Design of Specific Primer Sets for the Detection of B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1 SARS-CoV-2 Variants using Deep Learning

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, new SARS-CoV-2 variants with potentially dangerous features have been identified by the scientific community. Variant B.1.1.7 lineage clade GR from Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) was first detected in the UK, and it appears to possess an increased transmissibility. At the same time, South African authorities reported variant B.1.351, that shares several mutations with B.1.1.7, and might also present high transmissibility. Even more recently, a variant labeled P.1 with 17 non-synonymous mutations was detected in Brazil. In such a situation, it is paramount to rapidly develop specific molecular tests to uniquely identify, contain, and study new variants. Using a completely automated pipeline built around deep learning techniques, we design primer sets specific to variant B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1, respectively. Starting from sequences openly available in the GISAID repository, our pipeline was able to deliver the primer sets in just under 16 hours for each case study. In-silico tests show that the sequences in the primer sets present high accuracy and do not appear in samples from different viruses, nor in other coronaviruses or SARS-CoV-2 variants. The presented methodology can be exploited to swiftly obtain primer sets for each independent new variant, that can later be a part of a multiplexed approach for the initial diagnosis of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, since our approach delivers primers able to differentiate between variants, it can be used as a second step of a diagnosis in cases already positive to COVID-19, to identify individuals carrying variants with potentially threatening features.