<div>A new study by scientists from the University of California San Diego, USA and Maynooth University, Ireland and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 reports preliminary results showing that the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2, as well as its glycan coat, has &ldquo;hitherto unseen functional and structural&rdquo; properties. These may be useful in designing novel therapeutics to target this molecule.</div>