BRC-QU unveils 6 research projects on coronavirus

QATAR University’s Biomedical Research Centre (BRCQU), in collaboration with external entities, has initiated several research activities focused on Coronavirus (Covid-19 and MERS-CoV), lead by Dr Asmaa al Thani, director at BRC, and Dr Hadi Yassine, research projects manager.

BRC’s Covid-19-related research comprises six projects. They are ‘A Detailed analysis of exported Covid-19 cases (from China to the rest of the world), which is being done in collaboration with College of Medicine -- QU and Ministry of public Health (MoPH); ‘Using digital simulation technology to test the ability of some inhibitors to stop Covid-19 binding to its cellular receptors’ conducted by BRC; ‘Study of the genetics evolution of seasonal and zoonotic coronavirus that infects humans’, a research being made in collaboration between The Biomedical Research Centre QU and Hamad bin Khalifa University – Qatar Foundation; ‘Study the evolution of the Coronavirus (MERS) that causes respiratory syndrome in humans and camels in the Middle East’ by The Biomedical Research Center - QU, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and (MoPH); ‘A Comparative study on the presence and amount of anti-coronavirus antibodies against seasonal and zoonotic coronaviruses in humans in Qatar’ Published on February 2, 2019 by The Biomedical Research Center - QU and MoPH; and ‘Study on the complete structure of the coronavirus spike protein (viral thorn), its pre-bonding form with cellular receptors’, Published on March 2, 2016 by the National Institute of Health (USA) and Biomedical Research Center QU.

In order to reach out to the private and public health sectors in Qatar and to build the necessary capacity, the centre organised international workshops with the attendance of more than 300 experts in support with HMC, MoPH and international partners.

The centre seeks to engage the various sectors of the country in its research projects. In this regard, the centre has cooperated with ExxonMobil on the study of the DNA sequence of the Dugong (sea cow). It also cooperates with the Katara Al Ghannas Society on the ‘Decoding the Genetic Code of the Qatari Falcons’ project.