COST Action creates “Task Force” of researchers to contribute to Covid-19 research

Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Apr 23 2020

COST Actions create an informal 'inter-COST network' to advance research on Coronavirus.

STRATAGEM COST Action (New diagnostic and therapeutic tools against multidrug resistant tumors) has created a "Task Force" of researchers contributing to Covid-19 research.

The main objective of this task force is to synthesize new drugs or identify FDA approved drugs which could be repurposed as antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 and contribute to diagnosis or prognosis of Covid-19.

The coordinators of this task force identified the need to expand their network by collaborating with scientists with complementary expertise.

To this end, they contacted Chairs from other COST Actions with added expertise on medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, cellular biology, molecular biology, genetics, systems medicine, medicine, bioinformatics and virology. Consequently, an informal inter-COST Actions network was initiated.

Actions taking part in the inter-network (to date)

• New diagnostic and therapeutic tools against multidrug resistant tumors (Stratagem)
• Catalysing transcriptomics research in cardiovascular disease (CardioRNA)
• Multi-target paradigm for innovative ligand identification in the drug discovery process (MuTaLig)
• Open Multiscale Systems Medicine (OpenMultiMed)
• European Network on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (EUROMENE)
• Anti-MIcrobial Coating Innovations to prevent infectious diseases (AMICI)

The proposers of this initiative, Helena Vasconcelos from the University of Porto (Portugal) and Thomas Mohr from Science Consult (Austria), with the support of the Stratagem Action Chair, Chiara Riganti from the University of Turin (Italy), agree:

As COST Action participants we know that this is a unique platform for inter-laboratory collaborations within COST member countries. With the help of other Actions, we can now take advantage of existing funded networks, and thereby create a larger network that brings together experts from complementary areas of science. This will impulse the anticipated interdisciplinary collaborations."

This shared effort will enable new key collaborations, not only by complementing knowledge and skills but also by providing access to reagents, samples or newly developed computer software.