[ad_1] Researchers studied the effect of several SARS-CoV-2 mutations on its binding to the human angiotensin 2 converting enzyme using molecular dynamics simulations. They found that the N439K mutant binds more strongly than the original Wuhan strain, which could have implications for therapies such as monoclonal antibodies. The 2019 coronavirus …
Read More »Scientists unravel how tissue geometry affects the movement of cells through the body
[ad_1] Cells are constantly moving throughout our body, performing a myriad of operations critical to tissue development, immune responses, and general well-being. This commotion is driven by chemical signals long studied by scientists interested in cell migration. To better understand this phenomenon, a team of biologists and physicists, led by …
Read More »Researchers peer inside the deadly pathogen’s anti-theft kit
[ad_1] DURHAM, NC – The bacterium that causes tularemia, the tick-borne disease, is a lean and mean infecting machine. It carries a relatively small genome and a unique set of infectious tools, including a collection of chromosomal genes called the “island of pathogenicity”. A team of researchers from Duke University, …
Read More »Identification of antibody-resistant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mutations
[ad_1] Using a number of different monoclonal antibodies, the researchers determined several mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that leads to resistance. Understanding these resistant mutations is important for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, infects host cells …
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