COVID-19: Propelling the Unknown into the Known

The widespread emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a growing global health concern. To address this, Battelle scientists are working collaboratively with commercial, academic and government entities to support the global efforts in understanding, testing and treating the virus. 

“We started with researching how the virus works, getting a basic understanding of the virus itself - the phenotype characteristics, how it replicates and how long it survives in environments,” said Gabe Meister, Research Leader at Battelle’s state-of-the-art biocontainment research facilities. “Then, we set up the tools and platform to determine the effective strategies for a thoughtful, controlled and collaborative approach to this complex challenge.”  

The level of experience and training that Battelle researchers bring to the specialized biocontainment research environment is deep and broad. To begin work on SARS-CoV-2,  the virus that causes COVID-19, more than 20 epidemiologists, biologists, biochemists, researchers and fellows were involved in facility, laboratory, health services and safety protocols to ensure that a safe, efficient, collaborative and rapid outcome could unfold. 

“The tools we’re developing have a wide applicability in their approach to tackling the virus,” said Andrew Cawthon, Manager of biocontainment research facilities at Battelle. “We’re eager to share the tools and platforms we’ve created with diverse scientific research groups.” 

There are broad cross-sections of the science community that are focused on different approaches with the virus, such as testing decontamination with over-the-counter cleansers, testing protective gear for healthcare professionals and creating new diagnostic testing and therapeutics. 

“No matter the angle they’re coming at with the virus, we can help,” said Andrew.

The research work is extensive. Battelle teams are working with WHO, CDC, academic and government entities, including the FDA to accelerate the time to diagnose and treat the virus. 

“The unknown is scary.” Gabe said. “We want people to know that we’re utilizing what we know and putting it toward the unknown. We have a lot of great information and data based on similar viruses, and the shared knowledge that’s flowing across the global scientific research community is propelling the unknown into the known faster.”  

Look for more COVID-19 updates on our Battelle Insider site.  

Battelle’s core mission is promoting the health and safety of society through science. Contact us to learn more about how we partner to make the world a healthier and safer place. It can be done.