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FNRS

Caroline Huart, MD, PhD - Bernard Hanseeuw, MD, PhD - Valérie Hox, MD, PhD - Pascal Kienlen-Campard, PhD- Vincent Van Pesch, MD, PhD

UCLouvain and Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc - FNRS
" Anosmia has been reported to be a major symptom of COVID-19. Since high viral loads are found in the nasal cavity of patients and since single-cell analyses found that olfactory sustentacular and stem cells highly express ACE2 and TMPRSS2, it is suspected that cells of the olfactory neuroepithelium are a preferred target of the virus. Some COVID-19 patients present with neurological symptoms. Interestingly, it has been reported that the former SARS-CoV, can ascend intracranially, possibly via the olfactory nerves. Since olfactory receptor neurons form a direct connection between the nasal cavity and the brain, we hypothesize that these cells act as a gateway towards the brain in some patients. The main aims of the projects are (1) to investigate the pathophysiology of COVID-related olfactory dysfunction and (2) to investigate whether olfactory receptor neurons could be the entry site of SARS-CoV2 to the brain. "
Funding...

Cécile OURY, FNRS Research Director

GIGA - ULiège - FNRS
" Covid-19 is associated with a high risk of thrombotic disease, both in the venous and arterial circulations. As President of the Belgian Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (BSTH), I am coordinating the creation of national algorithms for thromboprophylaxis and anticoagulation of Covid-19 patients by a group of experts. These algorithms will be included in the Sciensano Covid-19 guidelines. "
Publication References: In preparation
Contact: Cécile Oury, PhD President of the Belgian Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research Director F.R.S.-FNRS Head of the Laboratory of Cardiology GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences University of Liège (B34) 1 Avenue de l'Hôpital 4000 Liège (Sart-Tilman) Belgium Tel: +32 (0)4 366 24 87 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

David Alsteens, FNRS Research Associate

UCLouvain - FNRS
" We developed protocols to measure the interaction between single virus and living cells and monitor the effect of blocking molecule interfering with the virus binding. "
Contact: Dr. David Alsteens UCLouvain/ LIBST This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Gilles Darcis, FNRS Post-doctorate Clinical Master Specialist

ULiège, CHU - FNRS
" We aim to define the clinical characteristics associated with the production and the level of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in COVID19 recovered patients. In particular, we will investigate whether the development of a strong and persistent humoral immune response takes place in severely affected, individuals with mild symptoms or asymptomatic individuals. We will also study the study the persistence of NAbs overtime. "
Funding: Fonds Léon Frédéricq FNRS
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jean-Claude Twizere, FNRS Senior Research Associate

ULiège - FNRS
" Our solution for SARS-CoV-2 induced disease is to develop small molecules able to disrupt interactions between CoV-2 proteins and human interacting proteins. We anticipate that these molecules will substantially affect CoV-2 virulence and associated lung inflammation. "
Funding: none
Contact: Dr.Jean-Claude TWIZERE University of Liege GIGA -Molecular Biology of Diseases Viral Interactomes Lab 1 Avenue de l'Hopital B-4000 Liege Belgium
Comment: We are looking for funding as well as potential collaborations in an "OPENSCREEN" strategy.

Jean-Paul Coutelier, FNRS Research Director, Professor

UCLouvain - FNRS
" A project developed by the Université d'Etat de Haïti will be supported. Its aim will be to test the possibility that the Moringa local plant may help to dicrease severity to disease through decrease of viral replication or enhancement of patient resistance. "
Funding: ARES-CCD
Contact: Prof. J.-P. Coutelier de Duve Institute Universite Catholique de Louvain SSS/DDUV - ICP Av. Hippocrate 75, bte B1.74.05 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Belgique tel 32 2 764 7437 fax 32 2 764 7430 e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Comment: The project is developed by the Université d'Etat de Haïti, and is supported through an Institutional Support programme of ARES-CCD by looking at possible collaborations to perform it.

Jérôme Schruyers, Researcher - Alexandre Léonard, Research logistician - Carlos Mendoza, Postdoc - Cédric Wolfs, PhD student- Vaios Stergiopoulos, Postdoc - Stéphanie Lambert, FNRS Senior Research Associate, Deputy Associate Professor - Fabien Deschamps,

Chemical Engineering ULiège & CRM Group - FNRS
" The Chemical Engineering Department of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the University of Liège has been producing protective visors by 3D printing since April 4 and provides various hospital services (CHU, Citadelle, Bois de l'Abbaye), rest homes, associations and health care practices. A team of members of the Department has been set up to ensure 24-hour production, which means that up to 90 visors can now be produced per day depending on demand. As the days go by, production optimization continues to lighten components, produce faster and reduce the amount of raw material needed. The Department also receives visor supports produced by 3D printing by people from the Metallurgical Research Centre (CRM), a privileged partner of the Faculty, in order to equip them with plastic sheets to produce visors. This equipment is then distributed with the rest of the production from Chemical Engineering. The milestone of 1000 visors...

Marianne Rooman, FNRS Research Director - Fabrizio Pucci, FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher

ULB - FNRS
" Computational analysis of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the renin-angiotensin system. "
Funding: FNRS
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ph. DELVENNE, FNRS Research Director / Chef de service Anatomie pathologique - J. GUIOT, Chef de clinique Pneumologie - L. RENAUD, Chef de service Pneumologie - M. MOUTSCHEN, Chef de service Infectiologie- B. MISSET, Chef de service Soins Intensifs

ULiège, CHU - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" Nous faisons face à une pandémie d'infection COVID-19. Ce virus pathogène est source de complications pulmonaires aggravant fortement le pronostic de nos patients. De nos jours, tant les mécanismes physiopathologiques en cause que les marqueurs de sévérité de l'atteinte restent indéterminés. Il apparaît donc comme urgent de pouvoir identifier des marqueurs diagnostiques, pronostiques et prédictifs pour nos patients. Dans ce contexte, plusieurs voies rapidement explorables nous apparaissent comme critiques. Le but final de cette étude est de contribuer à une prise en charge plus ciblée des patients porteurs d'une infection au SRAS-Cov-2. "
Funding: Fonds Léon Frederic
Publication References: Dix publications représentatives : 1) Prevention of murine radiogenic thymic lymphomas by tumor necrosis factor or by marrow grafting. HUMBLET C, GREIMERS R, DELVENNE P, DEMAN J, BONIVER J, DEFRESNE MP. J Natl Cancer Inst 88 (1996), 824-831. IF...

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Pierre CLOSE, FNRS Research Associate - Francesca RAPINO, Doctor

GIGA-Institute, ULiège - FNRS
" In this project, we study the epitranscriptomic regulation of the SARS-CoV-2. Based on analyses of the viral genome, we investigate the cellular machineries required for the viral replicative cycle. Our goal is to identify possible viral vulnerabilities that can be exploited for the development of innovative anti-viral therapeutic strategies. We investigate possible new therapeutic opportunities based on the analyses of the viral genomic organization and evolution. We speculate that specific cellular machineries are needed to support the viral replicative cycle. Our goal is uncover new antiviral therapeutic strategies based on the viral epitranscriptomic regulation, mRNA translation and protein expression. "
Funding: WELBIO & ULIEGE
Publication References: Rapino F, Delaunay S, Rambow F, Zhou Z, Tharun L, De Tullio P, Sin O, Shostak, Schmitz S, Piepers J, Ghesquière B, Karim L, Charloteaux B, Jamart D, Florin A, Lambert C, Rorive A, Jerusalem G...

Simon Dellicour, FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher

ULB - FNRS
" Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of genomic sequences of the causative virus (SARS-CoV-2) have been publicly released. The resulting volume of available genetic data presents a unique opportunity to gain real-time insights into the pandemic, but also a daunting computational hurdle if analysed with gold-standard phylogeographic methods. We here describe and apply an analytical pipeline that is a compromise between fast and rigorous analytical steps. As a proof of concept, we focus on Belgium, one of the countries with the highest spatial density of sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes. At the global scale, our analyses confirm the importance of external introduction events in establishing transmission chains in the country. At the country scale, our spatially-explicit phylogeographic analyses highlight an impact of the national lockdown of mid-March on both the long-distance dispersal events and the dispersal velocity of viral lineages. Our...

Sofia Morra, FNRS Research Fellow

ULB, Hôpital Erasme - FNRS
Lung injury, endothelial dysfunction and the role of RAAS during SARS-CoV-2 invection. " The first case of a person infected with SARS-Cov-2 virus can be tracked back on November the 17th, 2019, in China. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. On April 13, COVID-19 is affecting 210 countries and territories worldwide, about 2 million positive cases have been officially declared along with 115.000 deaths. The real number of infected and deaths is scarily higher, considering that up to 65% people are asymptomatic and thus, not tested. The percentage of patients with COVID-19 needed for intensive care unit (ICU) varied from 5 to 32% in Wuhan, China. It was up to 9% in Lombardy, Italy. According to available data from Lombardy, 99% of patients admitted to the ICU needed respiratory support (88% invasive ventilation, 11% non invasive ventilation). In this unprecedented time, while SARS-Cov-2 virus is halting...

Souad Rahmouni, Doctor

GIGA-Institute, ULiège - FNRS - Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
" The main objective of our research program is the identification of human genetic factors impacting the COVID19 pandemic. Within the COVID-19 host genetics initiative (https://www.covid19hg.org/), we will establish a shared set of phenotypes to be combined with genomic data for standard GWAS and further meta-analysis. Field of expertise of our laboratory : genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, immune-response related diseases. In addition, the GIGA Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute from the ULiege devoted to academic excellence in the biomedical sciences to foster ground-breaking medical innovation. It comprises 583 members attached to six faculties (Medicine, Science, Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Agbiotech, Psychology) that are organized in four disease-based (neuroscience, cancer, infection-inflammation-immunity, cardiovascular) and two method-based thematic units...

Vincent Raussens, FNRS Senior Research Associate - Ivan Jabin, Doctor - Gilles Bruylants, Doctor - Pascale Blond

ULB - FNRS
" Germanium is widely used for attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier infrared transform spectroscopy (FTIR). We developed a simple way using calixarenes to functionalize these Ge surfaces and transform them in high quality and sensitive biosensors. The detection being done by ATR-FTIR allows the high sensitivity but also can quantify different molecular species in a mixture as well as their different secondary structures, both being extremely important for epidemiology study (it has been demonstrated that FTIR can discriminate different Ig proteins in a mixture). The recording of the spectra takes only few seconds and their analysis can be easily automatized. Furthermore, our laboratory is equipped for rapid and high-throughput analysis (fabrication of protein micro-arrays, infrared microscope able to record hundreds of spectra simultaneously, …). This new generation of biosensor has also the great advantage of being extremely stable and recyclable . All these...

Vincent Raussens, FNRS Senior Research Associate - Pascale Blond - Olivier Denis, Doctor

ULB and Sciensano - FNRS
" La spectroscopie IR fournit des signatures spectroscopiques spécifiques permettant une détection rapide de biomolécules dans un échantillon complexe, tout en ne requérant que très peu de matériel. La création d'un biosenseur basé sur cette méthode et appliqué aux anticorps contre le SARS-COV-2, permettrait d'étudier de manière beaucoup plus sensible, spécifique et quantitative les réponses immunologiques de la population contre le SARS-COV-2 que les tests sérologiques actuels. C'est un enjeu majeur pour gérer la période de déconfinement. "
Funding: Demande en attente auprès de l'AUF
Contact: Vincent Raussens Senior Research Associate (FRS-FNRS Belgium) Université libre de Bruxelles Structure and Function of Biological Membranes bd. du Triomphe, Access 2 - 1050 Brussels, Belgium T : +32 (0)2 650 53 86 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Brussels & Wallonia against COVID19