Discovery could lead to new virus drugs

The first 3D image of a common cold virus generated by the fastest computer in the southern hemisphere could lead to new viral drug treatments, Melbourne scientists say. Researchers have simulated the full genome of the human rhinovirus, responsible for about 40 per cent of all colds, to better understand how a new drug developed by Australian company Biota stops the virus spreading. The drug, which is still in clinical trials, is targeted as a treatment for people with chronic lung diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis, for whom a common cold can be fatal. The 3D image was one of the first created by a new super computer, the IBM Blue Gene Q, delivered to the University of Melbourne earlier this month. St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research deputy director Professor Michael Parker, who led the research, said better understanding of how the rhinovirus responded to the drug had...