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A new tool for cell biologists

Researchers describe a new approach for creating realistic synthetic cells, providing a new tool that can be used to figure out how certain pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, infect hosts.
a diagram of the sars-cov-2 virus showing the proteins and sugars on the exterior
Ongoing research aims to study and visualize the sugars (shown as green, dark yellow, orange, and pink ball-and-stick representations) that cover the novel coronavirus. Now, Penn researchers are part of a team that's developed a new approach for creating cell membrane mimics that have the same types of viral sugars on their surfaces. (Image: Woods Group; Citation: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.07.030445)

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