COVID-19 Research
The interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 and its receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), mediates viral entry into the cell and is thus an important link in the development of COVID-19. Interaction models based on RBD-ACE2 complexes and evaluation of their stability are used to predict susceptibility to infection.
Three-dimensional models of RBD-ACE2 complexes were built for different SARS-CoV-2 variants and animal species (including humans and 10 farm animal species potentially susceptible to COVID-19) using in silico methods. The simulation protocol is available at the link. All models are freely available, can be downloaded and used for research by academical users.
Published Articles:
Peka, M., & Balatsky, V. (2023). Analysis of RBD-ACE2 interactions in livestock species as a factor in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among animals. Veterinary and Animal Science, 100303. CrossRef
Peka, M., & Balatsky, V. (2023). The impact of mutation sets in receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the stability of RBD-ACE2 complex. Future Virology, 18(4), 225-242. CrossRef
Peka, M. Y., Balatsky, V. N., Bozhkov, А. І., & Saienko, A. M. (2021). Comparative analysis of human and livestock АСЕ2 receptors for SARS-CoV-2. Animal Breeding and Genetics, 62, 120-129. CrossRef
Peka, M., & Balatsky, V. (2023, June 20-21). Risk assessment of the SARS-CoV-2 spreading among livestock and the emergence of animal reservoirs of COVID-19. UFAW Online Animal Welfare Conference 2023, Online. Link
Пека, М. Ю., Балацький, В. М., & Корінний, С. М. (2022, листопад 4). Оцінка ризиків поширення COVID-19 серед сільськогосподарських тварин. Розвиток галузі тваринництва в умовах євроінтеграції: Міжнародна наукова інтернет-конференція, Полтава, Україна. Link