Research Highlights
MONITORING ANTIVIRAL EFFICACY UPON VIRAL MUTATION
Exploring the effect of collective mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants and resistance to antiviral drugs
May 10, 2023
The large number of coronavirus variants is driven by high mutation rate of its RNA genome. As a common target for antiviral drugs, mutations in the Mpro protease are of particular interest. Researchers used the CMCF-BM and SSRL 12-2 beamlines to study the structure of Mpro with a series of naturally occurring mutations for their effect on binding (infectivity) and inhibition (drug resistance). Their results help to understand the mechanisms of antiviral binding and insights into the critical interactions between a virus and its host.
