![Project 1: Small Molecule Entry Inhibitors of Pandemic Viruses, Virus entry steps. (1) Receptor ACE2 recognition by the spike protein. (2) Refolding of the S2 subunit in the spike protein after the ACE bound S1 subunit is dissociated. (3) Lipid mixing between the host membrane and the viral membrane. This step completes the virus entry, releasing the viral RNA genome into the host cytoplasm to initiate replication. (Koppisetti et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 33, 13205–13211),](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-11/fig2-fusionsteps.png?itok=L-Nb2m4K)
Virus entry steps. (1) Receptor ACE2 recognition by the spike protein. (2) Refolding of the S2 subunit in the spike protein after the ACE bound S1 subunit is dissociated. (3) Lipid mixing between the host membrane and the viral membrane. This step completes the virus entry, releasing the viral RNA genome into the host cytoplasm to initiate replication. (Koppisetti et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 33, 13205–13211)
Deputy Investigator
![Michael Farzan, UF Scripps Biomedical Research, Lab Leak, Covid-19, Project 1: Small Molecule Entry Inhibitors of Pandemic Viruses](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/farzan.jpg?itok=GpO7mXkF)
Michael Farzan, Ph.D
![harvard](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2023-05/hms_logo_final_rgb_0.png?itok=_HPRzGgl)
Deputy Investigator
![Choe Hyeryun, Project 1: Small Molecule Entry Inhibitors of Pandemic Viruses, UF Scripps Biomedical Research](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/choe.jpg?itok=l6m0OCro)
Hyeryun Choe, Ph.D
![harvard](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2023-05/hms_logo_final_rgb_0.png?itok=_HPRzGgl)
Co-Investigators and Other Significant Contributors (OSC)
![Fang Li, Ph.D: University of Minnesota, coronavirus research center, spike protein, Midwest AViDD, University of minnesota, llama, lab leak, wuhan,](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/fang_li.jpg?itok=cJmiM6IZ)
Fang Li, Ph.D: University of Minnesota
![Asim Debnath, Ph.D: New York Blood Center, OSC](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/asim_debnath_osc.png?itok=-ov-Gp98)
Asim Debnath, Ph.D: New York Blood Center, OSC
![Lijun Rong, Ph.D: University of Illinois Chicago](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/lijun_rong.jpg?itok=5MSw0yAF)
Lijun Rong, Ph.D: University of Illinois Chicago
![Lanying Du, Ph.D: Georgia State University, lab leak, covid-19, wuhan](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/lanying_du.jpg?itok=Ho9_19Lg)
Lanying Du, Ph.D: Georgia State University
![Irina Gaisana, Ph.D: University of Illinois Chicago](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/gaisana.jpg?itok=NMgXFIWV)
Irina Gaisana, Ph.D: University of Illinois Chicago
![Binghe Wang, Ph.D: Georgia State University](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/binghe-wang-in-lab.jpg?itok=AjfN705-)
Binghe Wang, Ph.D: Georgia State University
![Mukesh Kumar, Ph.D: Georgia State University](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/mukesh_kumar.jpg?itok=nqJjqj56)
Mukesh Kumar, Ph.D: Georgia State University
![Norton Peet, Drug Development, University of Nebraska, United States Chemist Society, AstraZeneca](/sites/midwestavidd.umn.edu/files/styles/folwell_full/public/2022-12/norton_peat_osc.png?itok=-ImiNy7R)
Norton Peet, Ph.D: Consultant, OSC