It's time for part two of Dr Erik Procko's Teach Me in 10 installment. This week, we're bringing you a two-part series with Dr Erik Procko from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Dr Procko has been working on engineering a "decoy" receptor for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that has caused the COVID-19 global pandemic. In the second video of this two-part installment, Dr Procko discusses his research exploring the mutational landscape of ACE2 to further understand the interaction between the receptor and the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. In doing so, his team were able to scour for mutations that might increase the affinity of ACE2 for the S protein.
If you'd like to learn more about Dr Procko's work, you can check out his research page, read his recent interview with Technology Networks, or take a look at his latest publication in the journal Science.
Part I of Dr Procko's Teach Me in 10 is available to watch here.