In today’s episode, we continue our series of interviews with scientists who have decided to use their expertise in their respective fields to help further research into the biology of SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.



Diagram of Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) displaying expressed antigens (graphic courtesy of Dr. Matt DeLisa)







First off, you’ll hear Esther Racoosin’s interview of Dr. Matthew DeLisa, a Professor of Engineering at Cornell University.  For 4 years, his laboratory has been using bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicle (OMV) technology to develop a universal influenza vaccine. Recently, DeLisa’s lab has been using that to design a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.



To learn more about Dr. DeLisa’s research, visit https://www.delisaresearchgroup.com/



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Display of Host Cell Gene Expression of SCARFs in Different Human Tissue Cell Types (graphic courtesy of Dr. Cedric Feschotte)



In today’s second interview, Esther speaks with Dr. Cedric Feschotte, Professor in the Cornell Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics.  Researchers in Dr. Feschotte’s lab study how mobile DNA elements, such as transposons and endogenous viruses move around in genomes. 



Following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he and post-doctoral fellow Dr. Manu Singh and Dr. Vikas Bansal of the Max Planck Institute in Tubingen, Germany, began study studying host cell expression of genes called SCARFs.  That acronym stands for SARS CoV-2 and Coronavirus-Associated Receptors and factors.   SCARFs include cellular factors both facilitating and restricting viral entry.



To learn more about SCARFs, visit https://cells.ucsc.edu/?ds=scarface



To find out more about research in Dr. Feschotte’s lab, visit http://blogs.cornell.edu/feschottelab/







Producer: Liz Mahood



Associate Producer: Esther Racoosin



Interviews of Dr. Matt DeLisa and Dr. Cedric Feschotte: Esther Racoosin



Music: Joe Lewis; Blue Dot Sessions