IBM's 'magic bullet' could destroy Zika, Ebola AND herpes: Firm enlists Watson supercomputer to combat killer viruses
IBM claims it has developed a 'magic bullet' solution to combating viral infections.
The company has engineered a chemical that it says can block viruses like Zika, Ebola, dengue, influenza and herpes.
Scientists believe, with the help of the Watson supercomputer, it could someday be used in products such as soap to prevent a viruses from spreading.
The new macromolecule was created by the IBM Research and Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering, Nanotechnology (IBN).
A macromolecule is essentially a multi-pronged chemical, designed from the ground up.
It combats viruses in three ways.
First, it uses electrostatic bonds to attract a virus, locking on to it to prevent it from infecting other cells.
It then neutralises the acidity levels inside virus cells, making it harder for them to replicate.
Finally, it releases a type of sugar known as mannose that binds to healthy immune cells, preventing viruses from being able to infect them.
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