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Millions of coronavirus mutations offer a new insight into evolution

Using publicly available SARS-CoV-2 sequences, researchers have revealed the genetic sites that must be in a particular state for the coronavirus to survive and which can tolerate changes

By Michael Le Page

7 February 2023

The coronavirus is continuing to mutate as it spreads

The coronavirus is continuing to mutate as it spreads

DESIGN CELLS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The genome sequences of millions of individual SARS-CoV-2 viruses have enabled researchers to study evolution in a way that wasn’t possible before. The ³¦´Ç°ù´Ç²Ô²¹±¹¾±°ù³Ü²õ’s global proliferation means that we have a sufficient amount of sequence data to track every possible mutation that affects a single letter of its RNA and the impact these have on the pathogen’s fitness.

The findings could help us develop drugs that target parts of the virus’s proteins that can’t easily mutate to evade existing drugs, says

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