Characterization of non-structural proteins Nsp13 and Nsp15 from SARS-CoV-2, and investigation of bioactive compounds with potential antiviral action

• Grant number: 21/06036-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: September 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal Investigator: Glaucius Oliva
• Grantee: Luana Galvão Morão
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/04602-9 - Development of antivirals for the treatment of COVID-19, AP.R

Abstract

Emerging and reemerging viruses will always constitute a threat and a challenge to global public health. The emergence of a new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), in December 2019, generated an epidemic that has lasted until now and has already resulted in more than 174,418,411 cases worldwide, with 17,130,234 of them in the Brazilian territory. Statistics still show about 3,757,791 deaths registered worldwide, with 479,811 of them in Brazil (early June/2021). Despite the efforts used to combat this pandemic and past outbreaks (SARS and MERS), considering the development of antivirals, it is known that no drug has proven effective in clinical trials. Therefore, this project aims to use the structural information of the non-structural proteins Nsp13 - helicase and Nsp15- endoribonuclease of SARS-CoV-2 to help in the search for molecules that can help in the development of specific antiviral drugs for this virus. In this context, the production and characterization of these proteins, which are involved in the process of viral replication, will be conducted and from these samples we intend to use a combination of biophysical and biochemical techniques to identify new antiviral candidates using the Structure-Based Drug Discovery (SBDD) methods. In this way, we aim to obtain a potential drug candidate, which can be used in pre-clinical tests. This project is linked to the project 2020/04602-9 approved at the FAPESP COVID-19 call for proposals. (AU)