Catching up with COVID-19: producing the first SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins

In the first of our new feature series of articles, exploring the stories behind key moments in scientific discovery, we reveal the tale of the production of the first commercially available SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and the fortuitous circumstances that led to their creation.  As the COVID-19 pandemic gained momentum at the beginning of 2020, researchers were in desperate need of viral proteins to better understand the disease and its pathogenesis. As the scientific community scrambled to get this information together, a combination of serendipity and good prior planning meant that one Oxford (UK) based company was ahead of the game: The Native Antigen Company.  ...