They then imaged the virus in Penn State's Cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) facility. Cryo-EM is a technique that allows researchers to determine the 3D structure of proteins and viruses at near ...

"This structure defines the exact wiring of the immature virus before it becomes infectious, and we now have a better understanding of the levers and pulleys involved in viral assembly.

These detailed findings include 3D views of the structure and position of the virus' envelope "spike" proteins (the Env protein, used when the virus binds with cells) in the context of the full virus.

The team led by Rajanish Giri, Assistant Professor, School of Basic Sciences at IIT Mandi explored the structure of non-structural protein 1, (NSP1) which is composed of 180 amino acids.