Mexican scientists focus on COVID-19 research using Swiss synchrotron

In a bid to discover drugs to mitigate the impact caused by the COVID-19 , Mexican scientists are currently studying the functions of the synchrotron , which is one of the newest equipment in Physics .

According to Dr. José Franco from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) , in addition to being one of the latest technologies, the synchrotron is “a particle accelerator , mainly of electrons, that makes them move nearly as fast as light.”

It works thanks to the construction of a wide ring around a group of electrons that can move and generate intense light, which comes from the Sun’s luminosity: “We can analyze the structure of matter, such as that of viruses ,” added the expert of the Astronomy Institute (IA) in one of the activities on the framework of “ El Aleph: Festival de Arte y Ciencia ” (The Aleph: Arts and Sciences Festival).

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Research regarding the synchrotron has been in charge of scientists from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) , along with experts from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) . Currently, the group is working with samples on Switzerland’s synchrotron in hopes of one of them being installed in Mexico’s Hidalgo state .

Researcher Liliana Quintana Vera , who is also a part of the group, mentioned that there is an interaction between some metals and proteins related to diseases. “Especially, zinc operates in the angiotensin II human protein that allows the entrance of cells to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Our hypothesis is that we can use the data collected with the synchrotron with the protein ACE2 and use it as a reporter of the interaction with the viral protein,” she added.

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Edgar Morales Ríos

, a CINVESTAV member, is in charge of working with the mobility of proteins within the microtubules of human cells. “ Viruses can kidnap these proteins to move inside cells and, with the use of the synchrotron, we intend to know how to suppress this process,” he mentioned.

Meanwhile, Luis Brieba del Castro , from CINVESTAV Irapuato, is studying the RNA of the virus to know the mechanisms replicated by proteins inside cells. “If we can have something that prevents the restoration and replication inside cells, we would have a way to prevent infections from having devastating effects ,” he asserted.

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