News & Events

When

Date - November 2, 2022
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

What

Literature Seminar
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
UNC Greensboro
Oberlies Research Group
Title: Discovering Natural ligands for SARS-CoV-2 using MagMASS

Abstract:

New treatments are required for many infectious diseases and their mutations. Recently, there has been an increased interest in finding new drugs for treating COVID-19, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The current virus uses its spike proteins to bind to the ACE2 receptor on epithelial cells and releases its RNA information into the cell membrane. Although we currently have treatments for the SARS virus, more will need to be developed. Natural products have traditionally been an abundant source of biologically active and novel therapeutic agents. The need for new treatments has led to the testing of new natural products for Sars-CoV-2. Affinity selection mass spectrometry has been used to identify ligands that bind to pharmacological targets. Magnetic microbead affinity selection screening (MagMASS) is used to screen molecules for their affinity to a substrate. In this study, MagMASS was used to identify natural product ligands that could bind to the spike proteins of the Sars-CoV-2 to block the entry to the ACE2 receptor.