DALLAS (KRLD) - Scientists at a lab at the University of Texas at Austin have made an important breakthrough that could help lead to a vaccine for the coronavirus strain that has resulted in more than 2,000 deaths.
The researchers at UT's Sauer Laboratory for Structural Biology mapped the part of the virus that attaches to and infects human cells. It's called the "protein spike". They used an electron microscope to examine samples that had been cryogenically frozen to create a detailed 3-D model. Having that information will allow researchers around the world to work on vaccines and antiviral drugs.
The research team at UT had previously worked on similar viruses, including the SARS virus.
"As soon as we knew this was a coronavirus, we felt we had to jump at it because we could be one of the first ones to get this structure," said Jason McLellan, an associate professor at UT Austin who led the research. "We knew exactly what mutations to put into this because we’ve already shown these mutations work for a bunch of other coronaviruses."
The researchers at UT also hope to work on isolating antibodies produced by people who have survived the coronavirus, which they say could help treat new patients after they are exposed. That could be especially useful for health care workers who are sent into areas with high rates of infection.