ULB- FNRS
" This project aims at developing soluble anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus immunoglobins (IgM and IgG) detection systems based on calixarene coated silver nanoparticles functionalized with viral antigens. These particles could advantageously replace gold nanoparticles (10x more efficient in light extinction) in Lateral Flow ImmunoAssays and Immunoturbidimetry tests. "
Funding: ULB Special COVID-19 Call
Publication References: "Controlled Functionalisation of Gold Nanoparticles with Mixtures of Calix[4]arenes revealed by Infra-red Spectroscopy". Valkenier, H.; Malytskyi, V.; Blond, P.; Retout, M.; Mattiuzzi, A.; Goole, J.; Raussens, V.; Jabin, I.; Bruylants, G., Langmuir 2017, 33, 8253-8259. "Extremely robust and post-functionalizable gold nanoparticles coated with calix[4]arenes via metal–carbon bonds". Troian-Gautier, L.; Valkenier, H.; Mattiuzzi, A.; Jabin, I.; Van den Brande, N.; Van Mele, B.; Hubert, J.; Reniers, F.; Bruylants, G.; Lagrost, C.; Leroux, Y., Chem. Commun. 2016, 52...

Read more: Gilles Bruylants, Professor - Ivan Jabin, Professor - Vincent Raussens, Professor

ULiège, CHU - FNRS
" We aim to compare various diagnostic tools (swabs, saliva, serology, antigen detection) in order to define the best one depending on the clinical presentation and the duration of the disease. "
Funding: Fonds Léon Fredericq FNRS
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.

UCLouvain
" According to current guidelines from several health organization, the use of (homemade) textile face masks is recommended in order to slow the spread of the COVID-19. Currently, however, guidelines are very limited regarding the textiles to use (for the envelope), and the best suited filter material to be used in these types of masks. The general goal of this project is to provide reliable, consistent and science-based recommendations and guidelines about the preferred design for (homemade) textile face masks, as well as about the preferred materials to use for the textile envelope and the filter material. We will first determine the microstructure of different materials, giving us information on the filter efficiency (mechanical) and breathability of different materials and masks. Then, we will investigate the variability in filter efficiency and breathability of different material combinations. Finally, we will assess the aging of the filter material under humid...

Read more: Greet Kerckhofs, Professor

ULiège 
Development of rapid and reliable alternative diagnostics for wide-scale COVID-19 testing. " Wide-scale implementation of rapid, reliable, low-cost diagnostic tests would help epidemic containment and mitigation strategies. The current gold standard in COVID-19 diagnostics employs quantitative reverse transcription (qRT) PCR which through cyclic reactions at different temperatures detects segments of the SARS-CoV-2 genome from RNA extracts from nasopharyngeal swabs. Though reliable, this procedure requires special sampling devices, purification of RNA, qualified personnel, sophisticated equipment, and a six hour turnaround time to result. By leveraging on university expert capacities such as molecular biology and protein science, our team has performed a series of controlled experiments to assess the specificity and sensitivity of loop- mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)- and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-based tests in comparison with the qRT-PCR procedure...

Read more: Haruko Takeda, Senior Scientist

ULiège
" The aim of the project is to test the sensitivity and specificity of canine olfactory detection of SARS-CoV-2 on axillary sweat samples from either negative patients or from patients recognized as positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. Dog training is underway and no results are available at this time. This study is organized according to a protocol equivalent to the NOSAÏS project (Pr. Dominique Grandjean, ENVA, France) and will be carried out in collaboration with it. Preliminary results of the NOSAÏS project are expected before starting the collaboration of cynotechnic teams from rescue areas (firefighters and/or civil protection and/or police. In this second stage, specific training of dogs is essential and need the participation of specialized firms. The detection of people contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 by tracking dogs can be of interest: - to identify people affected asymptomatically in public spaces, such as an airport; - as part of an intervention, to ensure a "pre-screening"...

Read more: Hugues Guyot, Professor

ULB - FNRS
" - I use my expertise in clinical research to set up and coordinate the reception/labeling and encoding station at the COVID diagnostic platform at ULB - As new president of the BSRM, I coordinate the writing and diffusion o recommendations for the reproductive centers in Belgium regarding COVID-19 pandemic "
Contact: https://actus.ulb.be/fr/actus/recherche/tests-de-diagnostic-covid-19-plus-de-250-chercheurs-mobilises BSRM website (https://bsrm.be)
Comment: My role as president of the BSRM to manage the COVID-19 crisis and my participation as coordinator at the COVID diagnostic platform (ULB) are completely independent.

ULB, Department of Pathology, Erasme hospital and DIAPath-CMMI - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" A first objective of this project is to establish an accurate topography of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the organs and various cells of patients who died in COVID-19 units, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19. A second objective is to provide a routine diagnostic test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in routine samples in pathological anatomy. "
Funding: Fonds Y Boël (Brussels, Belgium), Fonds Erasme pour la Recherche Médicale (Brussels, Belgium), and "Appel à projet Spécial COVID-19 - ULB" (Brussels, Belgium). The CMMI is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Walloon Region of Belgium (Wallonia-biomed; grant no. 411132-957270; project "CMMI-ULB").
Contact: Prof. I. Salmon, Department of Pathology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.

UCLouvain
" Thanks to high-throughput sequencing of the strains collected for the diagnosis, we document the viral spread within health care facilities. A better understanding of the virus transmission chains are key to evaluate the efficacy of hygiene measures that were implemented to avoid cross-contamination between patients and health care workers. A secondary objective is the analysis of clinical data related to the patients, in order to search genotypic differences that may possibly explain divergent pathogenic courses. "
Funding: Own funding, submitted calls.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., PhD Chercheur qualifié at UCLouvain/IREC/MBLG This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Clinical biologist at Cliniques universitaires St-Luc This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Professor UCLouvain/Cliniques universitaires St-Luc

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.

UCLouvain - Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
" Optimisation of bacterial strains for the expression of proteins from the COVID-19 virus Optimisation of bacterial strains for the expression of proteins from the COVID-19 virus Optimisation of bacterial strains for the expression of proteins from the COVID-19 virus "
Funding: FNRS
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULiège
" I am leading the Organic and Biological Analytical Chemistry laboratory. This research group is specialized in developing integrated solution for biological samples characterization, especially non-targeted screening. We also develop method for target studies in different sample types. "
Publication References: F. Schleich, D. Zanella, P.-H. Stefanuto, K. Bessonov, A. Smolinska, J.W. Dallinga, M. Henket, V. Paulus, F. Guissard, S. Graff, C. Moermans, E.F.M. Wouters, K. Van Steen, F.-J. van Schooten, J.-F. Focant, R. Louis, Exhaled Volatile Organic Compounds Are Able to Discriminate between Neutrophilic and Eosinophilic Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2019, 200, 444-453. (10.1164/rccm.201811-2210OC) R. Pesesse, P.-H. Stefanuto, F. Schleich, R. Louis, J.-F. Focant, Multimodal Chemometric Approach for the Analysis of Human Exhaled Breath in Lung Cancer Patients by TD-GC×GC-TOFMS. J. Chromatogr. B 2019, 1114, 146-153. (10.1016/j.jchromb.2019.01.029) D. Zanella, P.-H...

Read more: Jean-François Focant, Professor

ULiège and CHU de Liège
" BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV2 or COVID-19 infection is unique in terms of its speed of spread, the importance of structural medical reorganization, the length of resuscitation stays sometimes required, the diversity of the affected population, especially young or fragile subjects, and the impacts on physical and mental health generated by this pandemic and the prolonged confinement of populations. Muscle damage related to immobility, inflammation, corticosteroids, hypoxemia associated with pulmonary and cardiac damage, and metabolic damage (undernutrition), all sometimes linked to the infection, suggests weak or major functional repercussions, already described in SARS patients. Thus, the patients most affected by COVID-19 require acute hospital management and sometimes complex rehabilitation management. Retrospective studies of the functional capacities of patients with SARS of viral origin show the persistence of functional impairment at a distance from the...

Read more: Jean-François Kaux, Professor

UCLouvain
" As a technological platform of the IREC institute, CTMA offers technological support and expertise to IREC-researchers from multiple IREC Research Labs. CTMA provides to the IREC researchers access and support to use numerous molecular technologies including : quantitative PCR, LAMP (Isothermal Loop Mediated Amplification), Lateral Flow Assay developement, Sanger Sequencing, Pyrosequencing and Next-Generation-Sequencing (Illumina-Miseq), microarrays facilities (Affymetrix, Agilent, custom glass slide arrays…). The multidisciplinary team from CTMA provides a support on different aspect of the research projects from the experimental design until the data analysis and the validation of new devices. "
Contact: Professor Jean Luc Gala This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UCLouvain - FNRS
" In collaboration with the University of Rwanda, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines will be measured in the plasma of COVID-19 patients and their level will be correlated with the severity of the disease. "
Funding: ARES-CCD
Publication References: Ndoricyimpaye EL, Tuyishimire J, Vanwambeke S, Mutesa L, Nyandwi E, Rujeni N, Coutelier J-P. L'épidémie de SARS-CoV-2 en Afrique sub-Saharienne, questions, craintes et espoirs. Louvain Médical, submitted.
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.