Always a fantastic time at @yalesph.bsky.social , diving into science and enjoying great company. Huge thanks to @nathangrubaugh.bsky.social for being such an incredible host for the Uruguayan crew.

7/ A drug known to interact with heme/hemin impairs hemin’s pro-infective effect, reducing systemic infection. This further supports the hypothesis of heme-enhanced infection.

6/ Intriguingly, hemin (a heme analog) administration in infected mice elevated viral loads in organs and RBCs, underscoring the role of heme, and potentially hemoproteins, in enhancing viral infectivity.

5/ Spectroscopic analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein interacts with hemin, altering its absorption spectrum.

4/ Using in silico molecular modeling 🖥, we predicted specific binding interactions between Spike and heme, revealing a potential mechanism that supports viral dissemination.

3/ We observed viral particles closely associated to red blood cells (RBCs) by proteomics and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. These findings highlight a potential mechanism for Coronaviruses’ systemic spread ✈️

Celebrating with our newest Dr. when I am submitting a story that drove us happily insane in every scientific discussion!!! Whatever the outcome, we celebrate every battle and every step forward. The happiness of his face says it all!!!