---
layout: post
title:  "Molecular architecture of the SARS-CoV-2 virus Image"
date: Fri 18 Sep 22:56:36 BST 2020
---

Sai Li and co-workers (not least of whom is Max Crispin, a recent co-author of my own)
published "Molecular architecture of the SARS-CoV-2 virus" in Cell today:
[https://t.co/pQAbjhGh2V](https://t.co/pQAbjhGh2V)

I downloaded the map from EMDB (30340) and made this image.

Yes, you can reproduce it if you wish. I ask (this is a request, not a
condition) that you acknowledge me and let me know (Paul Emsley @ MRC
LMB - search the Contacts).

![SARS-CoV-2 Virus]({{"../../../images/authentic-sars-cov-2-small.png"}})

Here a link to the full resolution version:

[Authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus Full Resolution](https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/personal/pemsley/coot/web/screenshots/authentic-sars-cov-2.png)

There is also a video of it spinning slowly:

[Spinning SARS-CoV-2 Virus](https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/personal/pemsley/coot/web/screenshots/authentic-sars-cov-2.mp4) # you may need to download that, because it might not play in the browser.


The red bouquets are the Spike proteins and the blue pastry-things are ribonucleoproteins.

The iconic image of the coronavirus, with which you are probably familiar, was created by Alissa Eckert from the CDC. It
is a model. This image is of actual experimental data.

Just to be clear, I was not involved in this work, I just downloaded the publicly available data
(the subtomogram averaging reconstruction) and made this image which you can use for free.

