The novel coronavirus membrane (light blue) and the human cell membrane (orange) merge together when the viral S2 subunit’s fusion peptide (purple arrows) inserts into the cell membrane and a different component of the S2 subunit (purple and green) folds to form a tight structure, as shown in the top right. In contrast, as illustrated in the bottom right, fusion inhibitors are designed to prevent viral infection by disrupting this process. (Read more)

Like veteran detectives investigating a crime scene, a team of expert biophysicists and neutron researchers has been called in to assist in a scientific case. Their task is to discover how the deadly SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, after it breaks into a human cell, begins causing massive inflammation that leads to the most severe cases of COVID-19 infections. The investigation is being conducted at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Read More).

The cell membrane is the cell’s first line of defense against the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. The surface of the virus is covered with spike proteins, which bind to the cell membrane and facilitate viral infection. Researchers are investigating how this process works and what treatments can help to stop it (Read More).