Will the coronavirus be a thing of the past soon?
While corona vaccines are being developed around the world, a girl in Texas surprised an ideas competition with an amazing discovery that could change everything.
A considerable step further in the
fight against the
corona pandemic
?
14-year-old
could change everything.
Ideas competition for science and technology: Anika Chebrolu convinces with her study and takes first place.
Anika cleared: $ 25,000 and the
"America's top young scientist"
Frisco, Texas
- A 14-year-old girl from the United States could potentially change the
world
with one discovery
.
It presented its idea at the "Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge", a youth competition for science and technology:
Anika Chebrolu
from Frisco in Texas wants to
defeat
the
coronavirus
once and for all - after
fighting
a
severe flu infection
last year
.
Corona: Teenage girl from Texas makes a special discovery that could change research forever
Due to the Corona * pandemic, this year's
ideas competition for science and technology took place
via video transmission.
There the
eighth grader
presented
her idea to
some
experts
, with which she later even took first place.
My effort to find a lead compound to bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus this summer may appear to be a drop in the ocean, but still adds to all these efforts.
- Anika Chebrolu (@ChebroluAnika) October 19, 2020
As some American media unanimously reported, the teenager discovered a
rare molecule
in her study, which is supposed to help fight the coronavirus *
.
This should be able to bind selectively to the
spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (coronavirus)
.
The
binding of the viral protein
would then possibly
prevent the virus from entering the cell.
Said molecule could therefore be the foundation for a drug against the coronavirus.
To explain: the
spike protein
is
crucial for penetration into the cell.
The coronavirus * needs the
proteins
on its
surface
to bind
to specific receptors on the surface of
human cells
and to
infect
the cells
.
It is also at the heart of vaccine development *.
Video: Future corona vaccine will not make distance and everyday masks superfluous
Coronavirus: Anika convinces experts won $ 25,000 with her research on a rare molecule
In her
corona research
, Anika and
3M business scientist Dr.
Mahfuza Ali
used
numerous
software tools
to
test
the molecule
for properties that are comparable to drugs that bind to the spike protein.
It supposedly turned out to be the best pharmacological and biological activity.
It would therefore be a
potential active ingredient for effective treatment
against the coronavirus *.
The study brought the 14-year-old not only the title of
"America's Top Young Scientist"
, but also a hefty
prize money of 25,000 dollars
, as the news portal
CCN
reports.
(mrf) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network.
List of rubric lists: © National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / Europa Press / dpa / picture alliance