UBC - Latest News Update, Information, Photos & Videos on UBC at Lokmat Times

Toronto, Jan 22 An Indian-origin researcher at University of British Columbia (UBC) has created the world's first molecular-level structural analysis of the Omicron variant spike protein.Published in the Science journal, the analysis which is done at near atomic resolution using cryo-electron microscopy, reveals how the heavily mutated Omicron variant attaches to and infects human cells."Understanding the molecular structure of the viral spike protein is important as it will allow us to develop more effective treatments against Omicron and related variants in the future," said the study's lead author Dr Sriram Subramaniam, a professor at UBC's department of biochemistry and molecular biology."The spike protein, which is located on the outside of a coronavirus, enables SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells.The Omicron variant has an unprecedented 36 mutations on its spike protein three to five times more than previous variants.The structural analysis revealed that several mutations create new salt bridges and hydrogen bonds between the spike protein and the human cell receptor known as ACE2.The new bonds appear to increase binding affinity - how strongly the virus attaches to human cells."The findings show that Omicron has greater binding affinity than the original virus, with levels more comparable to what we see with the Delta variant," said Subramaniam."It is remarkable that the Omicron variant evolved to retain its ability to bind with human cells despite such extensive mutations."The Omicron spike protein exhibits increased antibody evasion.In contrast to previous variants, Omicron showed measurable evasion from all six monoclonal antibodies tested, with complete escape from five.The variant also displayed increased evasion of antibodies collected from vaccinated individuals and unvaccinated Covid-19 patients."Notably, Omicron was less evasive of the immunity created by vaccines, compared to immunity from natural infection in unvaccinated patients. This suggests that vaccination remains our best defence," Subramaniam informed.Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

UbcFOLLOW

Ubc, Latest News

Washington [US], April 26 : A new finding by researchers at UBC and the University of Michigan, published today ... ...

Washington [US], March 21 : Jellyfish may be both predator and prey as they drift across ocean currents. They ... ...

New research published in Science demonstrates how the development of modern agriculture has transformed the native common water hemp ... ...

Well before evolving to help vertebrates breathe underwater, gills played an early and equally important role in regulating the salt and pH balance of blood, according to surprising new research. ...

Too much screen time can slow children's recovery from concussions, but new research from UBC and the University of Calgary suggests that banning screen time is not the answer. ...

According to a new study, unique blood arteries in whale brains may protect whales from dangerous blood pulses caused by swimming. ...

According to new research from University of British Columbia (UBC) biologists, even the smallest marine invertebrates are home to distinct and diverse microbial communities or microbiomes. ...

Toronto, Jan 22 An Indian-origin researcher at University of British Columbia (UBC) has created the world's first molecular-level ... ...