Christopher Barnes is probing coronavirus spike proteins and the antibodies that attack them. His goal: Find a persistent weak spot and exploit it to create a universal vaccine. SN10
. But the virus continues to adapt, making changes to the spike protein that it uses to break into cells. That has left researchers scrambling for new drugs and updated vaccines.
Using high-resolution imaging techniques, Barnes is probing coronavirus spike proteins and the antibodies that attack them. His goal: Find a persistent weak spot and exploit it to create a vaccine that works against all coronaviruses. Barnes’ team used cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the structures of eight antibodies that stop the original version of SARS-CoV-2. The technique catches cells, viruses and proteins going about their business by flash freezing them.
The antibodies had attached to four spots on the spike protein’s receptor binding domain, or RBD, the team reported inin 2020. This fingerlike region anchors the virus to the cell it will infect. When antibodies bind to the RBD, the virus can no longer connect to the cell. This image shows the 3-D molecular structure of an antibody latched onto a spike protein on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. The receptor binding domain is shown in tan.
“A major strength of Chris is that he does not limit himself or his research to one technique,” says McLellan, of the University of Texas at Austin. “He quickly adapts and incorporates new technologies to answer important questions in the field.”
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