First complete coronavirus model shows cooperation
First complete coronavirus model shows cooperation Frontera, Anton 2 supercomputers simulate holistic model of SARS-CoV-2 virion Supercomputers simulated a holistic model of the SARS-CoV-2 virion. The virus that causes COVID-19 holds many mysteries. Scientists remain in the dark on aspects of how it fuses and enters the host cell, and how it assembles and buds off the host cell. Computational modeling combined with experimental data provides insights into these behaviors. But modeling the dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus over meaningful timescales has so far been limited to its pieces, such as the spike protein, a target for the current round of vaccines. A new multiscale coarse-grained model of the complete SARS-CoV-2 virion -- its core genetic material and shell -- has been developed for the first time using supercomputers. The model offers scientists new ways to exploit the virus's vulnerabilities. "We wanted to understand how SARS-CoV-2 works holistically as a ...