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Covid 19 structure anatomy zone

Scientists have turned the coronavirus structure into a song that's nearly two hours long

06 April 2020, 15:20 | Written by Cerys Kenneally
(News)

Scientists have managed to create a song that runs just shy of two hours out of the structure of the COVID-19 virus.

Unlike coronavirus, the song, titled "Viral Counterpoint of the Coronavirus Spike Protein (2019-nCoV)" uses a mix of soothing string instruments to emulate the structure of the virus. A stark contrast to the effects of COVID-19, which has now killed over 70,000 people worldwide.

The track was created by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology using a technique called sonification. Science Mag reports that the scientists assigned a note to every amino acid. They also note that in real life, amino acids are structured like a DNA helix or a sheet, and scientists have translated these features by changing the duration and volume of the notes.

Science Mag also explains that scientists aren't just turning the virus into music for fun - it's actually a research method that allows them to find specific sequences (through music) that could highlight where antibodies or drugs can bind on the virus itself.

The choices of instruments are, of course, personal preference - maybe they could do alternate versions for different genres?
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