TORONTO – Even as the newly reported Omicron variant is poised to replace Delta as the world's dominant variant, a study led by an Indian-origin researcher reveals that many mutations in the variant allow it to bond with human cells far more efficiently than previous strains.

The Omicron variant was detected in late November in South Africa and has since spread to 106 countries. The variant is now the dominant strain in many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, among others. Omicron is the most heavily mutated coronavirus variant to date, with more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, which the virus uses to enter human cells. The variant also contains a high number of mutations in regions of the spike protein recognised by antibodies, potentially reducing their potency.

Cryo-electron microscopy, a technique that provides images of the virus at incredibly high resolution, was used by researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada to study Omicron. The findings, which were published as a pre-print and have not yet been peer-reviewed, revealed that "Omicron has far greater binding affinity than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus" due to new bonds formed between the virus and human cell receptors, according to Dr Sriram Subramaniam, lead scientist. Furthermore, the researchers tested Omicron against human and monoclonal antibodies, discovering that it is more resistant to these immune system particles than other variants.

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