Ginkgo Bioworks Signs New Collaboration With Penn State To Monitor COVID-19 Variant Evolution in Wild Animals

Ginkgo Bioworks has announced a new collaboration with Penn State University to enhance biosurveillance capabilities in the university’s research focused on 58 wildlife species and their potential role in SARS-CoV-2 spillover to humans. This initiative is backed by a cooperative agreement granted to Penn State by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

To date according to the Centers for Disease Control, The risk of animals transmitting SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, to humans is generally low. While people can transmit the virus to animals, particularly during close contact, it’s rare for animals to transmit it back to people. Many animals around the world have been documented with SARS-CoV-2 infections, primarily after contact with COVID-19-infected individuals, including pet cats, dogs, hamsters, ferrets, zoo animals like big cats, otters, non-human primates, and wildlife such as deer, mink, and anteaters. So far, there is no significant evidence to suggest that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus to humans. Isolated cases of animals transmitting the virus to people have been reported, such as farmed mink, white-tailed deer, pet hamsters, and a cat. In most cases, these animals contracted the virus from infected individuals. The primary mode of COVID-19 transmission remains from person to person. However the CDC notes that there is a possibility that the virus could infect animals, undergo mutations, and give rise to new strains that could potentially be transmitted back to humans and among humans. This transmission between species pose a potential significant threat not only to human health but also to certain agricultural species critical for global food supplies. The CDC notes that additional research is needed in this area.

Penn State’s research, which focuses on under-sampled species, aims to bridge this biosurveillance gap, offering data that can guide more effective interventions to curb the spread and impact of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. By partnering with Concentric by Ginkgo, the university gains access to biosurveillance research and analytics capabilities utilized by government agencies to develop a more resilient and robust biosecurity framework.

Penn State’s researchers will analyze samples from a diverse range of wildlife species, including chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, mice, moose, wolverines, deer, and various bat species. The research is not solely focused on identifying SARS-CoV-2 infections in these animals but also on identifying potential transmission agents that could contribute to viral persistence within wild populations. The research outcomes are expected to provide important data to guide informed decision-making by public health authorities.

Matt McKnight, General Manager for Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration with Penn State, an institution renowned for its zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 biosurveillance work, and their involvement in USDA-led biosecurity efforts. He emphasized the critical role of partnerships involving government, industry, and academia in establishing sustainable biosecurity infrastructure.