Detailed mapping of HIV ‘sugar shield’ could aid vaccine design

Researchers in LANL’s Theoretical (T) Division along with their partners from Scripps Research Institute developed a novel imaging method that led to the most detailed glycan (or sugar molecule) mapping of HIV. These sugar molecules shield the virus from the immune system, and therefore, gaps where sugar is lacking are ideal for vaccine targeting.

Sugar shields, which are extremely dynamic and flexible, have been notoriously difficult to image; however, they are incredibly important for HIV, influenza, and coronavirus treatment. This new sugar-shield mapping approach is poised to aid vaccine design and development for many glycogen-shielded viruses, including HIV.

Read more in the current STE Highlights.

STE Highlights for November

Read these articles in the November 2020 issue of STE Highlights

	Awards and Recognition Morreale named vice chair of APS Four Corners Section
	Awards and Recognition Graduate student Danielle Schaper first-ever LANL recipient of APS4CS Lustig Award
	Chemistry Americium isotope advances for quality control standards and commercial use Progress in fission product diagnostics for post-detonation nuclear forensics
	Earth and Environmental Sciences QUIC-Fire is first laptop-capable wildfire management software
	Infrastructure Enhancement BSL-2 Lab in Chemical Microscopy Facility expands High-explosives R&D Crystal Lab relocation and renovation complete
	Materials Physics and Applications First connection between a specific phase transition and superconductivity
	Materials Science and Technology Modeling predicts the role of grain boundary structure in materials in extreme environments Integrated approach accelerates nuclear fuel development and qualification
	Theoretical Detailed mapping of HIV ‘sugar shield’ could aid vaccine design New boundaries established for sea-ice models