How COVID variants turns more infectious, antibody resistant

The team developed structural models to identify changes in the virus's spike protein. Cryo-electron microscopy allowed atomic level visualisation, while binding assays enabled the team to create mimics of the live virus that directly correlated with its function in host cells. From there, the team used computational analysis to build models that showed the structural mechanisms at work.

New York: US researchers have identified how multiple mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein independently create variants that are more transmissible and potentially resistant to antibodies. By acquiring mutations on the spike protein, one such variant gained the ability to leap from humans to minks and back to humans. Other variants -- including Alpha, which first appeared in the UK; Beta, which was first identified in South Africa; and Gamma, first identified in Brazil -- independently developed spike mutations that enhanced their ability to spread rapidly in human populations and resist some antibodies. The researchers have published their findings in Science.