A coronavirus spike flops around on its hinge (VIDEO)

DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Caption

Researchers at SLAC, Stanford and other institutions used a combination of methods to create this animation of a single coronavirus spike bending on a tiny hinge. The three identical proteins that make up the spike are in green, blue and orange; a cluster of sugar molecules, in red, surrounds the hinge. Lab experiments showed that removing the sugar cluster decreases bending at the hinge and makes particles less infectious.

Credit

Greg Pintilie / Stanford University

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