Jacob Tyler Gross
Roslyn High School
Roslyn Heights, NY
Investigating Synergistic Interactions Among SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies
Jacob Tyler Gross tested antibody combinations to better combat a subvariant of COVID-19. He believes his research highlights the synergistic antibody combinations of certain COVID “cocktails” and merits more research focusing on the combined interactions among antibodies rather than on single antibody types. His findings may help enhance the development of treatments for COVID variants.
View Poster
Jacob Tyler Gross, 17, of Roslyn, investigated whether synergistic interactions may increase the power of current antibody treatments for COVID-19 infection for his Regeneron Science Talent Search medicine and health project. COVID-19, which has caused millions of deaths, mutates rapidly as it spreads. These mutations mean antibodies used to treat COVID-19-related illness may be less effective against certain COVID-19 variants. Jacob sought to learn whether combining antibodies could increase treatment power. He found that an antibody called S309 works better in combating an Omicron subvariant when combined with another antibody class.
This research may shine a light on the design of COVID antibody cocktails and inspire further research into the stronger effect of combined interactions of antibodies, including research to confirm that these in-vitro results.
Jacob attends Roslyn High School in Roslyn Heights, where he edits the school psychological research journal and plays viola. He also founded a nonprofit math tutoring business whose proceeds benefit a healthcare network. The son of Danielle and Brian Gross, Jacob is passionate about doing research and plans to obtain his M.D.-Ph.D.
Beyond the Project
Jacob credits the chairlifts at ski slopes with showing him the innate beauty in mathematics, from the parabolic shape of steel cable lines to the rise and run of lifts all over the world.
FUN FACTS: Jacob loves sailing and is fascinated by the physics behind how sailboats work and how to tweak things like sail trimming and weight distribution to optimize speed.
