Anti‐Covid Gene Therapy: Integration of Authentic Research into a Continuously Evolving Undergraduate Laboratory Course

Abstract

Undergraduate biology students often graduate without exposure to authentic research experiences. Laboratory courses follow a one or two week fail‐proof experiment resembling a cookbook recipe, lacking the uncertainty of genuine research. Techniques in molecular biology cover an array of skills essential to succeed in a biotechnological laboratory today. I have been developing an evolving molecular biology lab course based on the teaching of concepts while imparting the skills and applications of modern techniques, providing students with theoretical concepts and laboratory skills. We prepare students to carry‐out scientific protocols that can be applied to a future workforce setting. Students are immersed in a 10‐week series of labs with the objective to use molecular cloning to make a novel gene therapy vector; therapies are designed to inhibit the expression of genes of the virus that causes Covid‐19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Students are introduced to PubMed and GenBank to research the background of SARS‐CoV‐2 and its target genes; the Spike gene (S), the membrane gene (M) the nucleocapsid gene (N) and the envelope gene (E). Students use the DNA software, Serial Cloner, as a tool to evaluate DNA sequences and mFOLD to analyze RNA structure. Students generate and visualize the design of an antisense gene therapy directed against one of the target viral genes. Using our gene therapy platform, students generate a vector with a unique target. Subsequently student‐generated vectors were transfected into mammalian tissue culture cells that express one of the target genes (S, M, N or E) and RNA and protein was collected to measure the efficacy of the gene therapy vector to reduce the expression of the target viral gene. In our initial experiments, we observed greater than 2.5‐fold reduction in the Spike Covid mRNA. Currently, students are testing additional therapies to maximize efficacy.