A laboratory trying to prevent a new pandemic

In a laboratory in the Swiss city of Spitz, known for its work on chemical, biological and nuclear threats since the Second World War, the world's deadliest pathogens are researched.

Last year, it was tasked by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be the first in a global network of high-security laboratories to grow, store and share newly discovered microorganisms that could cause the next pandemic, writes Reuters.

The WHO's BioHub program arose in part out of frustration with the obstacles researchers faced in obtaining samples of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first discovered in China, to understand its dangers and develop tools to combat it.

However, a little more than a year later, the scientists involved in this effort ran into obstacles. Some of them are providing guarantees needed to accept samples of coronavirus strains from several countries, which is the first phase of the project. Some of the world's major countries may not cooperate, and there is not yet a mechanism for sharing samples to develop vaccines, drugs or tests without violating intellectual property protections.

"If we had another pandemic like the coronavirus, the goal would be for it to stay where it started," Isabel Hunger-Glaser, head of the BioHub project in Spitz, told Reuters.

Hence the need for samples to be delivered to this center to help scientists around the world assess risk.

"We realized it was a lot harder" than we thought, Hunger-Glaser points out.

From the external appearance of the Spitz laboratory, there is no hint that high-risk activities are taking place inside. The biosecurity officer keeps the blinds down. Alarms are activated if the door is open for more than a few seconds. He monitors several screens with security camera footage in laboratories with the highest biosafety level (BSL), according to a Reuters report.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid, is studied in BSL-3 laboratories, which is the second highest safety level. Virus samples used at the BioHub are kept in locked freezers, Hunger-Glaser said.

Scientists working with the coronavirus and other pathogens wear protective suits, sometimes with their own air supply. They work with samples in a hermetically sealed unit. The waste that leaves the laboratory is heated to a thousand degrees Celsius to destroy the pathogens that stick to it. To date, there has never been an accidental leak from Špic. That reputation is a key reason why the WHO chose them to be the first BioHub, Hunger-Glaser said.

The proximity of the WHO headquarters in Geneva, two hours away, also contributed to this. WHO and the Swiss government are funding an annual budget of 600.000 Swiss francs (about 610.000 euros) for its first phase.

Researchers have always shared pathogens and there are some networks and regional repositories, but the process is often slow. The sharing procedure is also controversial because researchers in rich countries get credit for the work of less well-connected scientists in developing countries.

Marion Kopmans from the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam said it took her lab a month to get SARS-CoV-2 after it emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. Chinese researchers quickly published a copy of the genetic sequence online, which helped the researchers to start working early. But efforts to understand how the new virus is transmitted and how it responds to existing tools require live samples, scientists say.

Luxembourg was the first country to share samples of new coronavirus strains with BioHub, followed by South Africa and Britain. Luxembourg sent the alpha, beta, gamma and delta strains, while the other two countries shared omicron samples, the WHO said. Luxemburg received omicron samples from South Africa, via the Swiss centre, less than three weeks after it was identified, allowing researchers to begin assessing the risks of the new dominant strain. Portugal and Germany also received omicron samples.

But Peru, El Salvador, Thailand and Egypt, which signaled in early 2022 that they wanted to send samples of strains found in the country, are still waiting, largely because it is unclear which official in each country should provide the necessary legal guarantees, Hunger-Glaser points out. . There is no international protocol on who should sign forms containing safety data and usage agreements, she added.

Another challenge is how to share samples used in research that could lead to commercial gain such as vaccine development. BioHub samples are distributed free of charge to provide broad access. However, this creates potential problems if, for example, drug manufacturers reap profits from the discoveries of uncompensated researchers.

"Some countries will probably never send viruses, or it can be extremely difficult - China, Indonesia or Brazil," Kopmans said, referring to their attitude during recent epidemics.

Hunger-Glaser believes that thinking about emergency threats must change after covid-19.

"If the situation is really extraordinary, the WHO should get a plane to transport the virus to scientists," she said.

"If you can prevent the spread, it's worth it," she added.