Abu Dhabi-based NYUAD studies COVID-19 virus mutations, link to transmissibility

Abu Dhabi-based NYUAD studies COVID-19 virus mutations, link to transmissibility

Abu Dhabi: An Abu Dhabi-based university has suggested its United States-based counterpart that the location of COVID-19 virus' spike protein mutations is the key for the virus' rapid spread in some parts of the world. Spike proteins protrude from the surface of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, allowing it to latch on to cells to infect them. The virus has evolved to acquire mutations of this spike protein, so New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and the New York University have been studying them, in light of the fact that the mutations are known to enhance the coronavirus' ability to bind to human cells or evade antibodies. A corresponding study has been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Molecular Biology. In a statement, the universities said that rapid surveillance methods are needed to determine the biological effects of coronavirus variants and anticipate the spread of emerging strains. "New and more transmissible COVID-19 variants have emerged in recent months, fuelling surges of cases in countries like India and Brazil. As a public health measure, rapid surveillance methods are needed to determine the biological effects of variants. But monitoring new variants is no small task; genome sequencing shows that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone,