Coronavirus Australia: Particle accelerator used to fast-track development of vaccine

Australian scientists say they hold the key to helping develop a vaccine to fight the deadly coronavirus as it continues to sweep the world.

Australia could hold the key to fast-tracking the development of a vaccine for coronavirus.

That key lies in the largest particle accelerator in the southern hemisphere.

The machine, called Synchrotron, can help researchers see the structure of key proteins in a virus and how they interact with other molecules, which can be important in development of vaccines or treatments.

Experts from Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation are constructing molecular structures of COVID-19 proteins in a clear 3D image, which is made available to other coronavirus researchers.

Many proteins in the virus have already been mapped.

By understanding the positions of important components of these proteins, researchers can develop drugs that bind to these proteins and potentially prevent or treat disease.

“You need to know what the protein looks like so you can design a drug to attach to it,” Synchrotron director Professor Andrew Peele said.

“It’s like designing a key for a lock, you need to know the dimensions of the keyhole.”

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An image of taken by the Synchrotron.

A vaccine works by helping the body’s immune system to recognise and fight pathogens like viruses or bacteria.

Your body is given the vaccine and reacts to it, so that the next time your immune system sees this ‘molecule’ it attaches and hopefully prevents the pathogen infection cycle.

“Using our technology, within five minutes you can understand why a drug does or doesn’t work in attaching to a COVID-19 protein,” Prof Peele said.

“We are receiving dozens of samples from both Australia and Asia, and these are being analysed and shared back with researchers.”

The Synchrotron is about the size of the MCG and produces light a million times brighter than the sun.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said Australia could win the fight against coronavirus much quicker than previous generations could have.

“This work will support research happening around Australia and the world to find a solution to combat this virus and save lives,” she said.

In February University of Queensland researchers announced they had met a key milestone in a fast-tracked bid to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

They created their first vaccine candidate in the lab after just three weeks.

The candidate was immediately moved into further development before formal preclinical testing.