JERUSALEM, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Israeli scientists have developed a unique computational method for designing and creating synthetic antibodies that could potentially overcome the novel coronavirus, said a Israeli report on Friday.
The research team usually develops computer modeling tools that support the rapid and inexpensive design of customized proteins, mainly antibodies that have desirable properties, reported Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) in central Israel.
Recently, the team focused on the novel coronavirus's spike protein, which plays a key role in the infection process, as the goal is to design a robust antibody that would bind to vulnerable points on the spike protein and stop infection in its tracks.
Using the platform, the team seeks to design and test millions of tiny antibodies ("nanobodies") that could potentially slip through the coronavirus' formidable defenses.
Then, the team plans to winnow down the massive set using experimental high throughput screening technology.
The "finalists" will be tested for their ability to neutralize infective coronavirus samples, which may lay the groundwork, according to WIS, for a future treatment for COVID-19.
