As public health experts continue to wrestle with the spread of SARS-CoV-2 among people, concerns that the virus may find other viable hosts have grown. If humans pass the virus on to other species that are susceptible to infection, those animals could act as a reservoir for the virus and eventually pass mutated versions back to humans, extending and potentially worsening the pandemic. The big question is which species are most likely to pose this risk.
To begin to answer that, researchers from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York have developed a machine-learning model that uses an animal’s traits to predict the structure of its angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors—the primary molecular receptor SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter cells. Based on those structures, the team identified species most likely to be susceptible to contracting and spreading SARS-CoV-2, the team reports today (November 16) in Proceedings of the ...
