Animation of SARS-CoV-2 entry into human host-cell.

How does the Coronavirus enter a human cell to insert the viral-RNA into the host? Which mechanism makes this possible? This animation bei Janet Iwasa in cooperation with the Coronavirus structural taskforce gives an insight to this interesting yet complex topic.

Want to learn more about this?

Give scientific feedback and help us to improve the accuracy of the animation:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animation by Iwasa-Lab, University of Utah:
In cooperation with the Coronavirus structural taskforce:
English narration by Sam Horrell:
Background music: Meditative Space by MaxKoMusic

This animation is kindly sponsored by:

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research [Förderkennzeichen 05K19WWA]:
National Science Foundation:

[koolchem]

I've read all about this, but this video gave me a clearer understanding of what was going on! Thank you!

[hisexcellency]

It’s amazing that the simplest life form on earth will keep outsmarting the most complex life form on earth.

[RetroSpectrum]

WOW! Great work on this, fantastic overview. Extremely cool to watch!

[reannan]

Best animation I have found anywhere on the internet!!! Thank you!!!

[Renatus_Eruditus]

Very nicely done - especially the change of S from tertiary to secondary structure. Would be great to see an updated version that includes the furin cleavage site dynamics.

[cfish]

Awesome animation! The conformation change of the spike protein was fascinating to watch

[norbertscheibner]

What a great animation! Please do more of this!

[directfrom_MARS]

Awesome video and useful too may I request u to allow me to use this video for my students without copyright issues for better understanding..

[chrisg]

I'm puzzled by how the two membranes fuse simply by being pulled together (1:35) without any apparent breach being made in either. The animation just makes it looks like the mingling of hundreds of little particles. There must be more to it. Do the surface proteins (in yellow) play a part?

[brencostigan]

Any thoughts on how SARS-COV2 acquired a Furin cleavage site so exquisitely similar to that of our own?

[cyclamengarden]

Very nice animation! I don't know enough to tell if it was accurate but it's great to watch!

[Johnslist]

Fantastic! Almost looks alien...freaking unreal.

[progress-msdu]

very informative - quick question ( not medically trained in any way ) but why does the proteases (?) which seems to be part of the human cell 'cut ' the spike protein binding ? Its this ' cutting' thats seems to 'release' the spike protein to firmly embed it self with its 'tentacles'! ?

[andreaquijano]

If TMPRSS2 is the one in orange, which protein is the one in yellow?

[Wabuh-Wabuh]

i thought those were furin? wtf is with the naming...

[tim]

Digg describes this as an "Eye-Popping Visualization". I usually trust them.

Is this video safe to watch? Can anyone, or their next of kin, report that their eyes did or did not pop?

[georgewilson]

What are them small grey wiggly bits on the spike protein?

[neilsmith]

Hello, once the Transmembrane protease serine 2 has cut away at the spike protein, do you know what holds the virus in proximity to the cell? or perhaps it happens so quickly that it kind of harpoons the cell?

[programmer]

Crazy, do we have any real footage of what this looks like?

I have seen a few simulations at this level, but want to see how real footage compares.

[mkwc]

Is anyone else commenting out loud like:

“look at that ridiculous virus, we hate it”
“STOP ATTACHING TO IT - 1D10TS!”

..