Experiments and biosafety

The paper describing this study is Carr, Crawford, et al (2024). The measurements are all made using a pseudovirus-based deep mutational scanning system that was originally described in Dadonaite et al (2023).

A key aspect of this system is that it utilizes pseudotyped lentiviral virions that encode no viral genes other than the viral entry protein (in this case GPC). Pseudotyping is a widely used and safe method to study viral entry proteins, since the pseudoviruses can only undergo a single cycle of infection and therefore pose no risk of transmission or replication in humans or any other animals. For this reason, they provide a safe way to study mutations to proteins from even biosafety level 4 viruses (e.g., Lassa virus GPC) at biosafety level 2.