New Corona Special Page

The new coronavirus, which is feared to be spreading, is explained from the viewpoint of biotechnology.

What is the PCR method?

What is the PCR method, which we often hear about in the news?

The PCR method was discovered by an American named Maris, who used DNA replication to increase the amount of specific DNA.
In the PCR method, template DNA taken from human saliva or blood is heated, cooled, and heated repeatedly using a heat-resistant DNA polymerase to amplify the target DNA. In the first heating step, the hydrogen bonds in the double helix are broken to form a single strand (denaturation). On the next cooling, the primers bind to the corresponding sequences (annealing). The final heating activates the polymerase, which synthesizes the DNA (elongation).

When detecting viruses such as the new coronavirus, reverse transcription must be performed. Reverse transcription is the process of converting the RNA that the virus has into DNA, which is then detected by PCR.

Vaccines

Have you ever heard of vaccines? Vaccines are one of the biopharmaceuticals that are used to produce antibodies in the body by administering weakened pathogens to the body. There are many types of vaccines, but the new corona vaccine is different from the conventional vaccines.

The new corona vaccine

So what is the difference from conventional vaccines? Conventional vaccines are called live vaccines or inactivated vaccines, and they administer the pathogen directly. However, the new vaccine being developed is a type of "mRNA vaccine". In the mRNA vaccine, RNA that contains information on the pathogen's protein is administered, and the body creates the pathogen's protein to produce antibodies.

he power of biotechnology is also essential in the fight against the new coronavirus!