause MERS and SARS since those have been
studied for years
• Much known about other coronaviruses but note that SARS-
CoV-2 is pre
tt
y distantly related to those
79. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS-CoV
MERS-CoV
SARS-CoV2
BATS
BATS
What Does
This Tell Us?
V. Predict
Novelty
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
80. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS-CoV
MERS-CoV
SARS-CoV2
BATS
BATS
What Does
This Tell Us?
VI.
Variation w/in
SARS-CoV-2
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
81. Family Tree of Novel Virus
SARS-CoV2
What Does
This Tell Us?
VI.
Variation w/in
SARS-CoV-2
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930251-8
93. • Skeletons
!All vertebrates have skeletons
!The structure of the skeleton differs between
species and skeletal comparisons can be
used to infer phylogeny
• SARS-CoV2 RNA Genome
!All SARS-CoV2s have RNA Genome
!The sequence of bases in the RNA genomes
differ between species and sequence
comparisons can be used to infer phylogeny
SARS-COV2-Phylogeny vs Skeletons
115. qRT PCR Details
• q = quantitative
• RT = real time
• RT = reverse transcriptase
• (sometimes call real time reverse
transcriptase PCR)
• PCR = polymerase chain reaction
116. qRT PCR Details
Baselineis defined as PCR cycles
in which a reporter fluorescent signal is
accumulating but is beneath the limits
of detection of the instrument.
ΔRnis an increment of fluorescent
signal at each time point. The ΔRn
values are plotted versus the cycle
number.
Threshold is an arbitrary level of
fluorescence chosen on the basis of
the baseline variability. A signal that is
detected above the threshold is
considered a real signal that can be
used to define the threshold cycle (Ct)
for a sample. Threshold can be
adjusted for each experiment so that it
is in the region of exponential
amplification across all plots.
Ct is defined as the fractional PCR
cycle number at which the reporter
fluorescence is greater than the
threshold. The Ct is a basic principle of
real time PCR and is an essential
component in producing accurate and
reproducible data.
117. Genotyping
• Sequencing identifies key differences
between variants
• Develop assay to screen for variants at
single positions in the genome (e.g., A vs
G)
• Can run separately from or simultaneous to
qRT-PCR
• Advantages: Fast, Cheap
• Disadvantages: Limited # of sites. Only
screen for known variation.
118. Example of genotyping during PCR
https://www.bioline.com/media/wysiwyg/pdf/ppt/PCR_Based_SNP_Genotyping_Assay.pdf
123. Air filter pilot
for school
•-2 private schools, 2 public
schools as pilot, ~60
Classrooms in total
•-2x air filters and 1x floor
sample per room
Slide from David Coil