Artificial virus skins help scientists spot hidden immune targets
Inventions
By wrapping viral proteins in microscopic fatty discs, researchers have unmasked the precise structural vulnerabilities that antibodies need to see to neutralize deadly pathogens.
To study a virus like Ebola or HIV, scientists usually strip away its outer fatty shell to isolate the proteins on its surface. However, these proteins are like icebergs; once removed from their natural environment, they lose the structural shape they usually maintain while anchored in the viral membrane. This makes it nearly impossible for researchers to see exactly how a human antibody would latch onto them in the wild.