Slack / Private Message Drop — page 999

[2021-09-21 08:01:59] [Kristian Andersen] IMO we really _do_ need to take a close look at what's described in this grant and look back at our (now expanded) alignments to see if anything pops up. E.g., Bob mentioned that there are differences in Laos bat vs SC2 when it comes to N-linked glycans, which isn't particularly reassuring - that's the kind of work described on page 11. [2021-09-21 08:05:12] [Andrew Rambaut] I agree - need to stay on top of this. [2021-09-21 08:05:42] [Kristian Andersen] Yes - this can't (shouldn't) be dismissed out of hand. [2021-09-21 08:06:07] [Andrew Rambaut] If there is anything suspicious - better that we say it and then address it. If there isn't then we can let it blow over. [2021-09-21 08:06:40] [Kristian Andersen] Exactly. I suspect it'll be the latter. [2021-09-21 08:08:52] [Andrew Rambaut] Me too. But it really isn't beyond plausibility that someone went ahead and tried some of this stuff. We just need to re-convince ourselves it is coincidence. [2021-09-21 08:10:14] [Kristian Andersen] Correct - that's the problem. There's a big difference between "the lab was working on bat CoVs" to "the lab was modifying bat CoVs using features we see being unique to SC2". [2021-09-21 08:10:33] [Andrew Rambaut] Key question is - would anyone chose to put the FCS we see in SC2 in and put it out of frame. [2021-09-21 08:11:21] [Kristian Andersen] Would be a very strange way to do it, but not impossible - depending on their cloning strategy. [2021-09-21 08:12:04] [Andrew Rambaut] If you wanted to insert an FCS you would pick the AAs you wanted, pick the codons you wanted and then insert it. [2021-09-21 08:12:46] [Andrew Rambaut] The alternative is that it was inserted in frame and then mutated to make it look out of frame [2021-09-21 08:14:19] [Kristian Andersen] Again, it depends on cloning strategy - if the use restriction enzymes and there would be an easy way to insert an FCS with PCR utilizing REs already present in the sequence, then it could be a way to do it. Not the optimal way, for sure, but sometimes ease trumps perfection. [2021-09-21 08:16:32]