In October 2013 I
did a placement at BBC Science Radio. I got to work on lots of amazing science
stories for programmes like Science in Action and Frontiers (in particular the episode on Self-Healing Materials).
It involved finding,
researching and sometimes pitching stories, contacting contributors and
pre-interviewing them. This last bit is incredibly exciting and slightly
nerve-racking because you are probably talking to a world class professor and
asking her "silly" questions to make sure they can explain the
science well and that you've got the science right. Needless to say starting a
conversation with "I'm calling from the BBC.." really opens doors.
I pitched and wrote
a story I was researching for Science in Action to the News Online team. Read
it below or follow link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24750897
Bat virus clues to origins of Sars
By Keeren Flora, BBC Radio Science Unit
Researchers have found strong
evidence that the Sars virus originated in bats.
Two novel Sars-like coronaviruses
were found in Chinese horseshoe bats which are closely related to the pathogen
that infects humans.
Critically, the viruses infect human
cells in the same way, binding to a receptor called ACE2.
This suggests coronaviruses could
transfer directly from bats to humans, rather than via an intermediate species
like civets as was previously thought.
The results are reported in the
journal Nature.
According to Gary Crameri, virologist
at CSIRO and an author on the paper, this research "is the key to
resolving the continued speculation around bats as the origin of the Sars
outbreaks".
This Sars-like coronavirus is around
95% genetically similar to the Sars virus in humans, the research shows. And
they say it could be used to develop new vaccines and drugs to combat the
pathogen.
The Sars outbreak between November
2002 and July 2003 resulted in more than 8,000 worldwide cases and more than
770 deaths. This, along with the ongoing endemic of the Mers-coronavirus
demonstrates the threat to humans from novel coronaviruses.
Dr Peter Daszak is the president of
the EcoHealth Alliance and an author on the paper published in Nature. He said:
"Coronaviruses evolve very rapidly. The ones we are seeing are exquisitely
evolved to jump from one species to another, which is quite unusual for a
virus. So the big question is why are they emerging now?"
At wildlife markets in China other
animals and humans come into close proximity with bats, creating an ideal
environment for the virus to jump between species. Also, those hunting in or
living near bat caves have a significant risk of infection from such viruses,
which are excreted in bat faeces.
Understanding the origins of
infectious diseases like Sars could help scientists tackle future infectious
viruses before they emerge, through knowing where they are likely to arise and
which families of virus we are most vulnerable to, and taking action to prevent
initial infection.
Dr Daszak said it would cost
"about $1.5bn to discover all the viruses in mammals. I think that would
be a great investment because once you have done it, you can develop vaccines
and get ready with test kits to find the first stage of emergence and stop
it."
