Researchers discover hidden SARS-CoV-2 'gate' that opens to allow COVID infection

Unprecedented visualizations of SARS-CoV-2 have allowed researchers to discover how the virus enters and infects healthy human cells. Supercomputing movies have revealed how glycans -- molecules that make up a sugary residue around the edges of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein -- act as infection 'gates' that open to allow access to our cell's receptors.