Summary: They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. But the human immune system does just that when it comes to finding and attacking harmful microbes such as the coronavirus. It relies on being able to recognize foreign intruders and generate antibodies to destroy them. Unfortunately, the coronavirus uses a sugary coating of molecules called glycans to camouflage itself as harmless from the defending antibodies. Simulations on the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Frontera supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) have revealed the atomic makeup of the coronavirus’s sugary shield. What’s more, simulation and modeling show that glycans also prime the coronavirus for infection. Scientists hope this basic research will add to the arsenal of knowledge needed to defeat the COVID-19 virus. Podcast host Jorge Salazar interviews Rommie Amaro, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego to talk about her science team’s latest findings. Story Link: www.tacc.utexas.edu/-/sugar-coating…s-for-infectionMusic Credit: Raro Bueno, Chuzausen freemusicarchive.org/music/Chuzausen/
