Prof. Daniela Gryko of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and rof. Marcin Drąg of the Department of Biological Chemistry and Bioimaging of the Wrocław University of Technology are planning to observe the activity of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in human cells and therefore work out special fluorescent probes that will track the enzymes of the virus.

Polish scientists will study two specialized proteins (proteolytic enzymes – proteases), which are responsible for virus replication, and one of them is also responsible for influencing the functioning of the human immune system and blocking the defense mechanisms against the virus.

Prof. Marcin Drąg was the first in the world to develop both enzymes and it allows the other scientists to know their structure. Moreover, the researchers intend to use new techniques in the field of fluorescence microscopy to image coronavirus proteases, develop a new class of fluorophores, and thus quickly look at how these enzymes “work” in the coronavirus.