News archive
11/21/2011
Concrete construction makes gastric flu virus so strong
Physicists from the VU University Amsterdam and the FOM Foundation have discovered where the gastric flu virus gets is exceptional strength from. The virus has a prestressed structure. That is the same principle used to reinforce concrete constructions: the metal wires of the reinforcement are stretched so that tension develops, which in turn pulls together the entire structure. The tension counteracts external forces that try to stretch the concrete. Knowledge about the mechanical structure of the gastric flu virus opens up possibilities for new anti-viral drugs and extra strong artificial nanoparticles.
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