Concrete construction makes gastric flu virus strong
Physicists from the VU University Amsterdam and the FOM Foundation have discovered where the gastric flu virus gets is exceptional strength from. The virus has a prestressed structure. That is the same principle used to reinforce concrete constructions: the metal wires of the reinforcement are stretched so that tension develops, which in turn pulls together the entire structure. The tension counteracts external forces that try to stretch the concrete. Knowledge about the mechanical structure of the gastric flu virus opens up possibilities for new anti-viral drugs and extra strong artificial nanoparticles.
Former FOM postdoc Wouter Roos and FOM workgroup leader Gijs Wuite have, together with scientists from the VU University Amsterdam, Utrecht University and Baylor College of Medicine (United States), done research into norwalk viruses that cause gastric flu. The viruses are too small to be seen with a light microscope, so the researchers used an atomic force microscope. Just like the needle of an old-fashioned record player moving across a record, they found the viruses by ‘feeling’. Once found, a virus was squeezed hard until the virus particle burst apart. These measurements revealed that the virus was prestressed.
The strong shell benefits the virus during its journey through the body. It enables the virus to survive the extremely acidic environment of the stomach, for example. Knowledge about the structure of this shell is vital for the development of anti-viral drugs against gastric flu. Furthermore, this mechanism is relevant for nanotechnology: knowing how to make extra strong nanoparticles expands the range of applications they can be used in.
Reference
Prestress Strenghtens the Shell of Norwalk Virus Nanoparticles
M. Baclayon, G.K. Shoemaker, C. Uetrecht, S. Crawford, M. Estes, B. Prasad, A.J. Heck, G.J. Wuite & W.H. Roos
Contact:
Wouter Roos, +31 (0)20 598 78 38
Gijs Wuite, +31 (0)20 598 79 87