![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Electron-density-1000x600-1.jpg\")
While the beamlines were used to identify compounds binding to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, the SPC Facility contributed instrumentation and expertise to help the scientists understand how the compounds and the target protein interact. Maria Garcia Alai, Head of the SPC Facility, explains how a desire to make a positive contribution during the pandemic led to rapidly adapting existing ways of working. \u201cWe had to move fast to keep staff safe, and at the same time we felt a responsibility to react in support of efforts to tackle the pandemic. We focused on validating the interactions between the protease and the bound compounds observed in the crystals, to ensure the findings are relevant to physiological conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas Schneider, Joint Head of Research Infrastructures at EMBL Hamburg, reflects on those early, uncertain days. \u201cIt was not an easy decision to reopen a locked-down facility when we were all in a state of shock,\u201d he says. \u201cRelying on the competence and dedication of all involved \u2013 engineers, scientists, technicians, administration \u2013 we were able to go for it and to contribute to the screening study. Later on, the lessons learned helped us implement safe and efficient procedures for running our services during the many subsequent months of the pandemic situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EMBL has a long tradition of making its scientific services and infrastructure available to researchers in EMBL member states and beyond. This large collaboration was made possible in part because of the unique collection of skills and facilities in Hamburg. \u201cIt was thanks to a very wide range of skills \u2013 including molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, and beamline operation across institutions \u2013 that this study was possible. And, of course, it\u2019s also thanks to open-minded people being generous with their time in the face of such a terrible challenge,\u201d explains Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This large-scale project shows the value that EMBL services provide to external researchers, and comes at a time when there is an urgent need for faster development of drugs to fight SARS-CoV-2. This and other successful COVID-19-related projects have underlined EMBL\u2019s contribution to the life sciences in Europe, and highlight the effectiveness of EMBL\u2019s collaborative spirit of research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EMBL Hamburg\u2019s integrated structural biology facility has contributed to the success of a large-scale SARS-CoV-2 study<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":38254,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17591],"tags":[726,474,1331,2030,312,11421,53,5768,5744,409,35],"embl_taxonomy":[2278,9596,19369,19139],"class_list":["post-38250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","category-science-technology","tag-beamline","tag-collaboration","tag-covid-19","tag-desy","tag-drug-discovery","tag-garcia-alai","tag-hamburg","tag-macromolecular-crystallography","tag-sample-preparation-and-characterisation-facility","tag-schneider","tag-structural-biology","embl_taxonomy-covid-19","embl_taxonomy-embl-hamburg","embl_taxonomy-sample-preparation-and-characterisation-facility","embl_taxonomy-thomas-r-schneider"],"acf":{"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"color":"#007B53","link_color":"#fff","article_intro":"
EMBL Hamburg\u2019s integrated structural biology facility has contributed to the success of a large-scale SARS-CoV-2 study<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"","link_url":""}],"article_sources":false,"in_this_article":false,"youtube_url":"","mp4_url":"","video_caption":"","press_contact":"None","vf_locked":false,"source_article":false,"field_target_display":""},"embl_taxonomy_terms":[{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"a5d0c484-f12a-4a27-93cc-85e3a6d79c09\";i:2;s:36:\"5683518e-43cd-4740-8583-31a65ef324d3\";}","parents":[],"name":["COVID-19"],"slug":"covid-19","description":"What > Topics > COVID-19"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"b14d3f13-5670-44fb-8970-e54dfd9c921a\";i:1;s:36:\"89e00fee-87f4-482e-a801-4c3548bb6a58\";i:2;s:36:\"613c4de5-1775-447f-af71-4b07085318e9\";}","parents":[],"name":["EMBL Hamburg"],"slug":"embl-hamburg","description":"Where > All EMBL sites > EMBL Hamburg"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"42b86629-bf66-44cd-b9e0-61590f8e8584\";i:2;s:36:\"01cca59b-ea0d-4c7d-b627-4cd295f3f9bc\";}","parents":[],"name":["Sample Preparation and Characterisation Facility"],"slug":"sample-preparation-and-characterisation-facility","description":"What > Services at EMBL Hamburg > Sample Preparation and Characterisation Facility"},{"uuid":"a:2:{i:0;s:36:\"4428d1fd-441a-4d6d-a1c5-5dcf5665f213\";i:1;s:36:\"b2816118-a600-4ae3-8528-d7574a7429ce\";}","parents":[],"name":["Thomas R. Schneider"],"slug":"thomas-r-schneider","description":"Who > Thomas R. Schneider"}],"yoast_head":"\n