RESEARCH: COVID-19
FOLDING PROJECT #13438 PROFILE

The project relates to using computer simulations to find promising drug candidates against COVID-19. Top scoring molecules are then tested in a lab. This open science project is working towards a cheap and accessible treatment for COVID-19.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnyaAmM1nhEThese projects are rapid sprints of relative alchemical free energy calculations for prioritizing compound designs from chemists from the COVID Moonshot for synthesis.

Top-scoring molecules will be made and tested in a laboratory by the COVID Moonshot as it works to develop an open science patent-free inexpensive therapy for COVID-19 that shuts down the essential SARS-CoV-2 main viral protease.

The COVID Moonshot has already made and tested hundreds of compounds, and is pursuing several good lead series.

You can see their progress in real time here:
https://covid.postera.ai/covid/submissions/compounds To learn more about what the Moonshot is and how it came about, you can read our blog post or watch this video. In addition to helping us prioritize compounds, you can help us purchase more compounds for synthesis at cost from Enamine by sponsoring our GoFundMe page for patent-free open science COVID-19 drug discovery! This is a radical new approach to drug discovery that aims to rapidly produce inexpensive new therapies. SARS-CoV-2 main viral potease (Mpro) with ligand bound, from the RCSB.

compound

A substance with a defined chemical structure.

In drug discovery, a compound refers to a molecule synthesized or identified for its potential therapeutic effect. Chemists create and screen thousands of compounds to find those that interact with specific biological targets, aiming to treat diseases.

COVID Moonshot

A global collaborative effort to rapidly develop effective treatments for COVID-19.

The COVID Moonshot is an international research initiative focused on accelerating the development of new therapies for COVID-19. It involves scientists, researchers, and organizations from around the world working together to identify promising drug candidates, expedite clinical trials, and make treatments widely accessible.

SARS-CoV-2

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for causing COVID-19. It is a respiratory virus that spreads through droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can infect the lungs and other organs, leading to severe illness in some cases.

Viral protease

An enzyme produced by viruses that is essential for their replication.

Viral proteases are enzymes crucial for the life cycle of viruses. They play a key role in processing viral proteins, allowing the virus to assemble new viral particles and spread infection. Targeting viral proteases with drugs can inhibit viral replication and treat viral infections.