8. So, this is what the UK mutation of coronavirus looks like
A team of researchers at The University of British Columbia (UBC) led by Dr Sriram Subramaniam, a professor at the university’s department of biochemistry and molecular biology has published the first molecular image of the UK variant of the novel coronavirus, known as B.1.1.7, which also caused a spike in new infections in India.
How they did it
The research team used a cryo-electron microscope which can be up to 12 feet tall to capture the images, taken at near atomic resolution. That’s because the SARS-Cov-2 the virus that causes Covid-19 is one lakh times smaller than a pinhead, making it impossible to be detected by a regular light microscope, with the spike proteins even smaller.
Howard Alexander - News Editor
Using cryo-electron microscopy, University of British Columbia researchers studying COVID-19 have revealed the structure of the N501Y spike protein mutant, shown above (in blue) bound to two copies of the ACE2 receptor (in red).
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-UBS-Dr. Sriram Subramaniam May 03, 2021 - 7:00 PM VANCOUVER - The first images of a mutation on a COVID-19 variant of concern have been captured by researchers at the University of British Columbia who say the photos offer some reassurance about how the virus strain may react to current vaccines. The University of B.C. says the researchers are the first to publish structural images of the mutation found on one portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
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VANCOUVER - The first images of a mutation on a COVID-19 variant of concern have been captured by researchers at the University of British Columbia who say the photos offer some reassurance about how the virus strain may react to current vaccines.
Using cryo-electron microscopy, University of British Columbia researchers studying COVID-19 have revealed the structure of the N501Y spike protein mutant, shown above (in blue) bound to two copies of the ACE2 receptor (in red). THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-UBS-Dr. Sriram Subramaniam MANDATORY CREDIT
VANCOUVER - The first images of a mutation on a COVID-19 variant of concern have been captured by researchers at the University of British Columbia who say the photos offer some reassurance about how the virus strain may react to current vaccines.
First ever image of B117 coronavirus variant captured by UBC researchers
The first images of a mutation on a COVID-19 variant of concern have been captured by University of British Columbia researchers, who say the photos offer some reassurance about how the virus strain may react to current vaccines.
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The Canadian Press ·
Posted: May 03, 2021 7:28 PM PT | Last Updated: May 4
Using cryo-electron microscopy, UBC researchers studying COVID-19 have revealed the structure of the N501Y spike protein mutant, shown above (in blue) bound to two copies of the ACE2 receptor (in red). (University of British Columbia)