The team’s results appear online in the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. “The hope is that our paper will initiate a discussion across various disciplines.” “We’ve proven that under ultrasound excitation the coronavirus shell and spikes will vibrate, and the amplitude of that vibration will be very large, producing strains that could break certain parts of the virus, doing visible damage to the outer shell and possibly invisible damage to the RNA inside,” says Tomasz Wierzbicki, professor of applied mechanics at MIT. How exactly ultrasound could be administered, and how effective it would be in damaging the virus within the complexity of the human body, are among the major questions scientists will have to tackle going forward. Nevertheless, the researchers say their findings are a first hint at a possible ultrasound-based treatment for coronaviruses, including the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. The results are preliminary, and based on limited data regarding the virus’ physical properties. This effect was seen in simulations of the virus in air and in water. They found that vibrations between 25 and 100 megahertz triggered the virus’ shell and spikes to collapse and start to rupture within a fraction of a millisecond. Through computer simulations, the team has modeled the virus’ mechanical response to vibrations across a range of ultrasound frequencies. While the virus’ geometry and infection strategy is generally understood, little is known about its physical integrity.Ī new study by researchers in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering suggests that coronaviruses may be vulnerable to ultrasound vibrations, within the frequencies used in medical diagnostic imaging. These spike-like proteins latch onto healthy cells and trigger the invasion of viral RNA. The coronavirus’ structure is an all-too-familiar image, with its densely packed surface receptors resembling a thorny crown.
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