Can today's detection technology detect future SARS-CoV-2 variants? A new study by Cell gives the answer

The availability of rapid antigen testing has greatly boosted efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, but each new concern raises questions

The research team, led by Emory University and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rapid Accelerated Diagnostics (RADx) Technology Project, has developed a new method for assessing how mutations in the new coronavirus affect the recognition

Dr Filipp Frank, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Emory University and author of the first study report, said: "Based on our findings, the major variants of SARS-CoV-2 that are worrying do not contain mutations

The study used a method called Deep mutational scanning to assess possible mutations

Dr Eric Ortlund, Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Emory University and senior study author, said: "Accurate and effective identification of infected people remains a vital strategy for mitigating COVID-19, and our study provides information

The results suggest that it is relatively rare for a mutation in the N protein to evade diagnostic tests, but a small subset of sequences may affect detection

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While many of the variants of concern contain multiple mutations in the N protein, the study authors note that their method did not assess how multiple mutations affect diagnostic antibody recognition, which represents a limitation of the study

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Deep mutational scanning identifies SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid escape mutations of currently available rapid antigen tests