Qatar University (QU) has emerged as one of the forefront institutions in scientific research to address the coronavirus pandemic, in partnership with many educational and health institutions in the country and abroad.
It is relying on an advanced research structure, which has been established over the past years in accordance with the visions and strategies that align with the contents of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
These efforts embody Qatar University’s 2018-2022 strategy, which includes scientific research among its main goals.
This goal encompasses clear strategic aims, the most important of which is providing support for research, development and creativity in selected research fields that are compatible with national research priorities, community needs and future aspirations at the economic and social levels.
Qatar University has started to enhance its global presence in the field of scientific research since the implementation of its first strategy for the period (2010-2013). It co-ordinated plans and efforts to become the fastest growing research institution in the Middle East thanks to its expertise and personnel in various disciplines, in addition to its facilities that caters to local needs and priorities in a number of areas, especially the health field.
The inclusion of medical education in the University’s academic programme accelerated its efforts in the field of medical research that addresses local challenges.
Although these programmes are new, the research witnessed continuous growth in quantity and quality.
Thus, the University became an important partner for the health sector in the country and an active member in dealing with health challenges, including the current coronavirus crisis.
Professor Mariam al-Ali al-Maadeed, Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies, in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), said that Qatar University stands side by side with all research and health institutions in Qatar to address the threat of the emerging coronavirus (Covid-19). She explained that the QU has taken a number of precautionary decisions for the safety of its employees.
At the same time it is making efforts to support the research process and researchers in colleges and the research sector to develop methodologies and outputs of scientific research and to promote active participation with all state institutions to protect the Qatari community.
Al-Maadeed stated that the research facilities are making continuous efforts to carry out research projects related to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the Research and Graduate Studies office of the vice-president launched two research grants in this field.
Last April, Qatar University launched an Emergency Response Grant (ERG) aimed at supporting new and early investigations, which form the basis for more advanced research.
This grant follows a short timeline to accelerate the launch of projects funded due to the nature of the current situation.
Qatar University’s ERG discusses in its first year – 2020 – the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), which is part of an international research effort to deal with the emerging virus and support rapid scientific research initiatives.
The main objectives of the grant were to create research teams dedicated to this type of virus and study it from different perspectives, such as incubation period, stages, shapes, and strains, contributing to promoting awareness and appropriate protection plans, and shedding light on the role of Qatar University in addressing emerging global concerns.
Open researches by faculty and students and researchers from the local community discuss several pathways, the most important of which are basic molecular research, clinical research, social behavioural research, epidemiology, infectious disease, public health, and engineering e-health.
In May 2020, Qatar University launched a new grant (CD-ER) to stimulate development and innovation to respond to emergencies.
This grant aims to enable researchers to move their ideas to the next step and demonstrate commercial potential, based on the recent (Covid-19) context and the current high demand for innovative solutions.
The grant to stimulate development and innovation opens a specific version related to the current global crisis to enable the development of prototypes, processes and innovative platforms.
The vice-president told QNA that the two grants come as part of the university’s efforts to provide research related to local, regional and global challenges, especially in this current crisis, which highlighted the importance of supporting scientific research at human, technical and financial levels.
It also highlighted the need to embrace and attract more promising research capabilities.
She added the current circumstances have provided the university with a high research and educational skill and deepened its connection with the issues of the country and society, stressing that the QU is confident that these grants will help attract distinguished research skills.
Along with grants, the university’s academic and research facilities are witnessing focused research efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, drawing on cumulative experiences in global research to tackle infectious diseases.
The Biomedical Research Centre (QUBRC), which was set up in September 2014, obtained international accreditation in 2017.
It aims to improve the healthy life of individuals in Qatar by conducting research, training and providing services in the field of applied and theoretical medical research in two main areas: metabolic and infectious diseases.
Coronavirus occupied an important space in the centre’s research, before the discovery of Covid-19 pandemic due to the seriousness of the virus, and caused the outbreak of diseases at different stages and years, such as: Sars syndrome in 2003 and Mers in 2012.
For her part, Director of the QUBRC at Qatar University professor Asma al-Thani told QNA that the centre has a lab that meets Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories that provide safety factors when dealing with or treating infectious, self or exotic factors transmitted by inhalation and can cause serious illness, including the novel Covid-19.
The researchers of the centre, in co-operation with researchers from inside and outside the university, are conducting many studies on novel viruses, including ‘a detailed analysis of exported Covid-19 cases’ which is carried out in co-operation with the College of Medicine at Qatar University and Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health.
The centre has also a study on ‘using digital simulation technology to test the ability of some inhibitors to stop Covid-19 binding to its cellular receptors’. The centre has an important research experience on the coronavirus, and perhaps one of the most important studies published by it in this context is ‘Study on the complete structure of the coronavirus spike protein (viral thorn) its pre-bonding form with cellular receptors’, published on March 2, 2016.
Dr Hadi Yassine, from the QUBRC at Qatar University, in co-operation with an international research team, was able to record a scientific breakthrough at the time to confront the coronavirus, by identifying low-resolution structure of coronaviruses Spike trimer; a protein that enables the virus to enter host cells.
The study was published in journal Nature, one of the most prestigious scientific magazines.
HKU1-CoV is one of six coronaviruses that infect humans and it falls into the same group like Sars – and Mers-CoV (betacoronaviruses).
In addition to the previous studies, the QUBRC is undertaking a ‘Study of the genetics evolution of seasonal and zoonotic coronavirus that infects humans’, a research being made in collaboration with Hamad bin Khalifa University; and ‘Study the evolution of the Coronavirus (Mers) that causes respiratory syndrome in humans and camels in the Middle East’ held by the Biomedical Research Centre, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
The centre published a comparative study for the Prevalence of Anti-Mers Coronavirus Antibodies in High- and Low-Risk Groups in Qatar, in co-operation with the MoPH.
In turn, the College of Medicine at Qatar University is doubling efforts towards fighting the coronavirus in the framework of its role as an academic and research body.
Researchers and experts at the college, in co-operation with local and external agencies, have carried out a number of research projects, including a study that examines how the virus affects a patient with cancer, with the aim of revealing indicators and signs that will help doctors make the right decision, and choose the appropriate treatment for a cancer patient who is infected with the Covid-19.
A scientific team at the college is also working on a research project focusing on the ELISA serum screening test for the coronavirus “Covid-19” and the development of a possible vaccine.
The aim is to accelerate the development of a rapid internal serologic test to detect the coronavirus “Covid-19” so that it can be used to examine cases when needed, in health institutions and society in general during times of emergency and crises.
The prototype for the test is serum diagnosis based on the ELISA serum screening test method (a test that measures and detects the presence of certain antibodies in the blood). The science of serology diagnostic testing is part of capacity building at Qatar University and aims to develop a rapid serologic diagnostic test to check for coronavirus infection (Covid-19) when supply chain failures occur.
In the same vein, the Medicine College at Qatar University is working on another project, which is developing the coronavirus detection kit, which is based on the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This project is very practical in terms of developing a toolkit based on the PCR polymerase chain reaction to detect the coronavirus.
Test tools have been developed, and they can detect the virus and distinguish between it, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) and Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), using model systems.
The aim of this project, which has reached the stage of clinical testing, is to possess local technologies to develop test kits that allow timely and efficient response when testing mutant variants of the virus, especially since there are reports that the coronavirus has several forms, ranging from 2 to 5, with varying severity of symptoms or illness.
Within the framework of university research contributions to confront the corona pandemic, the research teams working in e-health research at Qatar University are carrying out many initiatives currently, including a simple electronic platform for the virus, to follow the development of the global and local disease spread and infection rates based on official data, as well as provides some preliminary scientific information on the importance of these statistics and some major global activities to combat the disease.
A research team is also developing an electronic system to predict the epicentres of spreading infectious diseases, through investigating some information, by knowing the potential causes, and determining their geographic location, then showing the expected epicentres of the outbreak of infection in a way that helps the medical institutions make the best locations for establishing field hospitals, conducting field tests, and so on.
Engineering e-health projects also include a simulation system for training the connect of a blood oxidation device for patients.
It helps train the medical and nursing staff to connect the blood oxidation device to the patients body, without the need to do so on an actual patient.
The engineering e-health projects also include the dynamic ventilator system distributor project, which is a modification that was developed locally in partnership with Hamad General Hospital.
It ensures that each gets the oxygen they need, without the risk of infection, while reducing the number of breathing devices required for each patient as there is only one device connected.
Qatar University’s efforts to confront the coronavirus pandemic do not stop with medical research, but extend to other social, economic, educational fields.
As well as in the fields of engineering, information, and other fields that represent fields to strengthen the home front in the face of this stubborn epidemic.
Qatar University has started to enhance its global presence in the field of scientific research.
