Egg research aids development of COVID-19 protective wear

New technology that uses chicken antibodies extracted from eggs could offer instant protection against COVID-19 in a range of applications from chewable tablets to coated air filters and masks.

Doughman Headshot3 Headshot
(Andrea Gantz)
(Andrea Gantz)

New technology that uses chicken antibodies extracted from eggs could offer instant protection against COVID-19 in a range of applications from chewable tablets to coated air filters and masks.

Why chickens are a good model

For the research, chickens are immunized against COVID-19. The injections are completely safe for the birds, although their immune system responds by producing a specific type of antibodies called immunoglobins (IgY), proteins made by the immune system that attach to foreign substances. Research has shown that chickens are not susceptible to COVID-19.

“When a chicken is exposed to COVID-19, it produces antibodies that bind to the coronavirus’ spike proteins. The virus needs these spike proteins, which give the coronavirus its crown-like appearance, to infect humans,” explained Pia Becker, the Public Relations Officer for IgNova, a biomedical research company that recently filed a patent on an egg immunoglobin technology to control COVID-19.

Chickens are a popular model for research involving immunoglobins and antibodies in humans and other mammals because they provide a less-expensive and faster way to produce large amounts of antibodies than other models.

When these chickens lay eggs, the mothers immunoglobin is passed on to their offspring. Researchers can extract the antibodies for use in a variety of food and human health applications.

“When mammals, such as humans, nurse their babies, they pass on a stock of antibodies from the mother. For hens, the only possibility to support her chicks’ immune system is through the egg. The egg yolk is, therefore, something like breast milk for the chicks, packed with protective antibodies,” Becker said.

How the technology works

The patented technology with the chicken immunoglobin binds to spike proteins,  a key component in helping COVID-19 stick to a protein on human cells called ACE2.  

“The IgY against SARS-CoV-2 interferes with this process. It binds to those parts of the spike protein that would normally bind to ACE2, effectively neutralizing the virus,” Becker said.

Potential applications

The company hopes to introduce its line of protective products – including chewable tablets, sprays, mouthwash and coated air-filters and masks for medical professionals and other high-risk professions – to the market in the fall of 2020.

 IgY-coated air filters and masks are one application we envisage to protect medical professionals and other at-risk professions, including workers in poultry or meat processing plants,” Becker added.

View our continuing coverage of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.

Like what you just read? Sign up now for free to receive the Poultry Future Newsletter.

Page 1 of 84
Next Page