Analysis of What the Structure of the Coronavirus Can Tell Us Article by Berkowitz - Essay Example

Microbiology

In the article What the Structure of the Coronavirus Can Tell Us, Berkowitz et al. highlights the connection of previous research studies on SARS-CoV-2 with the structure of the coronavirus to facilitate the development of a vaccine against it. The authors indicate that novel coronavirus like any other virus cannot replicate but turns body cells into a replicating factory leading to an infection. The structure of the virus dictates the types of cells it targets in the body. Viruses have spikes that interact with receptors on body cells; hence, they enter the cells. The study of viruses causing SARS and MERS confirms that these viruses enter the target cells through the interaction of the spikes on their structures with receptors on the cells to gain entry. The article further indicates that significant developments in imaging techniques have enabled researchers to create the model of the novel coronavirus enabling them to understand its relationship with SARS and MERS.

Researchers indicate that the architecture of SAR-CoV-2 shows a close similarity with that of the novel coronavirus, Covid-19, since sugars dot outside the spike, making them identical to the regular human cells. The carbohydrate camouflage of the novel coronavirus enables it to escape detection from the human immune system. Notably, the sugars on the novel coronavirus's spikes camouflage it from attack by the human immune system. The authors note that the spikes for the novel coronavirus consist of three identical proteins twisted together. The spikes open their cap-like apices to enable them to bind with the receptors of the body cells.

The article indicates that viruses causing SARS and MERS also gain access to target cells by opening the three proteins on their spikes. In this regard, the researchers indicate that vaccines that trigger antibodies to attack the exposed areas of the virus's proteins spikes when they open before and during attachment to cell receptors can be useful. Similarly, vaccines that block the receptors to prevent the entry of the viruses into the body cells can be useful in fighting the novel coronavirus. As mentioned earlier, the virus enters the body cells through the receptors; therefore, when these receptors on the body cells are blocked, they will have no means of entry into the body cells preventing replication and further infection. The research also indicates that soap and water, extreme heat, and ultraviolet light are capable of destroying the novel coronavirus, just like other viruses. The above approaches undermine the structure of the viruses leading to their destruction. However, the authors indicate that these approaches cannot apply for destroying the virus from the human body because of adverse effects on human health.

The article relates closely to the topic of viruses, viroids, and prions. The article discusses research studies on the structures of viruses causing SARS and MERS. The study compares the structures to that of the novel coronavirus using modern imaging techniques to facilitate the development of a vaccine. The article provides elaborate information regarding the importance and the main methods of controlling viruses. Viruses have spikes that help them to gain access to target cells. Although the mode of entry varies depending on the virus's architecture, most viruses enter the target cells using the spikes which open before and during the attachment period, enabling them to access the body cells through the receptors. Viruses require body cells to replicate; therefore, they cannot cause diseases outside the body cells. Therefore, preventing viruses from causing infections requires an understanding of their structures to ensure the application of the right techniques to prevent entry.

The article's content is critical in understanding the body's defense mechanism and how viruses manage to escape attack from the human immune system. Indisputably, this information is critical in understanding the topic of viruses. The primary genetic materials for most viruses can be RNA or DNA, implying that they can direct susceptible cells to produce more of the virus. The genetic materials of the viruses allow them to encode different proteins; however, they cannot replicate. Viruses must gain entry into susceptible body cells to enable them to replicate and cause diseases. The structure of the novel coronavirus and the viruses responsible for SARS and MERS have similar protein spikes; hence, similar entry modes. The spike of the viruses consists of three protein strands twisted on each other. The viruses use these spikes to enter the receptors of target cells. The apices of the spikes open before and during the attachment process allowing them to access the cells.

The novel coronavirus's impact in different parts of the world is the main reason for choosing this topic. Scientists in different parts of the country are trying to find a vaccine to eliminate the virus that has brought different functions across the globe to a standstill. Scientists must understand the structure of the novel coronavirus to determine the most efficient vaccine. The article indicates that most viruses enter body cells through receptors. The viruses open their spikes to attach themselves adequately to the body cells. Notably, this information is critical in developing the right vaccine to destroy the coronavirus. The most probable vaccines include those able to attack the viruses through the open spikes before and during the attachment, blocking cell receptors to prevent the virus's attachment. The approaches applied to most viruses indicating that one vaccine applies to many viruses.

Although the article provides elaborate information regarding the possible vaccines for the treatment of the novel coronavirus, scientists have not successfully developed an appropriate vaccine. The current approaches to destroying the virus only work outside the human body. The use of soap and water has been championed as one of the measures to prevent the disease. Notably, soap and water destroy the membrane of the virus. Ultraviolet light is also recommended for preventing the disease due to its ability to destroy the genetic material of the virus, preventing further replication. Finally, scientists have also recommended the use of extreme heat to destroy the virus. However, the approaches above cannot help in destroying the virus once it enters the body. The body fever associated with the Covid-19 disease is not high enough to destroy the virus. Therefore, scientists must understand the structure of the novel coronavirus to develop a vaccine that works on different mechanisms to destroy it.

The article indicates that most viruses have almost similar structures; therefore, one vaccine can be useful for several viruses. However, vaccines that attack the virus may be ineffective due to virus mutation. In this regard, the vaccine should aim at blocking the receptor cells to prevent the viruses from gaining access. Scientists should focus on ensuring that the vaccines attack different classes of viruses to reduce the need to look for different vaccines when viruses with similar structures cause different diseases. Despite the novel coronavirus having a similar structure as viruses causing SARS and MERS, the vaccines used for the latter cannot treat coronavirus. Most viruses contain DNA and RNA as the primary genetic materials; therefore, my opinion is that the most effective vaccine should attack the genetic material of these viruses. The use of ultraviolet light is appropriate for destroying different classes of viruses due to its ability to disrupt their genetic materials preventing replication. The virus uses the genetic materials to direct susceptible cells to encode different proteins enabling them to replicate rapidly.

Studies on the architecture of different viruses indicate several similarities that scientists can use to develop a universal vaccine. The virus consists of either RNA or DNA enclosed in a membrane and spikes made of protein strands. The number of spikes and the number of protein strands forming each spike varies from one class of virus to another. Studies indicate that the mode through which different viruses access entry to different target cells depends on their architecture. Most of the viruses access the susceptible cells through the receptors using their spikes. The spikes open before and during the attachment period to enable them to enter different cells. The attachment of viruses to different cells is crucial since they rely on these body cells to replicate. Most viruses use their genetic materials to enable the susceptible cells to encode proteins essential for replicating the virus. Therefore, to avoid another pandemic due to virus-related disease, scientists should not only focus on vaccines that prevent viruses from attaching themselves on different body cells, but which destroy their genetic materials to prevent replication, which results in different infections.

Work cited

Berkowitz, Bonnie et al. “What the Structure of the Coronavirus Can Tell Us”. The Washington Post, 2020. www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/health/coronavirus-sars-cov-2-structure/. Accessed 11 July 2020.