The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a multi-faceted rapid response by the scientific community, bringing researchers, health officials and industry together to address the ongoing public health emergency. To meet this challenge, participants need an informed approach for working safely with the etiological agent, the novel human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Work with infectious SARS-CoV-2 is currently restricted to high-containment laboratories, but material can be handled at a lower containment level after inactivation. Given the wide array of inactivation reagents that are being used in laboratories during this pandemic, it is vital that their effectiveness is thoroughly investigated. Here, we evaluated a total of 23 commercial reagents designed for clinical sample transportation, nucleic acid extraction and virus inactivation for their ability to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, as well as seven other common chemicals including detergents and fixatives. As part of this study, we have also tested five filtration matrices for their effectiveness at removing the cytotoxic elements of each reagent, permitting accurate determination of levels of infectious virus remaining following treatment. In addition to providing critical data informing inactivation methods and risk assessments for diagnostic and research laboratories working with SARS-CoV-2, these data provide a framework for other laboratories to validate their inactivation processes and to guide similar studies for other pathogens.

New biological technologies such as tissue engineering procedures require the transplantation of functionally active cells within supportive carrier matrices. This paper describes a sequential culture procedure for different types of cells. The technique includes the initial preparation of a mixed alginate-fibrin vehicle that guaranteed an initial cell proliferation and differentiation to establish a stable matrix structure, and the subsequent removal of the alginate component prior to transplantation to circumvent the problem of missing bioresorbability. The resulting biodegradable carrier is mechanically stable and promotes further tissue maturation. Chondrocytes, periosteal-derived cells, as well as nucleus pulposus cells were entrapped in fibrin-alginate beads and in fibrin beads. The results indicate a promising technical approach to create stable transplants for reconstructive surgery of cartilage and bone.

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