Atomic structure of the main protease of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 with the newly discovered chemical ’protective switches’ SONOS (left magnifying glass) and disulfide (right magnifying glass) Photo: Kai Tittmann
Atomic structure of the main protease of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 with the newly discovered chemical 'protective switches' SONOS ( left magnifying glass ) and disulfide ( right magnifying glass ) Photo: Kai Tittmann Research team identifies protective switch in SARS-CoV-2 virus protein. With over 700 million people infected and almost seven million dead, the global spread of Covid-19 has been the most devastating pandemic of the 21st century to date. Vaccines and medication against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have been able to mitigate the course of the disease in many people and contain the pandemic. However, the risk of further outbreaks has not been averted: The virus is constantly changing its blueprint. This enables it to infect human cells and multiply more and more effectively. In addition, it develops a variety of strategies against the human immune system in a molecular arms race. A team led by researchers from the University of Göttingen has now discovered various protective switches in the coronavirus that protect it from attacks by the immune system.
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