Sick Bug Secrets

Like a rotten apple that’s been dipped in toffee and rolled in candyfloss, the fluffy exterior of the Norovirus conceals a vomit-inducing core. Although rarely deadly, the lack of any effective vaccine or treatment means the millions of people who catch ‘vomiting disease’ each year just have to stomach it. Careful study of the virus may reveal ways to tackle its effect on us. Antibodies [specialised proteins] used by researchers to detect Norovirus attach to hidden spots on the underside of the candyfloss-like tufts (shown in blue) covering its surface. Each tuft is connected to the viral core (yellow) by stalks, which flex to accommodate the antibodies. Such flexibility may play a crucial role during infection – as with other viruses, like Influenza that undergo massive structural changes to infect cells. But it also leaves Norovirus vulnerable, providing an open target for vaccine developers.

Written by Hayley Birch

Hayley Birch

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Freelance science writer and editor with a sideline in quirky science communication projects. Music fan, @geekpop conspirator, terrible saucier.

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• Dr Tom Smith
• Courtesy of Donald Danforth Plant Science Center