Abstract
The highly transmissible severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 196 million people, claiming
~ 4.2 million lives to date. Although mandatory
quarantines, lockdowns, and vaccinations help curb viral transmission,
safe and effective preventative measures remain urgently needed. Here,
we present a generic strategy for containing SARS-CoV-2 by cellulose
materials. Specifically, we developed a bifunctional fusion protein
consisting of a cellulose-binding domain and a nanobody (Nb) targeting
the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. The immobilization of the
fusion proteins on cellulose substrates enhanced the capture efficiency
of Nbs against SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses of both the wildtype and the
D614G variant, the latter of which has been shown to confer higher
infectivity. Furthermore, the fusion protein was integrated into a
customizable chromatography with highly porous cellulose for
neutralizing virus from contaminated fluids in a continuous and
cost-effective fashion. Taken together, our work leverages low-cost
cellulose materials and recently developed Nbs to provide a
complementary approach to addressing the pandemic.