Breakthrough In Utah Is Bringing Down The Flu Virus

Seeing On a Level to do Battle with a Virus

Researchers have had some success battling the flu virus with antiviral drugs until recently when it mutated and rendered the drugs ineffective. They worked because they blocked a part of the virus involved in its reproduction. There needed to find new solutions, but how to test them on such a micro level?

That is where researchers from Brigham Young University teamed up with those from Florida State and came up with something amazing. It involves a 40-ton magnet and some of the same technology used with MRI machines.

Bringing it Into Focus

This technological breakthrough is called solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and means they can map what is happening on this miniscule level. We’re talking individual atoms along with protons, that is small. This will improve their ability to find new drugs to battle the flu virus.

With it they can test and design new compounds and test them in a realistic environment on the virus. They can see the results of the test in real time. This will be a big help in learning how to bring down the nasty flu bug that torments us at certain times of the year.