Bottom: A SARS-CoV-2 particle rendered in augmented reality from EMDB 30430. Top: Scheme with a zoom on the viral membrane and the portion of the Spike protein that anchors it to the membrane (light blue) with the attached lipids in grey. Figure produced by author Luciano Abriata.

Lipid modifications of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein are essential for its virulence

Explained first-hand by one of its authors

Original paper: Mesquita et al Developmental Cell 2021 [here]

Viruses need to make use of their host’s biology for a successful life cycle, and SARS-CoV-2 is no different. How viruses manage to subvert our own biology is often less…