Indian Institute of Science can help protect us from covid-19
Indian Institute of Science can help protect us from covid-19
ByHemanth CSHemanth CS / Jun 2, 2021, 06:00 IST#2021-06-02T06:00:00+05:30
A group of scientists from the
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have found new insights into the structure of SARS-CoV-2
spike protein which causes covid-19. This new research is significant because it could help in developing treatments against the
virus, including vaccines that target spike protein. But first, what is spike protein? Viruses belonging to the coronavirus family have sharp bumps or fringes on their surface and these are called spike proteins. When seen under a microscope, these spikes look like a fringe or a crown (in Latin, corona means crown). These spike proteins attach the virus to a cell and this helps it gain entry into the cell.