Structure-guided design of therapeutics and antibodies against COVID-19

COVID-19 Research Area(s): Vaccines & Treatments

Finding an effective vaccine to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 as well as a therapy to treat symptoms of the disease is of the highest priority and is being pursued globally. A number of national and international pharmaceutical companies are leading efforts to develop antibody-based therapies to prevent and treat COVID-19. Our contribution to this effort is to take structural snapshots of how the most promising antibody therapies bind to the viral surface using a powerful imaging technique known as cryo-electron microscopy. These microscopy pictures will provide information on how to improve the potency of the therapeutics and will also allow the team to identify the most potent antibody candidates as early as possible.