Peplomer Bulb Shape and Coronavirus Rotational Diffusivity

Recently, we calculated the rotational diffusivity of the coronavirus particle in suspension, from first principles, using general rigid bead-rod theory. We did so by beading the capsid, and then also by replacing each of its bulbous spikes with a single bead. Since the spikes are charged, we followed the well-known polyhedral solutions to the Thomson problem. However, since each coronavirus spike is a glycoprotein trimer, each spike bulb is triangular. By replacing each coronavirus spike bulb with a single bead, our prior work neglects this triangularity. In this work, we will thus replace each bulbous coronavirus spike with a bead triplet, where each bead of the triplet is charged identically. Using the latter to rearrange and orient the coronavirus spikes relative to one another, we shall arrive at the rotationaldiffusivity of the coronavirus particle in suspension, from first principles.
By from first principles, we mean using general rigid bead-rod theory for the aqueous suspension of SARS CoV-2 particles. Our objective, therefore, is to calculate the rotational diffusivity of a detailed SARS CoV-2 structure from first principles.

Faculty Supervisor:

Alan Giacomin

Student:

Partner:

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Queen's University

Program: