22 December 2020 1:30: 11pm
Consideration of surface adhesion of the coronavirus. (Adrian Keller / Paderborn University)
The main route of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19, is understood to be through airborne droplets. But respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted not only through the air but also through contact with contaminants. Scientists at the University of Paderborn, Germany have studied the virulence of viruses attaching to the surface, and published their findings in the journal Advanced Nano-Biomed Research.
“Coronaviruses are generally known to be transmitted through the air. However, several studies have now identified dispersal through contaminated surfaces as an important feature. There is growing evidence that they can play a key role in the spread of viral infections, ”physicist Dr Adrian Keller of Paderborn University said in a statement.
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Keller and colleagues specifically studied the proteins that make up the viral envelope – the outermost layer of the virus. And the outermost point of the envelope is the talking protein, the coronavirus’ s main tool in entering the human cell. The researchers said that the inclusion of a virus at a non-living surface is most likely due to the spike protein. “Understanding the interaction of S1 spike protein with fomite surface therefore represents an important milestone on the road to combating Covid-19 release,” they write in their paper.
To study the detection of virus particles on a non-living surface, the microscope research used a high-speed atomic force. The supernatants in the experiments were ingested into electrolytes carrying proteins that the researchers isolated from the virus. To understand how fragrant, virus-laden droplets interacted with these surfaces when they landed, the researchers adjusted the salt accumulations and pH values of the electrolytes to make them similar. to those of saliva or mucus. “The incoming proteins on the surfaces occur in these media and are intended to mimic the process of fragrant, viral germs emerging on the surface. , ”Keller said.
It was found that, on the surface of oxide, the absence of the spike protein is controlled by electrostatic interaction. Keller explained in the statement: “Among other things, this results in the spike protein advertising as strongly on aluminum oxide than on titanium oxide… However, electrostatic interactions can be relatively easily suppressed, such as example in thick salt solutions. We assume that these bonds between the surface and the spike protein play an important role in the binding of the first grains of SARS-CoV-2 virus to the supernatants. ”
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