KarunaNews Story

Scientists at UT Austin and several other universities collaborated on a new study focusing on how an antibody called SC27 functions. Researchers collected the blood of infected Austinites and analyzed the antibodies they produced. While SC27 was isolated from a single patient, researchers were able to identify the antibody’s molecular sequence, paving the way for it to be replicated for use in COVID-19 treatments. “One goal of this research … is to work toward a universal vaccine that can generate antibodies and create an immune response with broad protection to a rapidly mutating virus,” said Will Voss, one of the project’s leaders and a recent UT Austin PhD graduate. The research team has filed a patent application for the antibody.