Unlocking the Protein Structure of the Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus sweeping the globe packs 27 proteins, each adopting a unique, often incredibly complex 3D structure. Scientists at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNNL) can get a good understanding of many types of proteins using x-ray crystallography, which yields an extraordinary snapshot at the atomic level. But some proteins resist the process. In order to study the toughest proteins in the coronavirus, PNNL’s Garry Buchko uses nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy—a cousin to magnetic resonance imaging used widely in medicine.