Structure-based SARS CoV2 Antidote development

The Serology study with the Aguzzi lab from the University Hospital Zürich will result in the identification and production of anti-SARS CoV2 antibodies with therapeutic potential. In order to understand their interaction with the viral antigens the Schertler group is currently producing all structural viral proteins in quantities and qualities, which are sufficient for structure determination with X-ray crystallography or single particle Electron Microscopy. They will then deduce the structure of these protein alone and in complex with the promising antibodies from the serology screen. In a joint effort with the research groups of Ana-Nicoleta Bondar (Free University of Berlin, Germany) and Abbas Ourmazd (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA) advanced analysis methods will be used to characterize the conformational heterogeneity of antigens from CoV2 and other Coronaviruses. This will allow the researchers to deduce whether neutralizing antibodies induce or stabilize specific conformations in viral proteins. This information that can be used to speed up and optimize the development of new therapeutic approaches.