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Technical Note
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Applying Site-Saturation Variant Libraries to Stay Ahead of Viral Evolution
Using SSVLs, the Starr Lab rapidly screened every possible amino acid substitution across SARS-CoV-2 variants—illuminating epistatic interactions, predicting evolutionary outcomes, and accelerating viral surveillance
This application note demonstrates how Twist’s precisely synthesized Site-Saturation Variant Libraries (SSVLs) offer a scalable and precise platform to dissect complex mutation interactions and their functional consequences. Using the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein’s receptor binding domain (RBD) as a case study, the Starr Lab at the University of Utah applied SSVLs to rapidly generate and test every possible amino acid substitution across multiple variant backgrounds.
Covered in this Application Note
Ready-to-use, diverse variant pools enabled rapid functional testing across multiple viral variants
Identification of critical mutation pairs (e.g., Q498R and N501Y) that synergistically enhance ACE2 binding and drive viral evolut
Understanding mutation effects before natural emergence helps guide surveillance and therapeutic design
Results are specific to the institution where they were obtained and may not reflect the results achievable at other institutions.
For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures.
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