'It suddenly became a very busy time to be a viral immunologist'

  • 23 February 2022
  • 4 minutes

Martin Potts (Medical Science 2016) discusses his experience of Covid-19 and his related research, two years on from the World Health Organisation declaring a pandemic

“It was an interesting one when this novel respiratory virus popped up. It suddenly became a very busy time to be a viral immunologist,” says Martin Potts (Medical Science 2016).

Almost two years on from the implementation of the first Covid-19 lockdown, and with the UK Government lifting restrictions in England, Martin reflects on his experience of a pandemic which affected him more than most.

While most of us were locked down, working and studying from home, Martin was postponing his PhD characterising Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) to join the response to interrogating Covid-19 at Addenbrooke’s.

The Cambridge hospital hosted all Covid patients from the east of England at the start of the pandemic, and researchers and clinicians work in collaboration on the site. “Everything’s set up so you can easily collect patient samples,” adds Martin, whose supervisors are Professor Michael Weekes and Dr Mark Wills.

“Mike Weekes is responsible for the Covid testing at Addenbrooke’s and we set up a project taking blood samples from people infected with Covid, on the wards, or just through general healthcare worker screening at the hospital.

“We applied techniques we use in our day-to-day research to see if we could figure out anything useful or interesting about Covid. In particular, what determines whether people end up with severe disease and in ICU (intensive care unit).”

Martin’s specific research focused on the severity of Covid-19, with “some interesting preliminary findings suggesting new markers in people who had severe Covid”. That is one paper which is now on Martin’s to-do list.

Research already published relates to vaccination response and interactions with variants, specifically in people aged over 80.

“It’s clear in the over 80s they had a less efficient initial vaccine response compared to people under 80, but you can ameliorate that with your second dose and boosters,” Martin says.

“They do still produce a good neutralising antibody response after a full vaccination course. It’s reassuring work which shows the vaccines are still working in a group of people that are vulnerable to Covid.”

It was very rewarding because you’re having a direct impact on the knowledge of this very serious pathogen

Martin has found his Covid-19-related work challenging and stimulating.

He says: “It’s a balance, trying to make sure the quality of your research stays high whilst also trying to get it out in a timely fashion, but it was very rewarding because you’re having a direct impact on the knowledge of this very serious pathogen.”

Martin joined Caius on a one-plus-three Masters and PhD programme, having already completed his undergraduate degree and integrated Masters MPhil in Biochemistry at St Hilda’s College, Oxford.

“My PhD course is in medical science and specifically infection, immunity and inflammation, so it’s all very focused around pathogens and immune related conditions,” he says.

“My PhD specifically works on characterising an aspect of the immune response to one particular virus, Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Because Covid arrived towards the tail end of the PhD that’s also going to be part of it, but the main focus is this virus.”

HCMV is latent in many people, but in those with compromised immune systems it can lead to numerous issues, including death. In pregnancy it can infect via the placenta and cause developmental issues in the foetus.

“A lot of people are interested in it because it has a lifelong relationship with the host,” Martin adds.

“Because it persists over your lifetime you have this really interesting relationship between your immune response and the virus. The virus has all these mechanisms for evading immunity.

“It’s a very interesting model system for understanding how your immune response works and how viruses interact with that. You’ve got two aspects: understanding how viruses evade immunity and the clinical aspect, which is relevant in transplant patients, for example.

“As you get older, when people have CMV, a lot of their immune response ends up focused on this virus. If you look at an 80-year-old, maybe half of their immune response will just be directed against this one specific virus.”

Martin’s specific focus is on characterising the secretion of proteins from cells, using mass spectrometry.

“Perhaps it will give us a better idea about how immune cells control viruses in general, but also what’s useful in terms of the immune response and combatting CMV particularly,” he adds.

Martin has enjoyed meeting “interesting people from diverse fields” since joining Caius’ postgraduate community, the MCR.

Two men in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

Caius’ medical pedigree has led to professional collaborations. He also took part in an archaeological expedition with Nikolaus Hochstein Cox (MPhil Archaeology 2016) to Kolombangara, in the Solomon Islands. Read more about the expedition. The pair are pictured above by the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

How did a Medical Science researcher end up on an archaeological expedition to the south Pacific?

“I met Nik for the first time at a pizza and wine event at the MCR. I thought ‘who’s this loud Kiwi bloke?’ we got chatting and became friends,” Martin says.

“One night we went out for dinner and Nik was telling me about this idea he had.

“I’d always wanted to go to the Pacific Islands, so almost as a joke I said ‘can I come with you? I’m sure I can dig or take photos’. And that’s how it happened.”

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