Inside Ebola

A coiling protein “shell,” called a nucleocapsid, shown here, surrounds Ebola’s genetic material, which consists of single-strand RNA. University of Delaware researchers are simulating the way molecules of this nucleocapsid move and interact, atom by atom, to understand their functions and expose targets for anti-viral treatments.

Juan Perilla, DSI affiliated faculty member and assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and his UD team are advancing understanding of the structure and function of the protein “shell” encasing the viral genome of Ebola and other viruses.