The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus required immediate action from scientists all over the world. And the SBCF wasn’t the exception. We knew that understanding the biology of this new virus was necessary to combat the global pandemic spreading. Moreover, we understood the need to be better prepared now and in the future to respond faster and more efficiently in the face of new medical and societal challenges. And so we set out to find (i) molecular probes that allow a fast, reliable and easy-to-use detection of the virus and (ii) specific inhibitors that eliminate the viral spread. And that is how APTASTRUCT came to be, a service pipeline to develop and characterize highly specific oligonucleotide aptamers capable of binding coronavirus proteins. These aptamers can be used as biosensors, act as inhibitors or be fused to functional modules that allow the detection or inhibition after specific recognition. In detail, we are studying and constantly improving the following:

  –             Selection and synthesis of nucleic acid aptamers that selectively bind to SARS-CoV-2 proteins, and

  –             Single particle cryo-EM structures of the respective aptamer(s) alone and in complex with the coronavirus target protein(s).

Edited by: Dr A. Flores-Ibarra