IIT Mandi researchers explain molecular structure of COVID-19 virus

NEW DELHI: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi unravelled the molecular structure of a functional protein region of the COVID-19 virus responsible for the Covid virus's infectivity. The IIT Mandi researchers used spectroscopy and simulation methods to achieve this.

Rajanish Giri, associate professor at the School of Basic Sciences, IIT Mandi, led the research. The research was co-authored by IIT Mandi PhD scholars Prateek Kumar, Taniya Bhardwaj, and Neha Garg, assistant professor from the Banaras Hindu University.

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The proteins that make up the spikes on the virus enable them to enter the host cells of the infected lifeform. Hence, research is going on around the world on the molecular structure of the Covid-19 virus. “ Our team has deciphered the shape of the endodomain of spike protein, in isolation, as a reductionist approach. We found that there is no order or structure, and this is an intrinsically disordered region. The endodomain is an important part of spike protein as it contains transporting signals that help in movement of protein inside host cells and thus play a crucial role in infection,” said Giri.

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“Our findings provide direction to the scientific community for the exploration of drugs that can target this region of the spike protein, keeping in mind, its structural flexibility,” says Kumar. According to him, the research can help understand the basic science of COVID-19 and other coronavirus infections.