TXBiobytes from Texas Biomed

The United States reached another solemn milestone this week. 500 thousand people have lost their lives to COVID-19.

This pandemic has drastically changed our world in ways no one could have imagined. And, every day it seems we are learning something new about the virus SARS-CoV-2. A critical component to all viruses is that they mutate. And, when they mutate they form a variant. When a virus constantly mutates, creating multiple variants, that can be a problem. There are now several mutations of SARS-CoV-2 circulating globally.

In this podcast, we sit down with one of Texas Biomed's leading virologists, Dr. Jean Patterson, to get a basic understanding of a variant. We discuss how variants are formed, the difference between a variant and a new strain and what needs to be done to stay ahead of these evolutionary changes of a virus.

Post Doctorate Fellow Marco Ferrari (L) presents his research poster during the Second Annual Research Symposium in February.

Texas Biomed held its second annual research symposium in February. Known as Research Day, the symposium is an opportunity for scientists from around the Texas Biomed campus to present their research and give updates to faculty and staff. Topics ranging from HIV and Ebola to tuberculosis and pertussis and more were presented. In this episode of Biobytes, two scientists, Marco Ferrari and Kizil Yusoof, talk about their research and how it can improve lives. Motivational Speaker Shiloh Harris opened Research Day with his story about survival. Research Day was initiated to promote collaborative science among Texas Biomed researchers and other scientists.

New Coronavirus - Credit: NIH NIAID

As of today, February 26, 2020, the new coronavirus has infected more than 80,000 people worldwide, causing more than 2,200 deaths, and continues to be spreading. The CDC has warned that the virus is likely to spread in the United States. Scientists worldwide are frantically searching for therapies and vaccines to combat this threat and there appears to be some progress; however, any vaccine or therapeutic candidate will still have to undergo rigorous testing, including testing in animal models, which Texas Biomed is developing.

Texas BioBytes sat down with three leading researchers to discuss the virus, scientific progress and what individuals can do to protect themselves. We spoke on February 17 with Dr. Larry Schlesinger, Professor, President and CEO of Texas Biomed; Dr. Jean Patterson, Professor, and this week's podcast also introduces Texas Biomed's newest faculty member and leading virologist on vaccine development Dr. Luis Martinez Sobrido, Professor. All facts and figures are from the time of the interview. Please join us for this roundtable discussion of one of the world's most current threats.

Texas Biomed President/CEO Larry Schlesinger, M.D.

Texas Biomed launched a 10-year strategic plan in 2018 that aims to bring hundreds of jobs to San Antonio and double basic biomedical research funding at the Institute in order to ensure we fulfill our mission to protect you, your loved ones and our global community from the threat of infectious diseases.

Recent headlines in the New York Times report "First Wuhan Coronavirus Patient Identified in the United States" and "W.H.O. Warns That Pipeline for New Antibiotics Is Running Dry." Daily news reports worldwide, like these, underscore not only the threat of new, emerging diseases but the resurgence of infectious diseases, like measles, as well as the global scourges of malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and other diseases that continue claiming the lives of millions worldwide.

We sat down with President and CEO of Texas Biomed Dr. Larry Schlesinger to learn how we can get ahead of these threats and what he hopes Texas Biomed's role will be in the coming decade? Join us for our one-on-one conversation.

Texas Biomed trainees team up to produce a podcast about their experiences.

Biomedical research trainees are an important part of the team of scientists at Texas Biomed. The next generation of innovative thinkers will grow out of those people working in labs all over the country while earning their higher degrees and conducting their post-doctoral work.

In this podcast, you will hear from:

Colwyn Headley, Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Science (Immunology) from Ohio State University.

Kizil Yusoof, Masters student in Immunology and Infection at UT Health San Antonio

Maritza Quintero, Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at UT Health San Antonio

Amanda Rae Mannino, MLS (ASCP), Ph.D. Candidate in the Cell Biology, Genetics and Molecular Medicine Discipline

Texas Biomed Professorhttps://www.txbiomed.org/news-press/news/tx-biobytes-from-texas-biomed-episode-047-teaming-up-to-tackle-aids/, Ph.D., served as co-chair for the Symposium

The Southwest National Primate Research Center hosted to 37th Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate models for AIDS at the Omni La Mansion del Rio Hotel in the fall of 2019. The goal of the symposium is to create the ability to share and exchange new research findings, ideas, and direction by an international group of scientists. Many of these researchers focus on the study of natural or experimental immunodeficiency virus infections, such as HIV or SIV, which is the monkey version of the virus.

Sponsorships are important in the world of research. Many companies come to these symposiums to discover ways in which they are able to help advance the work being done in the field.

Collaboration is extremely important within the scientific community. People come from all over the world to symposiums like this one to share and discover new ways to help out other scientists hoping to find the next breakthrough in HIV research using nonhuman primates.

A lot of great work has transpired through the 37 years that the NHP/AIDS symposium has taken place, as scientists gather together to exchange their discoveries we inch closer to understanding the developments that could lead to new methods for the treatment, control and prevention of AIDS in human.

Associate Professor Corrina Ross, Ph.D.

One of the biggest risk factors for disease and death is – of course – aging. What if there were common medications for sick people that could be given to otherwise healthy people to help them stay healthier longer? That’s the idea behind a new study looking at the effects of two diabetes drugs on the aging?

Marmoset Photo Courtesy Kathy West Studios

Texas Biomedical Research Institute Associate Professor Corinna Ross, Ph.D., is using marmosets to study the impact of Metformin and Acarbose. The study was published in the journal Pathobiology of Aging and Age-Related Diseases.

Local grant money from the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center helped fund this important pilot project. Dr. Ross says community financial support for biomedical research is crucial.

Once a year, Texas Biomed opens up the campus for family and friends to see what employees do every day to combat the threat of infectious diseases. We call it Family Night, a rare opportunity for spouses, children, aunts, uncles and grandmas to get a taste of the life-saving research conducted by our employees every day.

Texas Biomed employees who man the various booths scattered around the campus say they look forward to this event. It gives them a chance to share what they’ve been working on.

More than 450 people streamed on to the Texas Biomed campus. 338 of them took a bus tour of the primate center, and 173 guests visited each and every educational booth.

Vet Tech Supervisor Laurie Condel at an ultrasound machine

Veterinary Research Technicians are some of the most important people on our campus. They are sometimes referred to as "nurses for animals."

38 vet techs and 3 vet tech supervisors work at the Southwest National Primate Research Center on the Texas Biomed campus. What they do each and every day is vital to our scientific mission: to eradicate the threat of infectious diseases and advance knowledge that impacts human health around the glove. Meet some of the people who deliver great care to our hundreds of nonhuman primates and rodents.

Staff Scientist Eusondiia Arnett, Ph.D., and Professor Larry Schlesinger, M.D.

New discoveries in laboratories at Texas Biomed could lead to a new set of drugs that will ultimately cure tuberculosis (TB). That's the opinion of Texas Biomed President/CEO and Professor Larry Schlesinger, M.D., who is also a TB researcher. He is Principal Investigator of a new grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This four-year, $2.8 million project was awarded for scientists to study the role of lung macrophages -- which are immune cells -- in metabolic and inflammation responses to an infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).

Combining antibiotics with some kind of an immune booster could lead to better outcomes. Dr. Schlesinger believes "this newest research has the most clear-cut translation potential in terms of leading to a new strategy for host-directed therapy for TB.