HEALTHCARE
Virus Protein Maps May Find Drugs to Combat COVID‐19
Compiled by John Joseph Parker Contributing Editor
Professor Brian Olson , of the Department
of Biology and Chemistry at County College of Morris ( CCM ), recently had his research on coronavirus targets published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design to assist with the development of drugs to combat COVID‐19 .
Olson , the lead author on the paper , worked with Dr . Tom Kurtzman of Lehman College to put together a team of researchers in March 2020 when he realized how extensive the COVID-19 pandemic would become . In the paper , “ An Online Repository of Solvation Thermodynamic and Structural Maps of SARS- CoV-2 Targets ,” the researchers provide maps of water molecules on the virus ’ proteins that also are known as solvation maps . Olson explains that knowing which water molecules need to be displaced , and which do not , provides essential information to guide the development of drugs to treat COVID-19 . The first step toward determining that is mapping where the water molecules are located on the proteins .
In March , Olson , who had been tracking the coronavirus on several databases , was certain COVID-19 would turn into a pandemic .
“ We were seeing clusters on multiple continents and were unable to trace the sources of infection . It was clear this was going to be an immediate and international public health issue ,” he says . “ That compelled me to do something .”
Utilizing the computational tool GIST , developed by Kurtzman , the researchers worked from their homes during the pandemic . Prior to being published in the Journal of Computer- Aided Molecular Design , the research was posted by the team on Chemrxiv so it could be accessed early while the peer-review process was taking place .
Now that solvation maps of the COVID-19 virus are available , Olson and his team plan to use that information to search for new drugs . Making the information public and free also will aid others in their search for new and effective pharmaceuticals to defeat the coronavirus . According to Altmetric ’ s Attention Score , which measures the online attention and activity of research papers , the work conducted by the Olson team ranks in the top 25 percent . Given that ranking , based on more than 2,200 views and over 300 downloads of the paper , Olson is encouraged about the development of drugs to fight the coronavirus .
“ I have never seen the international scientific community come together the way it has now to find some answers ,” says Olson . “ There is international collaboration and the sharing of information that previously would not have been shared .”
Olson , who teaches forensic science at CCM , joined the college ’ s faculty in 2018 . At CCM , he and several other professors , developed the college ’ s first virtual reality class to teach students forensic science skills by analyzing murder scenes . Along with his work on the coronavirus , he is researching the development of pain killers to replace opiates .
Olson earned his associate degree in science from the Borough of Manhattan Community College , his bachelor ’ s in biochemistry from Hunter College , his master ’ s in biochemistry from the City University of New York ( CUNY ) Graduate Center , and is working on his doctorate in biochemistry from CUNY Graduate Center .
He is a strong advocate for community colleges , and CCM in particular . “ Community colleges place a high value on quality teaching ,” he says . “ I am so fortunate . I have fun researching tiny molecules and on top of that I get paid to
A map of water molecules , in red and white , on a coronavirus protein
County College of Morris Professor Brian Olson
talk to students about narcotics , murders and other fascinating topics . I can ’ t imagine having a better job .”
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