A tighter core stabilizes SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in new emergent variants: Mutations made spike protein more rigid, potentially improving virus's fitness

A tighter core stabilizes SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in new emergent variants: Mutations made spike protein more rigid, potentially improving virus's fitness

New research reveals that mutations in the stem of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein led to the virus becoming progressively tighter over time, which may have improved the virus's ability to transmit through nasal droplets and infect host cells once in the body.

A tighter core stabilizes SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in new emergent variants

Just as a tight core is a component of good physical fitness for humans, helping to stabilize our bodies, mutations that tightened the core of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in new variants may have increased the virus's fitness.

A tighter core stabilizes SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in new emergent variants

New research led by Penn State reveals that the stem region of the spike protein became progressively tighter over time, and the team thinks this likely improve