A team of researchers based at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., have become the first to identify and detail the structure of the Zika virus — information that could help create a vaccine or treatment. They also built an animated model of the virus' structure.
The research team was led by Richard Kuhn, PhD, director of the Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, and Michael Rossmann, PhD, Purdue's Hanley Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences.
By uncovering the structure of the virus and what makes it unique, scientists may be able to better explain how the virus is transmitted, how it manifests as a disease and how to combat it.
"The structure of the virus provides a map that shows potential regions of the virus that could be targeted by a therapeutic treatment, used to create an effective vaccine or to improve our ability to diagnose and distinguish Zika infection from that of other related viruses," said Dr. Kuhn. "Determining the structure greatly advances our understanding of Zika — a virus about which little is known. It illuminates the most promising areas for further testing and research to combat infection."
The Zika virus animation created by the researchers can be viewed here:
For more information on the discovery of the Zika virus structure, click here.
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